Katarina Johnson-Thompson expressed both pride and relief after finally achieving her long-awaited Olympic medal, securing silver in the heptathlon. The 31-year-old world champion had been leading the competition after the first day but narrowly missed out on the gold by just 36 points to Belgium’s Nafi Thiam, who claimed her third consecutive Olympic title.
Despite coming so close to the top spot, Johnson-Thompson emphasized that she had no regrets and was thrilled to finally make it to the Olympic podium on her fourth attempt. “I’m just so relieved and so happy to have an Olympic medal to add to my collection,” she said. Johnson-Thompson, who has battled numerous injuries since her first world title in 2019, acknowledged how challenging the journey had been. “It was the only medal I didn’t have, and getting to this point has been incredibly difficult. After the last two Olympics, I could have walked away from the sport for various reasons. So to be here now, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion. Being on the podium is such an honor.”
Heading into the final 800 meters, Johnson-Thompson needed to beat Thiam by about 8.5 seconds to secure gold. She delivered a personal best time of 2 minutes 4.90 seconds, but Thiam also achieved a new personal best with 2:10.62, which kept the gold out of reach. “I was aiming for a medal, but more than that, I wanted a chance at gold going into the 800m, and that’s what I had,” she explained. “The odds were slim—eight seconds is a lot—but that’s the nature of this sport. I was running for gold, and it was close. But Nafi is truly the greatest of all time. It’s undeniable now, and it’s an honor to have a rivalry with her.”
Looking ahead, Johnson-Thompson hinted that she plans to continue competing in athletics beyond the Olympics. “I’ve shown that I can still set personal bests,” she said. “As long as I can stay competitive, I’ll keep going. But for now, I just want to rest, relax, and enjoy a glass of wine!”
Johnson-Thompson’s silver added to Team GB’s impressive tally in athletics, marking their seventh medal. The women’s 4x100m relay team took silver, while the men’s team secured a bronze. With further chances for medals in the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays and the women’s 1500m race, hopes remain high for Team GB.
Matthew Hudson-Smith, speaking about the men’s 4x400m relay team, expressed confidence in their ability to achieve something special. “We can go and win it,” he said. “We’ve got the team, the mentality, and the coaching staff to make history. We’re aiming for the British record, the European record, and if we really dig deep, maybe even the world record.”
