Fantastic End to an Amazing Year for the Olympic Golden Girl. 29 December 2012

Olympic gold medallist Jade Jones receives an MBE in the New Year Honours, capping a fantastic 2012 for the young athlete.

Jones, from Flint, became Wales’ youngest Olympic gold medal winner when she triumphed in taekwondo at the London Olympics.

Earlier this month the 19-year-old was voted BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

She joins others from north east Wales honoured for service to public life.

Jones became one of the biggest starts of London 2012 when she won in the -57kg women’s category in taekwondo in August, becoming Team GB’s youngest champion of the games.

The teenager, who was encouraged to take up the Asian martial art by her grandfather Martin to keep her off the streets, was cheered on to her stunning victory by family and friends.

Afterwards, she admitted: “To be the first ever British taekwondo athlete to win Olympic gold is amazing.”

The star, who is based in Manchester where she trains with the GB taekwondo squad, has been very busy since her Olympic triumph, appearing on TV and having a leisure centre in her native Flint named after her.