Katarina Johnson-Thompson hungry in Hungary after rediscovering mojo
When Katarina Johnson-Thompson fell to earth at the Tokyo Olympics even her greatest pals feared the worst.
“Someone’s heart has been trashed on the track,” heptathlon great Denise Lewis said as a wheelchair came for the 2019 world champion.
Johnson-Thompson had fought back from a ruptured Achilles only to be cut down mid-race by a torn calf. As the Liverpudlian sat on the track, refusing to be carted away, Lewis ventured: “It will be hard for her to come back from this emotionally.”
Two years on KJT, as she is widely known, is preparing to be Britain’s first competitor to see action at these World Championships.
To say she is hungry for Hungary would be an understatement. Emotionally she is back. Now to see whether her points bring prizes.
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“I’ve done everything possible to get into this position, and everything's gone right,” she said. “My goal is a medal. I think I can score what it takes to get on the rostrum.”
KJT cuts a desolate figure after injury wrecked her Tokyo Olympic bid (Getty Images)The 30-year old’s cause is undoubtedly helped by the absence of Nafi Thiam, Olympic and world champion twice over.
The Belgian tops the rankings but there are another seven multi-venters between her and Johnson-Thompson in eighth, six of whom are in Budapest.
If that bothers the Briton she is not letting on. Anna Hall and Anouk Vetter are clear obstacles to her goal but she knows what she is capable.
(Getty Images for World Athletics)“I'm the calmest I've ever been going into it,” said KJT. “This is maybe my last heptathlon before the Paris Olympics. It's like a full-on dress rehearsal. I feel completely calm and full of experience.
“I now see a therapist away from sports as well as a sports therapist. Maybe that's helped. Maybe it's calmed my life down a little bit.”
She is too worldly wise to assume anything, having time and again been dealt a stinker of a hand.
KJT competing in front of a sell-out crowd at London Diamond League (Getty Images)Robbed of her golden Olympic chance by the pandemic in 2020 was cruel enough, an Achilles rupture on her left take-off leg even more so given her prowess as a jumper, both long and high.
Of course, people doubted she could get back, but back she is and insisting she is not motivated by wanting to prove doubters wrong.
“I feel that's a pretty negative space to be in,” she said. “I just like to prove myself right.
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(Getty Images)“If I let other people's opinions in, I wouldn't be sitting here saying that I'm in good shape and excited about the outcome.
“I would have instead believed that I might as well give up, or my body isn't right for it.”
Commonwealth 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan is out of the Worlds after failing to recover from a knee injury.
Reece Prescod, the fourth fastest Briton in history over 100m, won’t take part in the men’s sprint relay after walking out on the team.
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