I was scared of competing . . . and even of training
Moving to France has allowed Katarina Johnson-Thompson to escape her tortured past
KATARINA Johnson-Thompson admits to a struggle learning French but believes a new life in Montpellier and mentoring from Jessica Ennis- Hill could help translate her towering talent into gold medal-winning performances.
The Liverpudlian has abandoned attempts to imitate the French accent, instead introducing Scouse slang to her new coaches and training partners.
A sixth-place finish at the Rio Olympics last summer after a familiar capitulation in the throwing events of the heptathlon prompted her move from Liverpool to southern France. Since December, she has lived alone in an apartment 10 miles from the Mediterranean and is now coached by a trio of Frenchmen, headed by Bertrand Valcin.
‘It’s been a complete life overhaul,’ the 24-year-old says.
‘In Liverpool I was very settled. I had a house, my mum living round the corner and coming round every week to help me out with cleaning. Here, everyone speaks a different language.
‘I’m picking up odd words but in order for them to understand you have to try and speak with a French accent and I just can’t do that. It’s OK though, because a lot of people want to improve their English.’
Johnson-Thompson admits the biggest wrench from uprooting herself was leaving behind her beloved sausage dogs, Chorizo and Bronx. ‘My mum comes to see me once a month,’ she says, ‘and with my family I can videocall them, but the dogs just ignore me on videocall. It’s been hard, but I feel like I’m getting there, I’m becoming more of an adult.’
While her dogs have adapted to life without her, she admits telling long-time coach Mike Holmes that their partnership was over was one of the hardest conversations she has ever had.
She is careful not to be critical of the eight years she spent with Holmes at Liverpool Harriers and maintains ‘huge respect’ for him. But it is clear she believes her current training set-up will lead to improved performances.
‘This year has been a turning point,’ she says. ‘Psychologically I was in a bad place last year. Everything was wrong. Mainly to do with injuries and I hadn’t finished a heptathlon properly since 2014.
‘ Every heptathlon I seemed to develop an injury. So last year I just didn’t want to train, I didn’t want to compete in case I got injured, I just wanted everything to go right in Rio. I was in a difficult place.
‘What I like here is that I’m getting a lot more competitions in with the throws and getting used to being in the circle and the idea that it’s not a place to be scared of.’ She traces her problems back to the Beijing World Championships in 2015 when three foul long jumps saw her medal hopes evaporate. Ennis-Hill went on to win, just a year after having her first child. The pair have always had a mutual respect but only since Ennis-Hill announced her retirement from competition last year has the possibility of the older woman helping out in a more formal sense become realistic. ‘She’s one of the most mentally tough athletes out there so 100 per cent I would take her up on the offer of a chat,’ says JohnsonThompson. ‘She’s got a lot more experience than me and I’d take that on board.
‘I think with Jessica she builds and builds and always peaks at the major championships. I’d like to know how,’ she adds, wryly.
Johnson-Thompson believes her peak years still lie ahead with the London World Championships this summer and Tokyo 2020 her long-term goals.
She has been appointed an ambassador for horse racing’s QIPCO British Champions Series and recently spent a morning with Galileo Gold in training. ‘I found it really interesting that the horses do the same as us recovery-wise, from the tapering to the ice baths and how different horses train differently for different distances. What got me was that the horses can be mentally not ready to train or to compete, just like athletes.’
Katarina Johnson-Thompson is a QIPCO British Champions Series ambassador. The next race is the Al Shaqab Lockinge at Newbury on Saturday (May 20).