British Olympic silver medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished last in the heptathlon at the European Championships in Birmingham after producing one of the lowest scores of her 14-year professional career.
The 33-year-old athlete completed the competition with a final tally of 5,790 points to place 21st out of 21 finishers in the field, before admitting she will need to contemplate her future as an elite-level competitor.
Johnson-Thompson was clearly unfit following recent difficulties with a calf issue and effectively jogged the 800m to conclude a hugely underwhelming campaign in Birmingham. She had previously skipped the Commonwealth Games specifically to ensure she was ready for the European tournament, but never looked in race shape.
The heptathlon is a grueling multi-discipline athletics competition comprising seven events: 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin throw, and 800m. Across 16 major events in her 14 years as a professional athlete, Johnson-Thompson recorded her second worst total score in Birmingham, while Ireland's Kate O'Connor captured the European title with a winning tally of 6,751 points.
Saturday struggles in Birmingham
Johnson-Thompson entered Saturday's action in 16th place, sitting a full 324 points off the lead, but her difficulties continued during the second day of multi-event competition. She posted a low mark of 5.77m in the long jump before forfeiting her next two jump attempts.
Her struggles persisted across the remaining disciplines, where she recorded a throw of 36.92m in the javelin and ran an 800m time of 2:24.92, repeatedly returning scores miles beneath her personal best performance levels.
Questions over Los Angeles 2028
Questions will now focus on whether Johnson-Thompson has the appetite or physical health to continue onwards to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Reaching LA 2028 had been her stated aim, a target she reaffirmed in a recent interview with Daily Mail Sport, but niggling injuries frequently recur with age and may prompt post-season discussions with her coach, Aston Moore.
Addressing her future after the event, Johnson-Thompson said: "I am thinking of the future. I always said that I want to be competitive. If I am not competitive, then I’ll start to ask questions."
"This year was definitely a bit different in terms of my preparation for training. But I’ve still got sand behind my nails and my body’s still warm, I can’t think about the future too much. I want to be in the moment," she added.
"The hunger is definitely still there and I love this event so much."
Muir exits as Bell targets 1500m title
Earlier in the championships, fellow British track star Laura Muir suffered early disappointment. The 33-year-old middle-distance runner, who was also struggling with injury, failed to qualify for Sunday's 1500m final.
Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell will line up as the favourite for the 1500m final. The 32-year-old athlete has enjoyed a remarkable rise in track and field since embarking on her career as a professional runner.
Reflecting on her progress, Bell said: "Sometimes you need to take a minute and reflect to see how far you have come."
"I only became a pro in 2024 just after the Olympic Games. Now we're here a few years on and the bar keeps changing - I am still in the honeymoon period with it. I am loving being an athlete. I was working in an office job for seven years," Bell added.
