Jade Jones tempers boxing ambitions with reminder to enjoy journey

Jade Jones says she keeps her title focus in check by remembering she started boxing for a fresh challenge. The former taekwondo star turned pro last year and is balancing competitive drive with the enjoyment she sought when switching codes.

“I have to pull myself back sometimes because although I am one-tracked minded, and all-in to boxing now and wanting to be the best, I came into this wanting a new challenge and wanting to enjoy it and to see where it goes”

— Jade Jones, via BBC Sport

What Jade Jones said

Jones won two Olympic golds in taekwondo before retiring from the sport in 2023. She signed with a professional boxing outfit later that year and has since made her ring debut. The Welsh athlete has no assigned weight class yet as she finds her footing in the new discipline.

What it moves

Jones's approach suggests she is taking a measured path rather than rushing toward a championship. The mindset could shield her from the burnout that often hits Olympic champions who chase instant success in boxing. Whether she settles on a single division or campaigns across multiple weights remains to be seen.

Source: bbc.com. Full Jade Jones fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.