Katarina Johnson-Thompson banished her Olympic demons for good on the Stade de France, taking silver medal within the heptathlon whereas Belgium’s superlative Nafissatou Thiam gained a 3rd consecutive gold within the occasion and confirmed her place as one of many best athletes of the trendy period.
To take the gold Johnson-Thompson would have needed to take an enormous lead on Thiam within the closing occasion, the 800m, and end simply over eight seconds forward of her rival. However even on this kind, it proved past her. She got here second of their warmth in 2min 04.39sec, forward of Thiam on 2.10.62. One other Belgian Noor Vidts took the bronze medal.
Thiam gained the competitors with 6,880 factors, Johnson-Thompson received 6,844 and Vidts took bronze with 6,707
It was an astonishing achievement from the 29-year-old Belgian who has calmly, however relentlessly, dominated this occasion in three consecutive Olympics.
She is one among solely 4 heptathletes in historical past to have gone past the 7,000-point mark, however she was pushed to her absolute restrict by Johnson-Thompson.
Her British rival – who’s hardly an underachiever with two world titles, two Commonwealth titles and a European silver – has till not been in a position to attain her Olympic potential. She completed thirteenth at her debut Video games in 2012, got here sixth in 2016 and couldn’t compete at Tokyo 2021 due to harm.
Thiam and Johnson-Thompson have competed towards one another since they had been juniors, each crediting the opposite with pushing them to ever larger heights. Final yr Johnson-Thompson regained her world title in Budapest whereas Thiam was injured. It was Thiam who took the crown on the European Championships in Rome in June, which her rival had pulled out of after three occasions due to harm.
Johnson-Thompson had a 48-point lead after the primary day of the competitors after a season’s-best efficiency within the 100m hurdles, her greatest top for 5 years within the excessive leap and an enormous private greatest within the shot put.
She had come out of the blocks quick, pulling out a season’s-best of 13.40sec within the 100m hurdles, earlier than a monster top of 1.92m within the excessive leap. Thiam managed 13.56sec within the hurdles, earlier than additionally making 1.92m within the excessive leap.
After the morning’s two occasions Johnson-Thompson was in first with 2,197pts, whereas Thiam was second on 2,173. The American Anna Corridor’s season’s-best leap of 1.89m put her as much as third place with 2,164.
Then it was time for the shot put – one among Johnson-Thompson’s weaker eventsShe threw a disappointing 13.38m, grimacing when she solely made 12.65m on her second. However along with her third effort she managed a private better of 14.44m.
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One of many strongest on this -discipline, Thiam’s third throw of 15.54m meant the Belgian had edged forward with 3,070, however Johnson-Thompson’s barnstorming shot put meant the lead was narrowed to 50 factors, with the Liverpudlian on 3,020 and Corridor on 2,965 in third.
Within the 200m. Thiam managed 24.46sec in her warmth, giving -Johnson-Thompson a goal of 23.92 to enter first. She managed 23.44, -giving her 1,035pts.
Yesterday morning Johnson-Thompson overcame a shaky begin within the lengthy leap. The 31-year-old – who has an outside 6.92m private greatest within the self-discipline – registered solely 4.65m on her first leap and 6.04m on her second. However her third leap was a good 6.40m. Thiam made 6.41m.
Thiam was 45 factors behind Johnson-Thompson going into the javelin. The British athlete, who went within the first warmth, stored the stress on the Belgian with a season’s greatest throw of 45.49m. Realizing she needed to carry out in one among her strongest occasions, Thiam held nothing again, throwing 54.04m and beating her season’s greatest by greater than a metre.
Her second was a foul and her third reached 52.56m. It didn’t matter: her first effort had already put clear water between her and her rival. However her third was an enormous profession better of 54.44m.