TERRIFIC THIAM IS NOT UNBEATABLE, SAYS KJT

KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON has been watching re-runs of London 2012 to psyche herself up for the challenge of proving that Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam is ‘not unbeatable’. Belgian Thiam’s credentials were best demonstrated at the world-class meet in Gotzis, Austria, in May, when she scored the third-highest tally in heptathlon history with 7,013 points, leaving JohnsonThompson in fourth, despite a personal best of 6,691 points — enough for a podium place at any previous Olympics. For Johnson-Thompson (right), who flopped to 28th place at the Worlds in 2015 and finished a disappointing sixth in Rio, the hope is to ride the home atmosphere to a place in the top three here. She said: ‘Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been watching videos of 2012 and it definitely brings back a lot of emotions. I feel like I’m fully prepared now — I feel like in 2012 I didn’t really understand the enormity of it. ‘I was just going along with the wind really. Now I can look back and feel like it is a special time. I’m fully prepared. ‘It’s important that you look at the good times in sport and the bad times as well to see how far along you’ve come and how different you are.’ Johnson-Thompson’s challenge to get in the top three here is heightened by the presence of Carolin Schafer and Laura Ikauniece-Admidina, who finished second and third in Gotzis. But the standout competitor is Thiam. Johnson-Thompson said: ‘I wouldn’t say Thiam is unbeatable. I feel like you can never say that in a heptathlon — you never know what might happen over seven events. ‘She’s definitely a huge threat. I wasn’t surprised by what she did in Rio but she did surprise me in Gotzis. ‘Now it’s my turn to step up.’