Countdown to the Olympics for Luton karate champion Jordan Thomas

The Summer 2020 Olympics in Tokyo marks the first time karate has been recognised as an Olympic sport.

For 2016 world champion Thomas, it means he has everything to play for - with the possibility of a gold Olympic medal to add to an already stellar career.

But training has been far from smooth sailing due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen the games delayed until July 23 next year.

"We knew as soon as Covid became a real deal that this would probably postpone the Olympics," said 28-year-old Thomas.

"Of course it was disappointing, but it's important to keep your mind and body active and so I knew I had to keep training.

"It's not just for the games, it's core to being disciplined, bettering myself as a person and everything I believe in.

"The strangest thing is that I've been training alone, competing with myself.

"But it's worked out really well and there's a lot of other athletes in the same boat!"

Thomas has an impressive martial arts pedigree as the son of legendary karate trainer and 1992 world champion Willie Thomas.

And while he may have fighting blood in his veins, Thomas's success was all the more remarkable after a devastating road accident when he was just two, which led doctors to predict he might never walk again.

He said: "I get asked about the accident a lot during interviews, but obviously I was only two so I have no memory of it!

"I think it's still a very painful memory for my family and I do remember they were very protective of me growing up."

Thomas eventually overcame his early childhood injuries to make a full recovery. He went on to win the karate European Championships in 2014 before gold medal success at the 2016 World Championships and silver in the 2017 World Games.

And he credits karate with keeping him on the straight and narrow during the tough teenage years.

"I was very lucky," he said. "My dad was a karate trainer but it wasn't until I tried it myself, it really opened something up for me that I didn't know was there.

"I see a lot of problems in Luton. There's a lot of young people falling into bad ways because they're missing that piece in their lives that gives them hope, that makes them want to do their best.

"Definitely, I'd like to give back to our community when the time comes."

Dad Willie is currently training the Hong Kong team ready for next year's Olympics but will also be cheering Thomas when the games finally come around.

Thomas is among 1,100 athletes on UK Sport’s World Class Programme, funded by The National Lottery.

He added: "It’s been a massive help to have their continued funding through the pandemic, so thanks to everyone that plays The National Lottery.”

Since National Lottery funding started in 1997, Great Britain and Northern Ireland athletes have won 864 inspirational Olympic and Paralympic medals.

See www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk for further information.