The records just keep coming! Massive congratulations to Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Heptathlon World Champion and British record setter!
Her first global outdoor medal, Katarina Johnson-Thompson won with 6981 points – a British record. The previous record was set by Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill at the. London 2012 olympics with a score of 6955.
After Ennis-Hill began coming towards the end of her career, all eyes were on Johnson-Thompson as a possible new hope for the tradition of British heptathlon success. Sadly, that wasn’t to be for some time. A string of below-par performances left Johnson-Thompson with something to prove, and after the London 2017 World Championships were she underperformed in one of her favourite events – the high jump – she knew something had to change.
She moved her training base to Montpellier in France, working with her coach Bertrand Valcin, who also works with Kevin Mayer who is the world record holder in the decathlon.
The move resulted in positive changes when last year she won the World Indoor pentathlon gold and Commonwealth titles and took a silver at the European championships in Berlin.
“This is the result of so many attempts of trying to perform on this stage,” Johnson-Thompson told BBC Sport.
“The low moments have helped me come back and look at myself. This has been my dream.
“It has been such a long road. I am just happy that I’m coming into my best in these two big years.
“I just want more.”