Olympic medallist Sarah Jones has introduced her determination to retire her GB shirt after six years which have seen her compete on the highest degree of the game.
Having realised her long-term aim to be the primary Welsh outfield athlete to characterize Nice Britain since 2012, Jones made her debut for Nice Britain on the 2018 Hockey Champions Trophy and went on to earn 73 caps – together with representing Workforce GB at two Olympic Video games.
After having achieved her first cap, 2019 noticed Jones play 15 matches within the Professional League match, which was subsequently adopted up by her choice for the 2020-21 Professional League. Following on from her spectacular performances in Professional League, in 2020 Jones was chosen for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Video games: her Olympic debut. She competed in each match all through the Video games and was a key participant because the workforce earned an emotional bronze medal.
After the successes of the Tokyo Video games, Jones continued to be a mainstay within the GB programme and, following a interval through which Jones needed to recuperate from a number of difficult accidents, she returned to Professional League motion in 2022-23 and 2023-24 the place she performed in entrance of the house crowd in London.
Jones went on to be chosen for the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers. She was awarded Participant of the Match for her efficiency within the last Olympic Qualification match, delivering in an especially high-pressure, high-stakes surroundings and scoring a aim, subsequently securing Nice Britain’s place on the Paris Olympics 2024.
This summer season noticed Jones qualify and compete at her second Olympic Video games in Paris the place she performed an integral position in securing Nice Britian’s place within the quarter finals, together with scoring a pivotal aim within the GB/USA recreation.
While she is ready to retire from Nice Britain, Jones stays dedicated to taking part in for her house nation Wales, having already earned 115 caps and competed in three Commonwealth Video games; 2014 in Glasgow, 2018 in Gold Coast and 2022 in Birmingham, and 6 EuroChampionships.
On her retirement from Nice Britain, Jones mentioned: “I’m past honoured to have had the privilege to characterize Nice Britain over the previous six years and am so very grateful to everybody who has been part of my journey. It’s created a number of the finest recollections and largest challenges I’ve ever confronted, and I’m happy with all that we now have achieved as a workforce. Phrases won’t ever absolutely have the ability to encapsulate it, however, for now, I simply need to say thanks.”
Nice Britain’s Girls’s Head Coach David Ralph mentioned: “Sarah has made a worthwhile contribution to Nice Britain hockey over the past two Olympic cycles, which included Sarah successful a bronze medal as a part of the GB workforce on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Sarah’s journey to changing into an integral a part of two GB Olympic groups needs to be an inspiration to all of us because it wasn’t till 2018 that Sarah received her first GB cap on the age of 28. Sarah’s dedication and onerous work received her that chance and allowed her to know that chance and progress to changing into a massively influential participant for us on and off the pitch.
“Her performances within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been excellent and massively contributed to our profitable journey in that match. As an impressive coach, Sarah was additionally a worthwhile contributor to us in a coaching context, her drive and dedication was evident every single day and we are going to miss her character too.
“It was an actual pleasure to educate Sarah over the past six years, a fantastic particular person, an exemplary coach and an impressive hockey participant. It was an actual spotlight, and honour, of my teaching profession to have the ability to choose Sarah for her first GB cap, and to see her grasp that chance and go on to have the good profession that she did. We want Sarah each success within the subsequent chapter of her journey, and I’ll personally miss her power and character every single day.”