Katarina Johnson-Thompson banishes demon of Tokyo to power into contention

19 August 2023 , 21:28

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In a class of her own: Johnson-Thompson wins 200 metres to go second at halfway point in heptathlon (Image: AP)

Katarina Johnson-Thompson last night laid to rest her Olympic demon to put herself in line for a first global medal in four years.

Britain’s multi-events queen had been haunted by the memory of being cut down by injury mid-race in the 200 metres in Tokyo two summers ago.

On a punishingly humid evening in Budapest she chose that exact event to deliver a stunning run and catapult into second place at the halfway stage of the heptathlon.

This time there was no need to send a wheelchair out to retrieve the 2019 world champion. It would have taken a Porsche to catch her as she blasted off the bend and tore up the straight to cross the line first in 23.48secs.

“I just want a medal and I'm definitely in amongst it,” beamed the Liverpudlian, who had sat through a rain storm at the start of the day.

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“All I need to do is keep knocking on the door and stay in the flow and who knows what can happen?”

She had looked anything but a contender when she trailed in sixth in her heat in the event-opening 100m hurdles. Her high jump (1.86m) was better, but her shot put (13.64m) unspectacular.

Tale of two 200m races: KJT cut down by injury imid-race at Tokyo Olympics (above) and (below) blasts her way to victory in Budapest (Getty Images)

(Istvan Derencsenyi/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Now her rivals, including 93-point leader Anna Hall, have been forced to reassess the threat she will pose in today’s remaining three events.

The same is true of Eugene Amo-Dadzie, aka the world’s fastest accountant, after he marked his dream debut on track and field’s biggest stage by eliminating the US 100m champion.

Zharnel Hughes remains on course to become Britain’s first male ~World sprint medalist for 20 years after winning his heat in 10.00secs.

Eugene Amo-Dadzie: "The fairy tale continues" (Getty Images)

But Amo-Dadzie faced himself into the conversation by clocking 10.1 to cruise into today’s semi-finals.

“The fairy tale continues,” said the Londoner. “I am on annual leave, back at work on the 29th of August, but once you’re in the mix anything can happen.

“I’ve had support from all the different accountant bodies. They’re like ‘yo, you’re putting accountants on the map’. We’re not just these boring stiff squares sat at the office typing away!

Zharnel Hughes won his 100m heat to stay on track for a medal (AP)

“There’s accountants out there that are probably wrestlers, F1 drivers, who knows. I was sat in an office so who knows.”

No problems either for Laura Muir who breezed through her 1500m heat in 4:03.50 to join British champion Katie Snowden and Melissa Courtney-Bryant in today’s semi-finals.

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