Paris Olympics on channels 26.7.–11.8. Go to the competition website here. The full athletics program can be found here.
Indoor hurdles World Championship winner Andy Pozzi told in July about ending his career. One of those who publicly remembered him was a girlfriend Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
The 31-year-old septuagenarian uploaded a picture to his Instagram account from 15 years ago. In it, Britain’s most talented track and field athletes in their age group include Johnson-Thompson, Pozzi, sprinter Adam Gemili and a pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw posing at the under-18 World Championships.
Pozzi is the world champion in the 60-meter hurdles, Gemili is the World Cup winner in the relay and Bradshaw is the Olympic medalist in the pole vault. Johnson-Thompson, who won two 7-game world championships, is the only one of them who can still fight for success at the Paris Olympics.
The big name of his sport, who competed for the first time already at the 2012 London Olympics, is looking for his missing medal from his fourth Olympics.
A memory picture from Tampere
Johnson-Thompson was able to start her adult competition career in style from her home Olympics. In London, he got to admire from the side how the 7-game Olympic gold medalist won Jessica Ennis-Hill was the center of attention. In the most important race of his career, Britti scored his record score of 6,955.
19-year-old Johnson-Thompson herself was 13th in that race. However, the camera was often at Johnson-Thompson. He was expected to be the heir to the mantle of Ennis-Hill.
Johnson-Thompson is known by its initials KJT. Finland, who ended his own competitive career last year Miia Sillman says that Johnson-Thompson is an important role model in fighter circles.
Sillman’s first memories of KJT are from the 2013 under-23 European Championships held in Tampere. Sillman, who grew up in Tampere, was at the games as a spectator and an official.
– KJT won the stoppage match there. Then the name came to mind more. Many contestants have kept their fingers crossed for him, because he gives a modest habit and does not shout about himself.
Compassion
Johnson-Thompson has wrestled with a lot of adversity throughout his career. So does Sillman.
– He has also had bad luck, so everyone wishes him success. I have been able to identify with him, because stoppage fighting is such an injury-prone sport. Many have gained strength from his teachings, says Sillman.
In addition to adversity, Johnson-Thompson has received a lot of sympathy points for almost always having to bend Nafissatou for Thiam. The Belgian, who is a year younger, has swept the awards table between 2016 and 2024 by winning two Olympic golds, two world championships and three European championships.
Johnson-Thompson was finally able to defeat him when he won the World Championship gold in 2019.
– Many times Johnson-Thompson was the redeemer of the second medal. That’s probably why people have hoped that he would win sometimes.
“No cramming in bars”
Johnson-Thompson is therefore a well-liked guy in athletics circles. Although very little is written about athletics in Britain outside of the Olympics these days, Johnson-Thompson is still a regular face in articles from the BBC or the Guardian, for example.
The interest in KJT is indicated, for example, by the fact that he was once the advertising face of a console game called Mirror Edge. Fashion magazine Vogue made Johnson-Thompson a thing before the Paris Olympics. A few years ago, the then prime minister of Finland was on the cover of the same magazine Sanna Marin.
Sillman says Johnson-Thompson could have been hyped a lot more.
– He is a phenomenal athlete, but still a really down-to-earth guy. At least that’s the image you get of him.
Johnson-Thompson also has features that interest the media. His longtime friend is an actor Jodie Comerwho has appeared, among other things, in the TV series Killing Eve.
Johnson-Thompson has been dating Pozzi for five years. You can find a future life partner in a teammate from your junior days.
Sports is much broader than sports.
– When athletes spend so many hours on the field, there is a big risk that they will find a life partner from within the sports community. Athletes hardly have time to hang out in bars or swipe on Tinder.
– Life values and interests are similar. Athletes know best what top sport requires. It happens to quite a few people that they find a partner on the sidelines of the fields, says Sillman.
Bad-tempered and lazy
Although Johnson-Thompson is on Instagram, she remains a somewhat mysterious image.
– He puts certain updates on Facebook, but keeps his followers in the dark about the rest of his life. It’s a little fly poop, what we see in his everyday life. For example, Poland Arianna Sulek and the USA Anna Hall actively update training videos and more.
– From the videos, you can see quite well where we are going for the condition. It’s always a mystery when Johnson-Thompson comes to the line. He does not feel it is necessary to update Facebook all the time.
According to Sillmann, KJT gives a phlegmatic image of itself on the racetracks. Don’t let the appearance fool you.
– At the 2013 youth games, I watched his general habitus. He walked in a rather bad mood. But when you do sports, it happens. It’s night and day when you look at his athletic performances compared to hanging out on the field.
Johnson-Thompson still has the same features.
– He walks lazily on the field. But when he goes to the performance, you wouldn’t think he’s the same person.
A model for a boyfriend?
Johnson-Thompson has suffered a lot of injuries in recent years, which is why, for example, the Tokyo Olympics ended in suspension. At last year’s World Championships, the Briton showed that he should not be excluded from the fight for victory even when he is healthy.
In the championship fight, Johnson-Thompson beat Hall, who was also the clear pre-favorite of the match. She claimed her second World Championship gold in the final event at 800 meters, where an experienced woman ran her record. Johnson-Thompson has stated that long experience is now an advantage.
At the European Championships in Rome, he stopped his match as a precaution. He has not wanted to take any risks regarding the fourth Olympic command.
Before Paris, he posted a decent length result of 656 in the London Diamond League.
– His health situation is often a question mark, because he is very prone to injury. There is a tough fight for the Olympic medal and especially the gold one. Johnson-Thompson must definitely succeed and her health situation must be in balance, if she wants the gold medal, Sillman knows.
The match in Paris may very well be Johnson-Thompson’s last.
– The boyfriend has also put the spikes in the bag. I don’t know if they have goals for the rest of their lives coming up. If there is Olympic gold, it would certainly be great to end there. If you’re hungry enough, it’s definitely worth continuing.
The 7-match will be played on Thursday and Friday.