Tokyo Olympics: Jade Jones 'petrified' second bout of Covid could wreck gold dream
- Published
Jade Jones transforms into anime superhero
Jade Jones revealed she had Covid-19 in January and is "petrified" testing positive in Japan would end her bid to make history with a third successive Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games.
The 28-year-old is avoiding contact with team-mates to reduce the risks.
"I've had the vaccines and I've had Covid so it's highly unlikely," she said.
"I still don't want to get a positive test because that means game over, you're out."
Team GB's current base is Keio University in Minato City, where the nation's taekwondo stars are training alongside boxing and badminton stars.
Jones, who contracted the virus in January, is reluctant to socialise with compatriots as she targets another gold after -57kg successes at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
She said: "I constantly wear the mask. My hands are raw from the amount of hand gel I've been putting on, we walk in single file to training, literally a little traffic system so no-one comes near us and we stay in that same bubble.
"To be fair, I'm quite anti-social anyway, so it works well for me.
"I've got an excuse now. Got to keep my distance. Where we have our meal there's a sticker on the table saying 'keep conversation to a minimum'."
She added: "The hardest bit is being petrified you're going to test positive."
However, even with the pandemic casting its shadow over the delayed 2020 Games, Jones remains in awe of the experience.
"I thought because of Covid it's not going to be the same, it's going to be rubbish, it's not going to compare to London and Rio," Jones said.
"I got here and it seems the same.
"Obviously you have to wear the mask, but I still feel like that little kid walking around saying 'this is amazing'. Just wearing the kit, I just feel proud to be here again."
Jones' housemate Bianca Walkden hopes to challenge in the +67kg category and emphasised the atmosphere she has experienced in Japan.
"We've all got paranoia around Covid," Walkden said.
"It is just to make sure we are all being safe. Our masks are on all the time no matter what, everyone is doing every single safety precaution.
"If one person sneezes, we are all going 'What the hell is going on?'. We just want to get that past us now and compete. After that I am not bothered. I just want to make sure I can compete."