Jones avoids ban because of 'exceptional circumstances'

British double Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones has been cleared to compete astatine nan 2024 Games aft it was decided she will not look immoderate sanctions complete a doping violation.

Jones, a golden medallist astatine London 2012 and Rio 2016, was provisionally suspended by nan UK Anti-Doping Agency (Ukad) aft she grounded to supply a urine sample to officials who arrived astatine her edifice successful Manchester connected 1 December 2023.

But Ukad said it had been presented pinch confidential aesculapian records that showed Jones bore "no responsibility aliases negligence for her refusal aliases nonaccomplishment to taxable to her sample collection".

Ukad, which did not specify nan aesculapian conditions, opportunity it was satisfied not to punish Jones connected nan "very exceptional circumstances".

The 31-year-old signed a archive to opportunity she was incapable to supply a sample arsenic she was having dehydration training earlier a weigh-in erstwhile nan officials visited her successful a edifice successful December.

Ukad's 'no-fault' ruling was connected nan ground of a study by a psychiatrist, who confirmed that Jones' "decision to garbage aliases nonaccomplishment to supply a sample occurred arsenic a nonstop consequence of her cognitive impairment".

Jones, who tested antagonistic later that time aft providing a sample to a abstracted tester, says she made a "mistake" by not providing nan sample astatine nan first clip of asking.

"At nan infinitesimal this started, I didn't grasp nan business I was successful and what could happen," said Jones successful a statement.

"What I understand now is not conscionable nan correction I made but nan reasons it happened and that location could person been different consequences."

She added she was "stressed and panicked" connected nan greeting of nan missed test.

Wales' Jones won Olympic golden astatine London 2012, aged 19.

She successfully defended her title successful Rio 4 years later but grounded to make it three-in-a-row successful Tokyo successful 2021 erstwhile she mislaid successful nan last-16 to Kimia Alizadeh.

Jones has been selected successful a four-person Great Britain taekwondo squad for nan Paris Games successful July.