Paul Green: Bianca Walkden and Jade Jones 'shocked' by GB coach's decision to leave

World champion Bianca Walkden and Olympic champion Jade Jones are "shocked and saddened" by Paul Green's decision to leave the Great Britain coaching setup.

Green guided Jones, 24, to her two Olympic taekwondo titles before the pair fell out over her appearance in Channel 4's 'The Jump' series in 2016.

He coached Walkden to a defence of her world title before leaving this month.

"He'll be really missed," 26-year-old Walkden told BBC Sport.

"I didn't want him to go and it's a massive shock because I thought he was going to be on this journey with me through to Tokyo [2020 Olympics]."

Jones, whose relationship with Green had improved in recent months and is not believed to be related to his decision to leave, says she will be "forever grateful" for the support that helped her become a two-time Olympic gold medallist.

"We started to have ups and downs before Rio as I'm a young girl that wants to do media opportunities and we clashed a bit," Jones told BBC Sport.

"It's very sad as Paul's been amazing for me and I have tremendous respect for him, but we can't stop and cry.

"We have to move on and move forward, keep fighting and keep winning."

Green has not given an official reason for his decision to quit, but told BBC Sport he is "absolutely devastated" to move on from the women's team.

"They are so talented and I know I will be proud come Tokyo as they are in an amazing system which has made them [Britain] one of the best countries in the world," he said.

GB Taekwondo Performance Director Gary Hall says the "door will always be open" for Green should the 2004 Athens Olympian choose to return.

He is, however, confident they can continue to provide the likes of Jones, Walkden, and rising star Lauren Williams, 18, with world-class coaching.

"It's been emotionally strained and not easy because Paul is a big loss to us, and first and foremost the athletes, because of the close relationships we form here," Hall told BBC Sport.

"We still have three world-class coaches and a developing one in [London Olympian] Martin Stamper and we can see a way forward."

Stamper will work with Walkden at this weekend's World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final in the Ivory Coast.

She and Jones, who will continue to be coached by South Korean Jinmi Choi, are part of a seven-strong British team who will fight in Abidjan from 2-3 December.

Also in the line-up is Ivory Coast-born Team GB Olympian Mahama Cho (-80kg) as well as Max Cater (-58kg), Lauren Williams (-67kg), Peter Longobardi (-68kg) and Damon Sansum (-80kg).