Refugee Athlete Shatters Jones's Olympic Taekwondo History Bid

Zeeshan Mehtab Published July 25, 2021 | 09:40 AM

Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jul, 2021 ) :Jade Jones's dreams of becoming the first athlete to win three Olympic taekwondo titles were shattered on Sunday as the Briton exited at the last-16 stage in Tokyo, beaten by Kimia Alizadeh of the Refugee Olympic Team.

Alizadeh -- Iran's first ever female Olympic medallist when she won bronze in 2016 before defecting in 2020 -- let out a shriek of delight as she beat Jones 16-12 in the 57kg bout.

Alizadeh cited institutional sexism when she defected in January last year, saying she was one of the "millions of oppressed women in Iran".

The Germany-based athlete, who won bronze at the 2016 Rio Games, earlier Sunday beat former compatriot Nahid Kiyani in the qualifying round.