TAEKWONDO queen Jade Jones capped a memorable year this evening after being named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2012.
The 19-year-old from Flint beat nine of the country’s other top sportsmen and women in a public vote and was revealed as the winner at a glitzy ceremony at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff ahead of Welsh rugby star Dan Lydiate and Olympic gold medal cyclist Geraint Thomas.
Teenager Jones was presented the title just months after defeating China’s Yuzhuo Hou 6-4 to take the women’s 57kg Olympic crown in the ExCel Exhibition Centre at the London Games back in August.
Her win, which avenged her defeat to the Chinese fighter in the 2011 World Championships final, delivered Team GB one of its 29 gold medals in a summer which exceeded all expectations and saw the country gripped by Olympic fever.
Meanwhile it was Great Britain’s first ever Olympic gold in Taekwondo, as Jones broke new ground in a sport historically dominated by the likes of South Korea and China.
Among those nominated for the award alongside Jones had been Gareth Bale, Leanda Cave, Nathan Cleverly, Mark Colbourne, Aled Sion Davies, Tom James, Dan Lydiate, Josie Pearson and Geraint Thomas.
Elsewhere, Warren Gatland's Wales team was named Team of the Year after their Grand Slam triumph in this year's Six Nations tournament and Lynn Davies (pictured), known as Lynn "The Leap" after taking the Olympic long jump title at the 1964 Tokyo Games, won the Lifetime Achievement award.
Olympic 200m freestyle swimmer Ieuan Lloyd, 19, was named Carwyn James Junior Sportsman of the Year.
Meanwhile 18-year-old cyclist Elinor Barker, who won the women’s junior time-trial gold at the World Road Championships in Holland in September, was named Carwyn James Junior Sportswoman of the Year.
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