Katarina Johnson-Thompson Eyes Third World Heptathlon Title In Tokyo

Defending champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson says she feels “excited” as she resumes her pursuit of a third world heptathlon crown, after putting herself firmly into medal contention in Tokyo.

At the halfway stage, Johnson-Thompson sits in third place with 3893 points, just behind Ireland’s Kate O’Connor (3906 points), while American star Anna Hall leads the field on 4154 points. Belgium’s Nafi Thiam, Olympic champion and long-time rival, finds herself in sixth with 3818 points after a challenging 200m.

A Grueling Opening Day

The first day of competition proved physically demanding, with events packed closely together. Johnson-Thompson admitted the timetable was tough:

“Normally we have the full day to spread out the events, but today was back-to-back-to-back. It shows in the 200m times for everyone. Still, it’s a solid first day — I’ve had worse and I’ve had better.”

Despite the strain, the British athlete ended day one only 12 points shy of her gold-medal pace from 2023, keeping her firmly in the hunt.

Key Day Two Events Await

The heptathlon resumes Saturday with the long jump (03:35 BST), followed by the javelin (11:00) and the decisive 800m (13:11). Johnson-Thompson is optimistic, with two of her strongest events still to come.

“My day two has got better in recent years, two of my best events are on day two, so I’m excited for tomorrow,” she said.

A Story Of Resilience

For Johnson-Thompson, Tokyo carries special weight. Four years ago, her Olympic dreams were shattered in the same stadium due to a calf injury in the 200m. Yet now she returns stronger, fresh from her silver medal triumph at the Paris 2024 Olympics — her first Olympic podium finish after four Games.

She narrowly missed gold in Paris by just 36 points, the equivalent of two seconds in the 800m, but that result proved she remains at the very top of the global sports market in athletics.

Rivalries That Define The Heptathlon

Anna Hall’s early dominance is significant — the American has already posted 156 points more than she managed at this stage in 2023. Kate O’Connor continues her rise as Ireland’s breakthrough star, while Nafi Thiam’s fightback will add further drama.

With such strong competition, Johnson-Thompson’s bid for a third world title will demand peak performance across every event.