RIO DE JANEIRO -- Britain's defending Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones has hung onto her title after defeating Spain's Eva Calvo Gomez in the final of the women's 57-kilogram division at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Thursday.
In an action-packed fight, the top-ranked Jones used an almost continual stream of aggressive attacks that Gomez was unable to counter. Jones won 16-7. Jones scored two head kicks within seconds of each other during the first round for an early lead that she never relinquished.
In the men's 68-kilogram division, Jordan won its first Olympic medal ever -- thanks to Ahmad Abughaush.
The top-ranked Jones, 23, took the gold medal at the London Games and also won the European championships in May. On Thursday, Jones dominated all of her opponents, often scoring first off her lightning-quick front leg, before hopping toward her opponent while throwing repeated head kicks. Her British teammates have nicknamed her "the headhunter" for her trademark move.
After her victory, Jones brought her coach onto the mat to celebrate before the two posed for pictures with the flags of Britain and Wales.
Gomez, seeded second, won a silver at last year's world championships. She and Jones are longtime rivals and have often split major taekwondo competition victories between them.
The women's bronze medals were won by Egypt's Hedaya Wahba and Iran's Kimia Zenoorin Alizadeh.
Abughaush, 20, wrapped up a surprising day of upsets at the Rio de Janeiro Games by taking the gold medal after defeating Russia's Alexey Denisenko in a nail-biting final on Thursday night during which Abughaush landed several jumping head shots that elicited gasps from the audience. Abughaush beat Denisenko by a score of 10 to 6.
Earlier in the day, the 10th-ranked Abughaush knocked out second-seeded Dae-Hoon Lee of South Korea before eliminating Olympic champion Joel Bonilla Gonzalez of Spain, who won the 58-kilogram division at the London Games. Lee applauded Abughaush's performance after being beaten by him, raising Abughaush's arm in victory when he was announced the winner.
Denisenko knocked out Turkey's defending Olympic champion Servet Tazegul before defeating top-ranked Jaouad Achab of Belgium.
The men's bronze medals were won by Spain's Joel Bonilla Gonzalez and South Korea's Dae-Hoon Lee.