Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson closes in on heptathlon gold at World Athletics Championships
British heptathlete Katerina Johnson-Thompson 26 points clear of nearest challenger Anouk Vetter after six of seven events at World Athletics Championships; 30-year-old looking to win World Championships gold for second time after triumphing in Doha in 2019
Sunday 20 August 2023 14:39, UK
Katarina Johnson-Thompson is on the brink of heptathlon gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest with the British star leading the way ahead of the seventh and final event.
The 30-year-old, looking for a second world title after triumphing in Doha in 2019, holds a 26-point advantage over Netherlands' Anouk Vetter with just the 800m to come, at 5pm UK time.
Johnson-Thompson was second overnight but moved 19 points in front of America's Anna Hall after leaping 6.54m in the long jump on Sunday morning.
- Great Britain's medal hopes at World Athletics Championships
- Eilish McColgan withdraws from Worlds with knee injury
- Keely Hodgkinson: Athletes don't get the recognition they deserve
- Adam Gemili turned to comfort eating after 'worst year of his life'
The Liverpudlian then threw a personal best of 46.14m in the javelin to extend her lead as Hall dropped to third, behind Vetter.
Johnson-Thompson has run two minutes 12.40 seconds in the 800m this year with Vetter's personal best five seconds slower.
Hall has run two minutes 02.97secs this year but is reportedly carrying an injury.
Johnson-Thompson's lead over Hall represents an advantage of about two-and-a-half seconds.
Victory would represent a superb comeback from Johnson-Thompson after she ruptured her Achilles in 2020 and then withdrew during day one of the Tokyo Olympics two years ago with a calf problem.
