OLYMPIC SADNESS GOES ON FOR KAT
KATARINA Johnson-Thompson has returned from heartache on the biggest stage before and will have to do so again as her wait for an Olympic medal goes on after injury wrecked her Tokyo chances.
The Liverpudlian missed out on the heptathlon podium at the world championships in 2015 and 2017, and the 2016 Games in Rio, following disappointing performances but came back to win the world title two years ago.
She had still hoped to rival Nafi Thiam for gold in Japan despite an Achilles problem that left her fighting for form and fitness in the build-up to the Olympics.
But injury struck again yesterday, this time to her calf and unrelated to the Achilles issue according to British Athletics, as she went in the 200metres, the fourth event on day one of the heptathlon.
Johnson-Thompson went down in agony on the track but got back on her feet and limped across the line, only to be disqualified for leaving her lane. Her withdrawal from the event was later confirmed.
BBC commentator Steve Cram said: ‘It’s horrible because it was always a possibility and we weren’t going to know until she started competing. She had to go for it but I think we saw it first in the high jump and then the 200m, and it is so sad.’ The blow adds to the woes suffered by Britain’s track-and-field athletes. Gold-medal hope Dina Asher-Smith was carrying an injury as she missed out on the 100m final and withdrew from the 200m, while Adam Gemili pulled a hamstring at the start of his 200m semi-final.
Team GB has picked up just one medal at the Olympic Stadium so far.
Johnson-Thompson’s disqualification put her last, 1,082 points behind leader Anouk Vetter. London 2012 gold-medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill said: ‘It’s utterly, utterly devastating for her.’