- Written by James Burridge
- BBC Look East Sports
Jordan Thomas' gold medal at the 2016 World Championships was Britain's first since Paul Newby 12 years earlier.
Former British karate champion and European champion Jordan Thomas has announced his retirement.
After failing to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 32-year-old moved to the GB Taekwondo World Class Performance Programme.
But now is the right time to end it, he said.
“The last few years have been very, very difficult,” Thomas told BBC Sport in an exclusive interview.
“I went from karate to taekwondo to a new sport. I was at the bottom and learned a new profession and new skills.
“But I chose to retire because it was time to move on to the next step in my life. I have a daughter and have another child on the way.
“This decision is still fresh in my mind because I feel I have the ability, but now is the right time.”
Thomas followed in the footsteps of his father William, who became world karate champion in 1992.
In 2016, Jordan accomplished that feat again, becoming the first British karate world champion in 12 years.
“When I became world champion, it wasn't normal,” he said.
“It was a great joy for me to be able to recreate what my father did and share that experience in front of him. I'm very proud of it.”
Olympic regrets
Thomas was two seconds away from qualifying for the 2020 Olympics but missed out on Britain's squad after receiving a kick to the head in the closing minutes of the match in Paris.
“Not being able to go to the Olympics was very, very difficult,” he said. “I wanted to be the person who blamed everyone, but I made a conscious decision to take responsibility and take responsibility for what happened. I want to rewrite that story.
“Competing at the top is very demanding both mentally and physically. You're under a lot of pressure. You're working with a team that demands high performance and expects results.”
“You live the lifestyle to make it happen.”
help others
image source, Getty Images
In addition to his 2014 gold medal, Jordan Thomas also won a European bronze medal at the 2016 championships.
Thomas is now a coach and mentor to children at schools in Hertfordshire.
He runs a karate academy and hopes to use what he learned during his competitive career in the sport to help others.
“The Academy emphasizes high performance and we are creating a pathway to elite sport,” he explained.
“If they can learn and practice resilience, focus, self-control and problem-solving skills, their confidence will increase.
“If they use these skills every day, they can become world champions.”
