Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Taekwondo silver for GB’s Lauren Williams

Great Britain’s Lauren Williams has won a silver medal in the women’s -67kg taekwondo competition at Tokyo 2020.

The 22-year-old was defeated by Croatia’s Matea Jelic who won the contest in the last few seconds with a decisive kick.

Williams was leading with just 14 seconds remaining but ultimately lost the match 25-22, afterwards she said: “It’s not enough, I didn’t go out there to lose, I went out there to win.

She was still delighted with the medal though, saying, “Olympic silver medal is not bad is it?”

It’s team GB’s second silver medal at this Games in taekwondo.

Williams, who is from Wales, made her Olympic debut at this year’s games and beat Ivory Coast’s Ruth Gbagbi, Egypt’s Hedaya Wahba and Malia Maile Paseka of Tonga in the earlier rounds.

Her silver medal on day three of the Games comes after gold medals for Tom Daley and Matty Lee in the synchronised diving, Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke and Tom Pidcock in the mountain bike cross-country.

After kickboxing as a child, Williams changed sport to taekwondo thanks to the influences of fellow Welsh taekwondo star Jade Jones.

Nine years ago, aged just 13 she watched Jones win gold at London 2012 from her caravan, today she was cheered on by her hero from the sidelines as she won a silver medal for herself in Tokyo.