Kat blasts in with dazzling run to set up medal chance
KATARINA Johnson-thompson last night laid to rest her Olympic demons to put herself in line for a first global medal in four years.
Britain’s multi-events queen had been haunted by the memory of being cut down by injury mid-race in the 200 metres in Tokyo two years ago.
On a humid evening in Hungary she chose that exact event to deliver a stunning run and catapult into second place at the halfway stage of the heptathlon.
This time there was no need to send a wheelchair out to retrieve the 2019 world champion.
She blasted off the bend and tore up the straight to cross the line first in 23.48secs.
“I just want a medal and I’m definitely in amongst it,” she said.
“All I need to do is keep knocking on the door and stay in the flow and who knows what can happen?”
She had looked anything but a contender when she trailed in sixth in her heat in the eventopening 100m hurdles.
Her high jump (1.86m) was better, but her shot put (13.64m) unspectacular.
Now her rivals, including 93-point leader Anna Hall, have been forced to reassess the threat she will pose in today’s remaining three events.
The same is true of Britain’s Eugene Amo-dadzie, aka the world’s fastest accountant, after he marked his dream debut on track and field’s biggest stage by eliminating the US 100m champion.
Zharnel Hughes (below) remains on course to become Britain’s first male World sprint medallist for 20 years after winning his heat in 10.00secs. But Amo-dadzie forced himself into contention by clocking 10.1 to cruise into today’s semi-finals.
“The fairy tale continues,” said the Londoner.
“I am on annual leave, back at work on the 29th of August, but once you’re in the mix anything can happen.
“I’ve had support from all the different accountant bodies. They’re like, ‘Yo, you’re putting accountants on the map’.”
Laura Muir breezed through her 1500m heat in 4:03.50.
GB opened their medal account with a silver in the mixed relay after the Dutch team fell yards from the line.