'I'm not going to stop until I get that gold medal': Lauren Williams looks ahead to next Olympics

  • Blackwood's Lauren Williams reacts to winning silver at Tokyo 2020

Taekwondo champion Lauren Williams has vowed to come back stronger at the next Olympics in Paris 2024.

Speaking to ITV News after her defeat in the -67kg final at Tokyo 2020, Williams said she would not stop until she got a gold medal at an Olympic Games.

Born in Blackwood, the 22-year-old, narrowly lost out to top seed Matea Jelic of Croatia in the last 10 seconds of the final.

Speaking about the loss, Williams said: "I made a mistake. I messed up on the biggest stage, it cost me that gold medal. So of course, I was deflated at the time."

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But Williams already has her sights set on future Olympics, vowing to come away with the gold medal next time.

"I'm not going to stop until I get that gold medal, no matter how many Olympics it takes me.

"That's still very much in reach and I almost had it, so yeah, I'm coming after it."

Williams speaks to her coach after the defeat to Croatian top seed. Credit: PA Images

Despite initial disappointment yesterday, Williams said she is still proud to walk away with a silver medal.

"I've walked out to an Olympic final. I didn't ever think I'd achieve that. I'm just immensely proud of that and I think I'm going to take the positives away from yesterday.

"I can fairly say that I did everything I could. I left it all on the mat."