Sochi 2014: Jenny Jones - the story of an Olympic medallist

Snowboarding (slopestyle)

Born: 03/07/80

Career highlights

The Bristol snowboarder has been a trailblazer in the sport for more than a decade, but her bronze medal in Sunday's slopestyle in Sochi is undoubtedly her career highlight. Jones is also a three-time X Games slopestyle gold medallist (one European title, two global) and former silver medallist.

She finished sixth at last year's World Championships and began the current Olympic season with her first World Cup podium - silver in New Zealand.

Lesley McKenna, Great Britain's park and pipe programme manager, says of Jones: "It's not easy to get to the top and stay for one year. To do it for over 10 years is fantastic."

Career background

Jones started snowboarding aged 17 when her local dry slope was offering free lessons. Upon leaving college she spent a season working as a chalet maid in Tignes, a French resort in which she would win Euro X Games gold more than 10 years later (2010).

She competed in athletics (400m, long jump, cross country) and gymnastics in her youth, taking part in the South West England Gymnastics Championships.

These days she spends most of her year on the road in Europe, North America and the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

Did you know?

• Jones has banned high heels, skateboarding and Irish dancing until after Sochi - they have all been the cause of ankle injuries in the past

• She and British team-mate Aimee Fuller are planning a post-Olympics motorbike road trip around the United States, although Jones more typically spends the off-season surfing in Cornwall or Devon

• Jones has had some weird and wonderful jobs to help fund her snowboarding career, including inspecting cardboard in a factory and teaching fencing to children

• Her bronze on the second day of the Games was Britain's earliest medal in the Winter Olympics and her snowboarding stance is described as "goofy" (a "goofy" footer stands with the right foot forward; someone who is "natural footed" has the left foot forward)

• She is a patron of the UK charity, the Caring Cancer Trust

• Jones has featured in several snowboarding movies and previously described British snowboarder Lesley McKenna as the most influential person in her career

• She has some lucky underwear and a favourite snowboard