China's Hou Yuzhuo claimed the gold medal at the -57kg category in the world taekwondo championships in the South Korean city of Gyeongju on Wednesday.

The reigning champ Hou outgunned Britain's Jade Louise Jones in the fourth sudden-death round of the thrilling final to retain her crown.

The 23-year-old Hou, silver medalist at the 2004 world junior championships, reached the final bout after overwhelming South Korea's Olympic champion Lim Su-jeong 5-1 in the semifinal.

The silver went to Jones, the gold medalist at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

The bronze medal was shared by Lim and France's Mariene Harnois.

After four days of competition, China topped others in the overall medal tally with two gold medals and one silver, followed by Britain and Croatia with one gold and one silver each.

The six-day competition, which runs from May 1 to 6, has drawn some 1,000 athletes from more than 140 countries and regions.