‘I’ve never taken drugs’ vows Jade Jones after Paris Olympics first-round exit

The double Olympic champion was narrowly beaten by North Macedonia’s Miljana Reljikj, then saw her slim hopes of a place in the bronze medal repechage dashed when Reljikj was beaten in her subsequent bout.

The 31-year-old’s build up to a fourth Games was overshadowed by controversy over a missed drugs test in December, for which she ultimately avoided a ban after UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) found she had committed a no-fault violation on confidential medical grounds.

Speaking for the first time about the incident following confirmation of her exit in Paris, Jones insisted: “I can confirm that I’ve never taken drugs. I’ve done hundreds of tests and since then I’ve done 13 more tests – more than ever.”

Jones was obligated to submit a test at a hotel in Manchester, where she was preparing for competition. After initially failing to provide a sample, she signed a document to confirm that she had been unable to do so due to dehydration. Later that same day, she provided a sample to a separate tester, which proved negative.

Despite the generally accepted rule that a missed test is to be treated the same as a failed one, UKAD took into account the view of a consultant psychiatrist, who said that Jones’ “decision to refuse or failure to provide a sample occurred as a direct result of her cognitive impairment”.

Jones continued: “I made a mistake. (the drug testers) came on dehydration day. I said straight away, you have to come with me, I’ve got to lose the weight, and then basically she (the tester) didn’t know if she could come or not.

“There was a lot of stress and I was waiting. I needed to go and dehydrate and weigh in. I wasn’t in the right mind. I signed a piece of paper but I didn’t know what I was signing.”

Jones, whose initial provisional suspension was lifted in April, allowing her to compete at the European Championships, where she won a silver medal, refused to use the uncertainty as an excuse for a poor performance that shattered her hopes of adding to her 2012 and 2016 gold medals.

“I came out today and I didn’t have the balls to fight free and let my legs go,” said Jones. “I’m just gutted that I didn’t show what I’m capable of and what me and my coach had worked so hard to show. That is my biggest regret.

“The expectations, the pressure – obviously I was trying to do something that no-one had done. I knew I could be good enough but when it comes down to it, sometimes you just freeze, you want it too much, almost.”

Bidding to become the first three-time Olympic champion in her sport’s history, Jones lost the opening round after her opponent landed a three-point head kick in the final five seconds, and despite edging the second 5-4, neither combatant could land the decisive blow in a low-scoring and cagey third.

Jones, sat disconsolately on the edge of the ring for a short time, well aware that earlier defeats for both Kimia Alizadeh – who beat her in the first round in Tokyo – and Chinese Taipei’s world silver medallist Lo Chia-ling, had opened up her section of the draw.

While questions still remain about the handling of the case, and in particular UKAD’s decision to exonerate her from blame, Jones hopes the incident will not affect her legacy as she goes home to inevitably consider her future.

“Obviously now is really hard, but I am super proud of having the courage to try to do something that no-one else has done,” added Jones.

“I’m just so grateful and blessed that they looked into it, that I was cleared, that I was in no fault. It was a big story. It wasn’t one thing. I am blessed, and grateful that (the incident) didn’t tarnish it (her career).”

Bradly Sinden’s bid to return to the Olympic podium came to a painful end as he was forced to withdraw from his bronze medal match in the men’s -68kg category.

Sinden damaged his left knee in his second bout, a narrow win over Croatia’s Marko Golubic, and was clearly hampered as he fell to defeat in his semi-final against Zaid Kareem of Jordan.

The 25-year-old from Doncaster, who took a silver medal in Tokyo three years ago, made the tearful decision to withdraw from his subsequent bronze medal contest.

Sinden said: “I thought I was in a really good position to get gold but in my second fight I felt my knee go and it made me feel a bit unstable in my third fight.

“I thought I had a really good chance winning gold this time, but such is life and I will move on and support my girlfriend Rebecca (McGowan) in her competition on Saturday.”

McGowan competes in the -67kg category against  Venice Traill, of Fiji.