Double Olympic champion Jade Jones beat reigning world gold medallist Lee Ah-Reum of South Korea in the women’s under 57 kilograms final ©World Taekwondo

Double Olympic champion Jade Jones delighted the home crowd at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix series event here this evening after beating reigning world gold medallist Lee Ah-Reum of South Korea in the women’s under 57 kilograms final.

A 31-14 win was sweet revenge for the 24-year-old Briton, who lost to Lee in the semi-finals at the 2017 World Championships in Muju in South Korea earlier this year.

Jones, who won gold at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, was 12-4 in front by the end of the first period and never looked like relinquishing her advantage thereafter. 

She had earlier claimed a 25-10 semi-final victory over Russia’s Tatiana Kudashova, who was one of the two bronze medallists along with Poland’s Patrycja Adamkiewicz.

"The way I am built I want to get gold all the time," Jones, a silver medallist at last month's Grand Prix in Morocco's capital Rabat, said.

"So, it is hard when you get silver and you are used to getting gold.

"When you get silver it’s like 'Oh what’s happened to Jade? It is difficult but I came back with a vengeance.

"So, to win in London and beat the girl who knocked me out of the World Championship is sweet.

"I felt I was getting back to my normal self. 

"I was confident as the rounds were going on."

World champion Bianca Walkden claimed the women's over 67kg title ©World Taekwondo
World champion Bianca Walkden claimed the women's over 67kg title ©World Taekwondo

Jones’ triumph was the first of two for hosts Great Britain this evening with team-mate Bianca Walkden coming out on top in the women’s over 67kg category.

Walkden, the two-time reigning world champion, registered a comfortable 20-7 victory over Poland’s Aleksandra Kowalczuk in the final.

It followed a hard-fought 13-11 semi-final success over Mexico’s Briseida Acosta, who shared the third step of the podium with South Korea’s Lee Da-Bin.

"I had such a tough day mentally," Walkden, who has now won three consecutive Grand Prix gold medals this season, admitted.

"I had a breakdown just before the final because I thought I wasn’t doing enough.

"But I had to dig-in and give everything I have got. 

"I didn’t want to be remembered for not trying. 

"I wanted to die trying and it paid off."

In the men’s under 58kg final, world silver medallist Mikhail Artamonov of Russia defeated Iran’s Armin Hadipour Seighalani with a three-point score in golden point after a rather uninspiring 0-0 draw in regulation time.

The bronze medals went the way of Thailand’s Tawin Hanprab and Spain’s Jesus Tortosa Cabrera.

Action in London is due to conclude tomorrow when the women's under 49kg and men's under 80kg categories take centre stage.

Britain have now won three of the six gold medals on offer thus far with Jordan, Russia and South Korea accounting for the others.