LAST DANCE? KJT Chasing History in Tokyo
The World Athletics Championships return to Tokyo this week, and as Izzy Gilligan observes, all eyes will be on Katarina Johnson-Thompson as she looks to defend her heptathlon crown and claim a third world title.
At 32, Katarina Johnson-Thompson – aka KJT – has become the standard-bearer for British multi-eventing. A four-time Olympian, she owns two world titles, two Commonwealth titles, and the British record in the heptathlon. Her career-defining breakthrough came in Doha in 2019, when she amassed 6,981 points, still the national record and the sixth-highest score in history. She added a second world crown in Budapest in 2023, proof of her resilience after the heartbreak of an Achilles rupture in 2020 and a calf injury that cut short her Tokyo Olympics the following year.
Redemption and rivalry
Her return to Japan is steeped in narrative. The same stadium that once left her devastated now offers a chance for redemption.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Johnson-Thompson’s campaign ended in heartbreak when a calf injury forced her to withdraw mid-competition. After winning her hurdles heat, she pulled up in the 200m before defiantly picking herself up to jog across the line. It was a huge blow after battling back from an Achilles rupture, and a moment that underlined both her grit and her vulnerability.
Yet, after that crushing moment, she rebuilt her career, returning to claim her second world title in Budapest in 2024 and Olympic silver in Paris the following summer, in a competition that many, including KJT herself, thought would be her last.
“All my life, I’ve definitely thought that Paris was going to be my last one,” she told The New York Times after winning that silver last summer. “Competing as well as I did in Paris, getting personal bests and then my second-best ever score, and just loving it and enjoying it so much, why would I quit?”
Standing opposite her once again will be Belgium’s Nafi Thiam, the reigning Olympic champion. Between them, the pair have dominated global heptathlon for nearly a decade, with no other athlete claiming an outdoor world or Olympic gold since 2015. Their rivalry has defined the event, pushing standards ever higher.
What’s in the heptathlon?
The women’s heptathlon is one of athletics’ ultimate tests, combining seven events across two days. Points are awarded for performance in each discipline, with the overall winner determined by the highest total. Strength in one area can be undone by weakness in another, making consistency key to success.
Day one features the 100m hurdles (above, centre), high jump, shot put, and 200m. On day two, athletes contest the long jump (top, centre), javelin, and finally the 800m (above, right) – often the decisive race that crowns the champion.
Johnson-Thompson has long been known for her strength in the jumps, but her recent improvements in the throws have been crucial for staying among the world’s best.
When to watch
This year’s heptathlon unfolds on Friday 19th September and Saturday 20th September. Fans can watch Johnson-Thompson open her campaign on Friday with the hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200m, before returning on Saturday for the long jump, javelin, and the 800m finale that will determine the champion.
Johnson-Thompson also carries the weight of Britain’s tradition in the multi-events. From Denise Lewis’ Olympic triumph in Sydney to Jessica Ennis-Hill’s iconic gold at London 2012, the discipline has produced some of the nation’s most celebrated athletes. By setting new standards of her own, Johnson-Thompson has ensured that the baton remains firmly in British hands.
What makes her consistency remarkable is the way the event has evolved during her career. Qualification standards have risen, and the points needed to reach the podium continue to climb.
While rivals like Thiam and rising star Anna Hall have pushed the discipline forward, Johnson-Thompson has adapted, developing her weaker events to keep pace with the sport’s demands. Her British record score still stands as evidence of her versatility and her ability to find points across the seven disciplines. Following in her wake are fellow Brit heptathletes Jade O’Dowda (26) and Abigail Pawlett (22).
Legacy
From a teenage Olympian at London 2012 (above, centre) to setbacks that once threatened her career, Johnson-Thompson’s story has been one of perseverance and reinvention. Now, as she prepares for her seventh World Championships, she is no longer simply competing for medals but for a place among the all-time greats of her sport.
A third world title in Tokyo would not only cement KJT’s legacy as Britain’s finest heptathlete of the modern era, but also as one of the most complete athletes the discipline has ever seen.
So tune in: Friday 19th September and Saturday 20th September
