World champion lands the Olympic medal she so badly needed with second place, whereas Nafi Thiam secures her third successive gold within the girls’s heptathlon
Katarina Johnson-Thompson threw every thing she might at her try to win Olympic heptahlon gold however got here up simply brief on the Stade de France on Friday evening (August 9) as Nafi Thiam of Belgium received her third straight title.
Going into the ultimate occasion of the competitors – the 800m – 121 factors behind Thiam, the world champion wanted to run eight seconds quicker than her rival to leap into prime spot.
The Briton very practically managed it, too, producing a PB of two:04.90 that gave her a ending complete of 6844 factors. Nonetheless, a fading Thiam clung on to clock a PB time of two:10.62 that meant she completed with 6880, taking victory by simply 36 factors.
Noor Vidts, Thiam’s fellow countrywoman, produced a PB complete of 6707 to win bronze.
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It may not have adopted the dream script fully, however years of Olympic heartache ended for Johnson-Thompson ended with that silver medal. After ending 14th on her debut on the residence Video games of London 2012, there was large disappointment with sixth place in Rio 4 years later, whereas damage meant she didn’t end her Tokyo marketing campaign.
Now, nonetheless, the 31-year-old from Liverpool has the Olympic medal she so badly needed to sit down alongside her two world and two Commonwealth titles.
Thiam, in the meantime, turns into solely the second girl to win three Olympics in the identical athletics self-discipline after Polish hammer thrower Anita Wlodarczyk.
Johnson-Thompson had begun the day with a 48-point lead however, with Thiam’s finest occasion – the javelin – to return, she knew it will be powerful to remain out in entrance.
The Briton had an unsteady begin within the lengthy bounce, working by her first try, however produced a finest leap of 6.40m that stored her forward total, Thiam leaping 6.41m to chop the deficit by simply three factors.
Within the javelin, there was a season’s better of 45.49m for Johnson-Thompson however Thiam’s huge 54.04m despatched her crusing to the highest of the standings and arrange that good end.
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After coming back from main accidents to win the world title in Budapest final summer season, Johnson-Thompson’s passage to Paris has been removed from clean, both. As not too long ago as June, she needed to withdraw from the European Championships in Rome after simply three occasions. After these Olympic disappointments, she will now savour her podium second.
“I’m so so proud of that,” she stated. “I’m very grateful and emotional, I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’ve acquired no regrets.
“I’m simply attempting to take all of it in and reside within the second. It’s final reduction. I used to be working for gold, however to be trustworthy I had such combined feelings that I used to be kind of grieving gold but in addition preventing for gold. Then I used to be celebrating silver. So many combined feelings.
“Simply to be on the rostrum is such an honour. Olympic cycles will be brutal, and I do know that greater than anybody. I’m simply glad that this cycle labored out.
“2016 was psychological exhaustion. 2020 was bodily exhaustion. So I really feel like after each of these Olympics, I needed to surrender for various causes. However I’m glad I didn’t. I’m so proud of the final three years and the workforce I’ve acquired round me. I wouldn’t be on the beginning line with them.”
On her Olympic debut, Johnson-Thompson’s British team-mate Jade O’Dowda completed ninth with 6280, whereas America’s world silver medallist Anna Corridor was fifth with 6615, behind the Swiss nationwide document of 6639 achieved by Anni Kälin.
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