Olympic gold medallist Jade Jones took a break from training to inspire budding young athletes when she visited Holloway School.

Jade, 19, who won Britain’s first gold medal in taekwondo when she competed at London 2012, presented prizes and certificates to more than 150 students at the secondary school and specialist sports college in Hilldrop Road, Holloway, on Thursday of last week.

She joked that in a few years’ time, she might face competition in the taekwondo arena from 11-year-old Abdulla Ali, who showed Jade his own taekwondo skills.

Bob Hamlyn, headteacher of the school, which this summer celebrated its best GCSE results, with 78 per cent of GCSE-takers gaining at least five A* to C grades, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to have an Olympic gold medallist in school to share our recent successes.

“With our record GCSE results this year, it was important to have a guest who represented the pinnacle of youthful achievement.

“Jade does just that – she connected really well with our students.”