Home / Jade Jones / Taekwondo Star Competes for Sporting Legend Glory At National Lottery Awards

Taekwondo Star Competes for Sporting Legend Glory At National Lottery Awards

1st August 2019

Britain’s double Olympic Taekwondo star, Jade Jones, is amongst twelve top UK athletes competing for public votes after reaching the finals of this year’s 25th Birthday National Lottery Awards – the annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded athlete and projects.

The Sporting Legend category in the Awards provides a golden opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the UK’s world class National Lottery funded athletes, whilst demonstrating the impact that National Lottery players have had on elite sport since 1997.

Jade Jones was the first British athlete to become an Olympic Taekwondo Champion when she took gold at London 2012 at the age of 19 – a performance which earned her an MBE.

Jade, who trains at the National Lottery funded National Taekwondo Centre on Ten Acres Lane in Manchester, repeated that remarkable feat and became double Olympic champion at the age of 23 when she secured another Gold at Rio 2016.

The National Lottery has funded Jade Jones throughout her career and has assisted her preparations in the build-up for both the 2012 and the 2016 Olympics and now in the run-up to Tokyo 2020.

She is one of over 1,000 elite athletes in the UK funded by the National Lottery, allowing her to train full time to reach her full potential.

Double Olympic Champion, Jade Jones, said: “I’m thrilled to be a Sporting Legend finalist in the 25th Birthday National Lottery Awards. Inspiring the next generation and giving young people opportunities from an early age is so important.

“The National Lottery has supported thousands of athletes like myself throughout our careers and has helped us to secure podium places at the highest level.

I always had the desire, commitment, vision and support to succeed but National Lottery funding allowed me to compete and train full time and access world-class facilities and training programmes which give you that extra edge in competitive sport.”

During her competitive career, Jade Jones has been supported through the National Lottery funded World Class Performance Programme, which affords athletes coaching, training, and competition support, medical, technology and scientific services.

Simon Morton, Chief Operating Officer for UK Sport, said: “The National Lottery has been the absolute driving force in making GB a true world leader in Olympic and Paralympic sport.

“The advent of the National Lottery 25 years ago proved the fundamental turning point in our fortunes.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to every National Lottery player for making all of our inspirational Olympic and Paralympic medal moments come true and long may this continue.”

The shortlisted athletes are:

Chris Hoy – Cycling

David Weir – Wheelchair Athletics

Katherine Grainger – Rowing

Kelly Holmes – Athletics

Nicola Adams – Boxing

Sarah Storey – Paralympic Swimming & Paralympic cycling

Tanni Grey-Thompson – Wheelchair Athletics

Jade Jones – Taekwondo

Kelly Gallagher – Skiing

Mo Farah – Athletics

Steve Redgrave – Rowing

Ben Ainslie – Sailing

Vote for Jade to win by heading over to lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or tweet using the hashtag #NLAJadeJones

The public vote closes on Wednesday 21st August 2019, tune in to see who is crowned the winner on BBC One on Tuesday 19th November 2019.

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