NAFISSATOU THIAM and Katarina JohnsonThompson are separated by just five points on this season’s rankings and their heptathlon battle in Doha could be just as close.
Johnson-Thompson scored a PB of 6813 to win at the prestigious Gotzis event in May but one month later Thiam notched up 6819 in Talence, setting the scene perfectly for one of the most anticipated head-to-heads of the IAAF World Championships.
Johnson-Thompson could hardly be coming into the event in better shape either. She has enjoyed a succession of victories at the World Indoor Championships and Commonwealth Games last year followed by the European Indoor Championships this year.
Thiam came out top in their European Championships clash last year but it was a hard-fought contest and the Belgian athlete also holds the Olympic and world titles after victories in Rio 2016 and London 2017.
But Johnson-Thompson is on a roll and says her preparation has never gone better, as she hopes to keep her momentum going in Qatar in the coming days.
“Training has been going well and competitions have been going well too,” the 26-year-old says. “I’ve had the best run-in I’ve ever had and I’m just looking forward to getting out there now.”
In the past, Johnson-Thompson’s competitive mettle has been tested but she believes she has overcome those issues. “I’m not putting pressure on myself to win but I’m applying the pressure to do what I know I’m capable of,” she says.
“When training and competitions have gone so well, I need to show that with my performance. There’s pressure to win and there’s pressure to do well out there and compete to my best.”
This story is from the September 26, 2019 edition of Athletics Weekly.
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This story is from the September 26, 2019 edition of Athletics Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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