Jade Jones admits she feels like the girl who won the Olympic title in 2012 again as she targets a maiden European Championship gold medal in Baku in May.
The 20-year-old concedes her form fell away in the aftermath of her 57kg win in London in 2012 – two years after claiming the 55kg taekwondo title at the inaugural Youth Olympics.
However Jones believes she is back on track after victory at the Dutch Open with a schedule of hard training ahead of the Europeans in Azerbaijan now replacing competition.
"After the Olympics my form went a bit downhill,” said Jones – who claimed European bronze in both 2010 and 2012.
“But I'm definitely back on track and enjoying training a lot more. I just want to keep winning and I'm determined not to take my foot off the pedal.
"It's been a hard month with all the competitions and the travelling. I have never really done two competitions in a row. I'm normally a fighter who peaks for the big events.
“But I have enjoyed it a lot more than I thought. It's made me more relaxed when I get on the mat because it just feels normal.
“In the past I might have been more nervous because I had not fought for ages. But I have known exactly what to do and it has helped me a lot.
"I am going to have six solid weeks training now before the Euros. That's a big one for me even though all the ranking points I've won recently are nice.
"The next aim is to become European champion. Losing in Manchester in 2012was a downer but it probably proved a blessing in disguise."
© Sportsbeat 2014