World champion lands the Olympic medal she so badly wanted with second place, while Nafi Thiam secures her third successive gold in the womens heptathlon

Katarina Johnson-Thompson threw everything she could at her attempt to win Olympic heptahlon gold but came up just short at the Stade de France on Friday night (August 9) as Nafi Thiam of Belgium won her third straight title.

Going into the final event of the competition the 800m 121 points behind Thiam, the world champion needed to run eight seconds faster than her rival to leap into top spot.

The Briton very nearly managed it, too, producing a PB of 2:04.90 that gave her a finishing total of 6844 points. However, a fading Thiam clung on to clock a PB time of 2:10.62 that meant she finished with 6880, taking victory by just 36 points.

Noor Vidts, Thiams fellow countrywoman, produced a PB total of 6707 to win bronze.

It might not have followed the dream script entirely, but years of Olympic heartache ended for Johnson-Thompson ended with that silver medal. After finishing 14th on her debut at the home Games of London 2012, there was huge disappointment with sixth place in Rio four years later, while injury meant she didnt finish her Tokyo campaign.

Now, however, the 31-year-old from Liverpool has the Olympic medal she so badly wanted to sit alongside her two world and two Commonwealth titles.

Thiam, meanwhile, becomes only the second woman to win three Olympics in the same athletics discipline after Polish hammer thrower Anita Wlodarczyk.

Johnson-Thompson had begun the day with a 48-point lead but, with Thiams best event  the javelin to come, she knew it would be tough to stay out in front.

The Briton had an unsteady start in the long jump, running through her first attempt, but produced a best leap of 6.40m that kept her ahead overall, Thiam jumping 6.41m to cut the deficit by just three points.

In the javelin, there was a seasons best of 45.49m for Johnson-Thompson but Thiams massive 54.04m sent her sailing to the top of the standings and set up that brilliant finish.

After returning from major injuries to win the world title in Budapest last summer, Johnson-Thompsons passage to Paris has been far from smooth, either.  As recently as June, she had to withdraw from the European Championships in Rome after just three events. After those Olympic disappointments, she can now savour her podium moment.

Im so so happy with that, she said. Im very grateful and emotional, Im feeling overwhelmed. Ive got no regrets.

Im just trying to take it all in and live in the moment. Its ultimate relief. I was running for gold, but to be honest I had such mixed emotions that I was sort of grieving gold but also fighting for gold. Then I was celebrating silver. So many mixed emotions.

Just to be on the podium is such an honour. Olympic cycles can be brutal, and I know that more than anyone. Im just glad that this cycle worked out.

2016 was mental exhaustion. 2020 was physical exhaustion. So I feel like after both of those Olympics, I wanted to give up for different reasons. But Im glad I didnt. Im so happy with the last three years and the team Ive got around me. I wouldnt be on the start line with them.

On her Olympic debut, Johnson-Thompsons British team-mate Jade ODowda finished ninth with 6280, while Americas world silver medallist Anna Hall was fifth with 6615, behind the Swiss national record of 6639 achieved by Anni Kälin.

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