British heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson tumbled to 15th place after the opening three disciplines at the European Championship in Birmingham following a camera drone crash on the track.
The 33-year-old two-time world gold medallist offered little indication she has recovered full race sharpness after a calf niggle previously forced her to miss the Commonwealth Games. She sits 15th in the standings following an underwhelming opening day at the Alexander Stadium.
Her campaign began with surreal scenes during the opening 100m hurdles when a drone fly-by went wrong. The driver lost his bearings while attempting to steer the device underneath the barriers, causing the camera drone to crash directly into one of the hurdles and delaying the start of the event.
When the gun finally released the field, Johnson-Thompson recorded a time of 14 seconds in the hurdles. The performance represented her worst time in 14 years of competing at major championship level.
The Liverpool-born athlete regained ground in the high jump by clearing 1.83m, a performance that temporarily climbed her into 10th place overall. However, her progress stalled in the shot put with a distance of 12.79m. The throw was 165cm short of her personal best and dropped her four places down the standings.
Poland's Adrianna Sulek-Schubert leads the heptathlon competition after the first day of events, with Kate O'Connor of Ireland holding second place.
Crowd numbers and World Championship bid
Off the track, low attendance figures at the 23,000-capacity Alexander Stadium have generated awkward questions for organizers. The stadium was almost half-empty during several sessions earlier in the week, coinciding with UK Athletics submitting a bid to bring the 2029 World Championships to London.
The British capital faces competition from Rome, Nairobi and Munich for the hosting rights to the flagship event, which will be awarded in three years' time.
World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe dismissed concerns that images of sparse crowds in Birmingham could damage London's bid when panel members review the presentations.
Asked whether empty seats in Birmingham might affect the decision, Lord Coe pointed to London's established history of selling out major athletics events, including the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2017 World Championships.
"Look, it's horses for courses," Lord Coe said. "We had London (Olympics) in 2012, London (world championships) in 2017, London will point to having sold out Diamond League five months before the event took place. So I think it was a challenge. It's always a challenge starting a championship on a Monday morning."
