- Johnson-Thompson trails Thiam by 121 points with one event left
- Needs to finish 8 seconds ahead in 800m to win gold
- Thiam on track for third consecutive gold; Johnson-Thompson aiming for silver
Katarina Johnson-Thompson faces a mountain to climb to win the gold medal in the heptathlon after slipping behind Belgian competitor Nafissatou Thiam on day two, with only one discipline remaining.
With only 800m remaining in the seven-discipline event on Friday evening, Johnson-Thompson was 121 points behind the Belgian, who threw a season-best weapon to take the lead after six disciplines. Annik Kaelin, a Swiss athlete, showed tenacity by finishing third after a significant long jump and decent javelin in the morning.
To take the gold. Johnson-Thompson, who reclaimed her global title in Budapest last year, would need to take a commanding lead in the final race and finish eight seconds clear of Thiam.
Thiam, who won gold in Tokyo and Rio, was 45 points behind Johnson-Thompson heading into the weapon. Johnson-Thompson, who competed in the first heat, continued the pressure on the Belgian with a season-best 44.64m throw, which earned her 757 points. Her second throw was a foul, but she improved her distance on the third, reaching 45.49m, another 2024 best.
Thiam threw a tremendous 54.04m, breaking her season’s best by more than a meter. Her second was a foul, and her third measured 52.56 meters. It didn’t matter because her initial toss had already created a clear separation between herself and her opponent.
The 31-year-old Johnson-Thompson made a brave effort on the second day of the heptathlon after a rough start in the long jump, the morning’s opening event.
Johnson-Thompson, who has an outdoor personal best of 6.92m in the category, registered only 4.65m on her first leap. She managed 6.04m on her second attempt, recording the result with a frown. But her third jump was a respectable 6.40m. Thiam scored 6.41m, cutting the 48-point deficit between them to 45.
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Johnson-Thompson led by 48 points at the start of the day, with Thiam in second place at 4,007 and Anna Hall, a younger American competitor, in third at 3,956. On the first day of the heptathlon, the British athlete appeared relaxed and confident, almost as if she was having fun. She had season-bests in the high jump and 100m hurdles and a massive personal best in the shot put.
At the end of the first day, she stated, “It was a perfect day, one of the best I’ve had in a long time…” There were several good signs and events. I’m pretty happy with it.”
However, she insisted that her 48-point lead entering the second day did not “really mean anything.” She said, “I’m pleased that I’ve been able to organize successful events while also working on my weaknesses. Another day tomorrow; it’s not over yet.”
Her journey to these Games had been challenging; she was forced to withdraw from the European Championships in Rome at the beginning of June after three events.
If she wins silver, it will be a significant accomplishment for a seasoned athlete with two world titles, two Commonwealth titles, and a European silver medal, but she has yet to realize her Olympic potential. She finished 14th at her debut Games in 2012 and sixth in 2016 and could not compete in Tokyo 2021 due to injury.
Thiam’s third consecutive gold medal will solidify her status as one of the finest athletes of the contemporary age.
