Ken Jones
Track
Olympic gold medallist in the 4x100m relay at London 1948, Jones also reached the individual 100m final. Won the Welsh 100/220-yard sprint double seven times, and earned 44 caps for Wales at rugby union.
Biography
Ken Jones was a dual-sport athlete who achieved rare distinction in both rugby union and athletics. In athletics, he reached the 100m final at the 1948 London Olympics and won gold as part of the British 4x100m relay team. He won the Welsh 100 and 220-yard sprint double seven times, claimed a long jump title in 1949, and was also a medallist at the 1954 European Championships and Commonwealth Games.
In rugby, he was an exceptional international winger for Wales, earning 44 caps with 17 tries and scoring the decisive try when Wales defeated the All Blacks 13-8 in 1953 — still the last time Wales has beaten New Zealand. He accumulated 145 tries across 293 Newport RFC matches.
Jones received the OBE in 1960 and was among the inaugural inductees to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.