Katarina Johnson-Thompson withdrew from the combined events tournament in Gotzis due to injury

Katarina Johnson-Thompson has withdrawn from the combined events tournament in Gotzis, Austria, this weekend due to a minor injury.

“I am very disappointed to announce that I sustained an injury during training this week and will not be able to compete in Gotzis this weekend”, said Katarina Johnson-Thompson in a statement. “I was looking forward to my first heptathlon competition since Paris, especially in Gotzis as the tournament is so special, so it is with a heavy heart that I have made this decision. Fortunately, the injury is not serious and I will be back on the track soon”, added she.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is a multi-event athlete, primarily recognized as both a heptathlete and an indoor pentathlete. In the heptathlon, she has achieved the status of double world champion, double Commonwealth Games champion, and has earned silver medals at both the Olympic and European levels. In the indoor pentathlon, she holds the titles of world champion and double European champion.

“Good luck to all the athletes competing in Gotzis! I have no doubt that you will offer another great all-around weekend for all the fans who will be there!”, added the British athlete.

Representing Great Britain, Katarina Johnson-Thompson secured the heptathlon gold medal at the 2019 World Championships, setting a new British record with a score of 6,981 points, which places her sixth on the all-time rankings. Her heptathlon performances include a 13th place finish at the 2012 London Olympics, fifth at the 2013 World Championships, sixth at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and fifth at the 2017 World Championships. She claimed the gold medal in this event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and subsequently earned silver at the 2018 European Championships. She successfully defended her title at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Additionally, she holds the British indoor pentathlon record of 5,000 points and won gold in this event at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, as well as at the 2015 and 2019 European Indoor Championships.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s career has largely paralleled that of two prominent figures in the sport: fellow British athlete, Olympic and triple World champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Belgium’s triple Olympic and double World champion, Nafi Thiam, with whom she has competed since their junior years. Johnson-Thompson is the only athlete to have defeated Thiam in direct competition at a global level since Thiam’s Olympic gold in 2016. Although Thiam has largely dominated their rivalry, especially at the Olympic Games, both athletes are regarded as the leading multi-eventers of their generation, with their era characterized by this rivalry. No other athlete besides this duo has secured a global outdoor gold medal in heptathlon from 2015 to 2024. When considering Ennis-Hill, only one global title outside of this trio, the 2013 World Championships, has been won by any athlete outside of them between 2008 and 2024.