The 18-year-old from Flintshire, who burst onto the scene after she won gold at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics Games, came up just short after a -57kg dramatic final against China's 2009 world champion Hou Yuzhou.

But, with Liverpool's Martin Stemper claiming a bronze in the men's -68kg division, it left Britain second overall in the medals table. 

Jones lost the final on a golden point after the scores had finished level at 5-5, just failing to emulate Sarah Stevenson's golden triumph 24 hours earlier.

The Briton thought she gained a stunning victory with the decisive kick in sudden death but instead, the verdict went to her euphoric Chinese rival.

"I'm just disappointed how it finished at the end because it was so close," said Jones.

"I knew I had the talent but the World Championships are so hard.

"In the past we haven't been great, but as a team were getting much stronger."

Jones, who earlier in the year won gold and bronze medals in two separate weight classes at the US Open in Texas and silver at the German Open in Hamburg, began her World Championship campaign with a convincing 11-1 victory over Iana Gagnidze of Georgia.

Next up was the much-fancied world number five Veronica Calabrese in the final 32, but Jones overcame the Italian to set up a battle for a quarter-final berth with Rumeysa Sila Olcek of Turkey.


Taking a 4-1 lead in the first round, the Briton was pegged back to 4-4 in the second before coming through with a hard fought 6-5 victory.

Jones led 2-1 in the second round of her quarter-final before Senegal's Bineta Diedhiou pulled out through injury, giving the Welsh athlete a semi-final place and guaranteeing her at least a bronze medal in her first appearance at the Championships.

She then overcame a 6-2 deficit in her semi-final against the former European medallist Marlenee Harnois of France with an 8-7, sudden-death win to set up a final with the reigning champion Yuzhuo.

It was not to be for the Jones as she suffered an agonising sudden-death defeat but her emphatic success at the Championships will have gone a long way to justifying one of the two available female slots for Team GB at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Stamper, 24, had no complaints after his defeat in the -68kg division semi-finals where Turkey's Servet Tazegul gained an unassailable 9-0 lead after the first round.

Stamper recovered in round two only for the contest to be stopped in the third with Tazegul, the eventual gold medallist, having obtained a necessary 12 point winning margin.

The Merseysider's 15-2 defeat was his first in 18 contests this year. "

I am disappointed but I think this is the start of big things to come," he said.

"When I was on the podium all I was thinking was that the British flag will be at the top of the pole come [London] 2012.

"This year has been really good for me and it is pleasing to come over here and win a medal."

Britain's performance director Gary Hall was understandably proud of his team's performance.

"For Jade to win world junior and world senior silver medals in just over 12 months is absolutely phenomenal," he said.

"But she is still disappointed because she knows a golden point would have made her world champion.

"And that fine line is hard for her to take.

"She enjoys sudden death finishes. And she thought she had got her first kick on target.

"However, under the new electronic scoring system the point doesn't always go up.

"But she can still be very proud of her achievement.

"And with Martin getting his bronze, it's been another very good day.

"The reputation of British taekwondo is growing and it's the right time to make our mark just over a year out from London 2012."

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May 2011: Emotional world taekwondo victory for Stevenson
February 2011: Stamper and Jones are Britian's golden wonders
December 2010: Alan Hubbard - Why Koreans are finding it hard to keep up with the Jones
August 2010: Taekwondo player claims Britain's first gold medal of Youth Olympics