That is Stuart Weir’s characteristic, 12 years within the making, on the inimitable Katerina Johnson-Thompson, an amazingly iconic athlete.
KJT is an article 12 years within the making
So far as I can recall, that is the primary time I’ve written an article on Katarina Johnson-Thompson, nevertheless it has been a well-researched article. I first spoke to her within the eating room on the 2012 London Olympics. As I recall, it was only a easy “nicely achieved.” Over time, I’ve watched her in 4 Olympics, six world championships, two Commonwealth Video games, and two European Championships, in addition to 5 continental or world indoor championships,
Heptathlon is a uniquely demanding self-discipline or sequence of disciplines that places nice calls for on the physique. Alongside the 2 wins in World Championships (2019 and 2023), 2 Commonwealth titles, European indoor victories, a world indoor title, and now an Olympic silver medal, there have been close to misses, withdrawals mid-competition by means of accidents and occasions when one small error spoiled a doubtlessly excellent day.
That was ironic in actual life, leaping 1.98 within the heptathlon however ending solely sixth total, however a 1.98 within the stand-alone soar would have introduced her the gold medal. Within the 2015 World Championships, she was mendacity in sixth place however was adjudged to have had three fouls within the lengthy soar – one among them so marginal that she remonstrated lengthy and arduous with the officers with out success and completed in twenty eighth place. Her first world title got here in 2019 in Doha, a feat he repeated in Budapest in 2023. Paris was her 4th Olympics, however that silver medal was her first Olympic podium.
That victory for KJT would require her to defeat Nafi Thiam, who went into Paris looking for a 3rd successive Olympic title so as to add to her personal 3 World and 6 European titles, illustrating the problem that confronted the British athlete. Thiam gained 6880 factors to 6844. It got here all the way down to a centimeter right here and a second there. Within the remaining occasion, KJT ran an 800m PR – so did Thiam. It was that sort of day.
Some athletes offer you a really sanitized response to their competitors; KJT simply let all of it circulate out: “Yeah, it was day, one of the best I’ve had in a very long time. A few excellent indicators and couple of occasions, so I’m actually happy with what I’ve put collectively. I’m so, so proud of that. I’m very grateful and emotional; I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’ve received no regrets. I’m simply attempting to take all of it in and dwell within the second. It’s the last word aid. I used to be operating for gold, however actually, I had such combined feelings that I used to be form of grieving gold but additionally preventing for gold. Then I used to be celebrating silver. So many combined feelings.
“Simply to be on the rostrum is such an honor. Olympic cycles may 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 Olympics, I wished to surrender for various causes. However I’m glad I didn’t. I’m so proud of the final three years and the staff round me. I wouldn’t be on the beginning line with them”.
Three-time Olympic Champion Nafi Thiam was a worthy winner, however KJT did all the pieces appropriately.
