Thiam gets jump on heptathlon rival Johnson-thompson ahead of Doha
If Katarina Johnson-thompson and Nafi Thiam’s battle for world heptathlon gold is anywhere near as close as that between the pair in Birmingham yesterday, a titanic tussle is in store.
Just one centimetre separated them in the Birmingham Diamond League long jump, as the world’s two leading multi-eventers went eyeball to eyeball and pushed each other to greater heights.
For Johnson-thompson, the result was a leap of 6.85 metres – her best for more than 4½ years and the confidence boost she wanted in the build-up to next month’s World Championships in Doha.
But Thiam’s performance tempered any celebrations. The Olympic, world and European champion continues to set new standards for multi-eventers and not only broke her personal best by a huge 19cm, but also claimed the Belgian long jump record with victory against a field of event specialists.
With a best of 6.86m, she now holds national records in the long jump and javelin, as well as the heptathlon. While the one centimetre separating the pair proved the difference between first and third – with Serbia’s Ivana Spanovic also jumping 6.85m for second – it equates to a negligible three points in a heptathlon.
Such tiny margins are unlikely to prove decisive in an event where scores of close to 7,000 will claim the world title, but of greater concern to Johnson-thompson is Thiam’s seemingly unerring ability to improve. Prior to this year, Johnson-thompson was almost untouchable in a heptathlon long jump, but the Belgian has whittled away that advantage.
Yet Johnson-thompson was just happy to return to near her best after a lean time since she failed to record a legal long jump mark in the 2015 World Championships.
Indeed, she had managed a best effort of just 6.47m in her previous outing, at last month’s London Diamond League.
“I’m so happy we’ve found a way to get back to those long jumps,” she said. “I was a bit worried in London that I might be a little bit burnt out, but I’m glad that wasn’t the case.
“I feel so much more confident now about being in a good place, come Doha. I felt like there was more in there as well.
“Obviously Nafi’s stepped her game up as well so I’m going to have to step up the javelin or something else now.”
She will have an opportunity to practise some of her other heptathlon disciplines when she returns to Birmingham next weekend for the 100m hurdles, javelin and possibly the high jump at the British Championships.