The British heptathlon document holder isn’t fascinated by retirement any time quickly as she hopes to win her first Olympic medal in Paris
Paris would possibly mark Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s fourth look on the Olympic Video games, and whereas some might speculate that she would possibly retire afterward, we’re lucky that this isn’t the tip of her journey.
The 2023 world champion will start her two-day heptathlon cycle tomorrow morning (August 8) on the Stade de France, starting with the 100m hurdles at 10:05 CET.
The 31-year-old first stepped on to the Olympic stage on the age of 19, ending 14th in London 2012, the place Jessica Ennis-Hill gained gold in entrance of a house crowd.
She later positioned sixth at Rio 2016 and, as a result of harm, didn’t full the occasion in Tokyo three years in the past.
Regardless of not but securing an Olympic medal, Johnson-Thompson’s profession is marked by vital successes, together with gold medals on the World Championships in 2019 and 2023, in addition to on the Commonwealth Video games in 2018 and 2022.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Getty)
As she now goals for her first Olympic medal after a prolonged profession this is not going to be the tip of what we see from her.
“The phrase, ‘one final push’ doesn’t come to thoughts,” says Johnson-Thompson. “I really feel like I’m rising into myself and the longer that I’ve been doing the game, the extra I learn about myself and I understand how to be prepared for it.
“I perceive what my physique wants, what my thoughts wants, and tips on how to get a very good efficiency. I really feel like I get stronger within the sense of I understand how to do it higher than I did 10 years in the past.
“It saddens me on the considered having all this information after which stopping. So long as I’m aggressive, I’ll proceed the game.”
Her Olympic preparations confronted a hurdle in June when she suffered an harm scare on the opening day of the European Championships in Rome. After competing in simply three occasions she was pressured to withdraw from the ladies’s heptathlon as a result of a “niggle in her proper leg.”
On the time she was sitting in ninth place, 318 factors behind chief Nafi Thiam from Belgium. Thiam went on to win the European title and can got down to defend her Olympic title after profitable gold in each 2016 and 2021.
An identical setback occurred when Johnson-Thompson ruptured her achilles tendon within the construct as much as Tokyo 2021.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Getty)
Withdrawing early from the European Championships seemed to be a clever selection for Johnson-Thompson who holds the British heptathlon document, as she was again in motion match and wholesome on the England Athletics Mixed Occasions Championships simply earlier than heading to Paris on the finish of July.
On the occasion, she ran the 100m hurdles in 13.54 seconds (2.1) and cleared 1.81m within the excessive leap with a shortened run-up. Her private bests are 13.09 within the hurdles and 1.98m within the excessive leap.
“Each athlete is aware of your tendons play up after which calm down however on the minute it appears to be behaving itself,” says Johnson-Thompson.
“I’ve spent so a few years competing on the Mixed Occasions Championships after I was younger and I began my profession there. I wanted the hurdles as a result of I wished to present myself sufficient time to get the coaching to make some adjustments to my begin.
“It was actually about giving myself that point to get the hurdles in as a result of the final one I did was in Rome, and I practiced the excessive leap off the brief method.”
Since Tokyo, Johnson-Thompson has had her eye centered on her first Olympic medal as she lives her life “off of Olympic cycles.” Nevertheless, this Olympic Video games shall be not like her earlier three experiences. This time, the heptathlon is scheduled in direction of the tip of the athletics session reasonably than the start.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Peter Simmons)
The explanation for the change is unclear, however it’s speculated that it was to focus on France’s decathlon medal hopeful, Kevin Mayer, and to start out the athletics with a bang. Nevertheless, Mayer withdrew as a result of harm simply earlier than the Olympics started.
Because of this, Johnson-Thompson has been coaching in Paris for the previous few weeks, profiting from the prolonged build-up to her occasion and experiencing the Olympics in a brand new approach, regardless of feeling gutted concerning the shift.
“I see every Olympic cycle as a special period,” says Johnson-Thompson. ” I do dwell my life off of Olympic cycles, it’s the nature of observe and discipline. It’s all the time an Olympic cycle and this has been one of many shortest ones, provided that the final one was one of many longest ones.
“This cycle has felt brief, but it surely’s felt actually refined and it’s all been main into this competitors. I’m simply prepared for it now I believe.
“I’m a bit gutted I’m on on the finish, so I don’t actually know what to do with myself on this time.
“Usually I’m on firstly after which I can go and watch, or get tickets to look at the remainder of the Olympics. I’ll positively be watching it on the TV.
“I don’t assume that I’ll get the possibility to go and watch different sports activities earlier than my very own occasion. I’ve acquired two days after my occasion, which would be the relays and in addition the marathon so I believe I’m positively going to attempt to squeeze in as a lot as attainable on that.”
For the primary time since 2012, Johnson-Thompson shall be joined alongside a Crew GB teammate within the heptathlon. Jade O’Dowda, from Kidlington, will make her Olympic debut after going sixth on the UK all-time checklist after her seventh place end on the European Championships.
Jade O’Dowda (Mark Shearman)
The 24-year-old’s efficiency in Rome was secured alongside a private finest within the closing 800m of two:11.30. She additionally secured a bronze medal for Crew England on the 2022 Commonwealth Video games and joined Johnson-Thompson on the rostrum.
Her rise in sport is hardly stunning because it fairly actually is in her blood. Her brother, Callum O’Dowda performs soccer for Cardiff Metropolis and Republic of Eire.
“Except Rome and the Commonwealth Video games, I haven’t been on a British workforce with another person within the heptathlon,” says Johnson-Thompson.
“So it’s going to be actually cool to have any person representing Crew GB with me and simply to have somebody to speak to. She [O’Dowda] has had a tremendous season so I’m actually excited to see what she get’s as much as.
“I believe we simply must be sure that the momentum in our sport builds. I believe after 2012 I definitely felt that momentum. Since then, Rio was a special time zone, Tokyo was a Covid Olympics and a very completely different time zone, so I believe that this can really feel the closest to London that we now have felt and that I’ve skilled.”
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