Support truly
independent journalism
Katarina Johnson-Thompson has retained her lead in the Olympic heptathlon after the long jump at Stade de France.
The Liverpudlian held a 48-point lead over double defending Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam heading into the second and final day of heptathlon action at the Stade de France.
Johnson-Thompson, the reigning world champion, knew she would need a result from her third attempt after the Belgian made 6.41 metres.
She came up just shy with 6.40 on her final try, but it was still enough to retain her position at the top of the table heading into the javelin throw.
Thiam has closed the gap on the Briton, whose lead has narrowed to 45 points after the long jump,
A champion will be crowned after the final event, the 800 metres, taking place this evening.
Johnson-Thompson’s GB team-mate Jade O’Dowda sits 11th after a best long jump effort of 6.33 metres.
Yemi Mary John, Hannah Kelly, Jodie Williams and Lina Nielsen qualified Team GB for Saturday’s women’s 4×400 metres relay final in a season’s best 3:24.72.
They booked the second of three automatic places from a heat absolutely dominated by a season’s best from the American team, who finished more than three seconds ahead of the British quartet.
Ireland are also through after 3:25.05 from Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Kelly McGrory and Sharlene Mawdsley landed them third in heat two and seventh overall.
Great Britain will also go for gold in the men’s 4×400 metres relay final on Saturday night.
The GB team of Sam Reardon, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Toby Harries and Charlie Dobson were the second-fastest from the two heats in a season’s-best 2:58.88.
Quickest of the bunch were Botswana, thanks in part to a blistering 44.33 first leg from Letsile Tebogo, fresh from his 200 metres gold on Thursday night.
Botswana held an unassailable lead from the start, but Dobson was one of three men who had clawed back considerable distance around the final bend.
The Briton was in a tight battle with Japan’s Kentaro Sato down the final stretch before Christopher Bailey surged to snatch second for the United States.
