'Glad I didn't give up' - Johnson-Thompson's Olympic silver joy

Four Olympic Games person brought 4 very different experiences for Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

It has been a rollercoaster travel done a profession marked by stunning highs and hopeless lows.

From nan apical of nan world to fearing it mightiness each beryllium over, and backmost again.

Each acquisition led Johnson-Thompson to this infinitesimal astatine Paris 2024 - erstwhile metallic felt almost arsenic bully arsenic gold.

With a podium spot connected nan sport's biggest shape astatine past successful reach, nan 31-year-old arrived astatine nan decisive 800m title of her 4th Games pinch nan chance of becoming champion.

The near-certain guarantee of a badge represented - beyond immoderate uncertainty - an exceptional accomplishment successful itself, 4 years aft a career-threatening Achilles wounded and 3 years aft being dealt different devastating wounded setback successful Tokyo.

Faced pinch nan task of needing to decorativeness 8.5 seconds up of arguably nan top heptathlete of all-time, Johnson-Thompson produced a fearless capacity to timepiece a individual champion earlier facing an agonising hold for nan charismatic results.

Deep down, she already knew arsenic she crouched connected nan way astatine nan Stade de France. It was confirmed that Nafissatou Thiam had crossed nan statement pinch 2 seconds to spare, winning by only 36 points to go nan first female to triumph 3 Olympic heptathlon titles.

In truth, though, it didn't really matter astatine all.

It was metallic for Johnson-Thompson, who said earlier this twelvemonth "it's really difficult to beryllium a instrumentality of me". The magnitude of her affectional podium decorativeness will not beryllium mislaid connected those who person followed nan ups and downs of her profession since London 2012.

"I can't moreover picture nan words that this week has taken," Johnson-Thompson told BBC Sport.

"I'm conscionable so, truthful happy that I've sewage an Olympic badge to adhd to my collection.

"It has been truthful difficult getting backmost to this constituent truthful I'm conscionable truthful relieved."

Above nan three-inch scar connected Johnson-Thompson's near Achilles tendon is simply a tattoo of a bluish shell, utilized successful nan crippled Mario Kart to swipe retired nan title leader.

Johnson-Thompson had astatine past fulfilled her world-beating imaginable to go world champion successful Doha successful 2019, beating reigning Olympic champion Thiam by a sensational 304 points and breaking Jessica Ennis-Hill's British record.

A twelvemonth later, it each came crashing down.

An Achilles rupture connected her take-off leg, truthful important to nan jumping capabilities which allowed her to execute her maiden world triumph, saw Johnson-Thompson commencement nan Olympic twelvemonth wearing a protective boot.

Remarkably, she recovered successful conscionable 8 months to make nan Tokyo Olympics, only to suffer further heartbreak.

In a soulless stadium absent of spectators amid nan world pandemic, a calf tear sustained during nan 200m near her writhing connected nan way successful pain, bringing nan cruellest extremity to her latest bid for an Olympic medal.

Emblematic of nan resilience she has shown throughout, she picked herself up and carried on, hobbling crossed nan decorativeness line, but nan important rustle yet led to a twelvemonth of indifference and underperformance successful 2022.

Repeated setbacks near her disheartened. Almost a bystander astatine nan World Championships, she vanished a disappointing eighth and later admitted: "Eugene was nan worst of me. It was specified a horrible experience."

It took golden successful beforehand of a location crowd astatine nan Commonwealth Games successful Birmingham later that summertime to reignite her desire to conflict for titles, putting her connected nan way that would yet lead to nan infinitesimal she had agelong dreamed of successful Paris.

Denise Lewis, Olympic heptathlon champion astatine Sydney 2000, said connected BBC TV: "She has worked doggedly to beryllium nan champion that she tin be.

"Her demeanour has changed. She is much confident. She is resilient, perfectly resilient.

"She is nan nationalist grounds holder, a double world champion. Had she not near this arena pinch a badge she would person been really disappointed. It completes nan set."

Johnson-Thompson described her 2nd world heptathlon triumph successful Budapest past twelvemonth arsenic "the champion time of my life" aft she defended a constrictive lead complete favourite Anna Hall to complete a singular turnaround successful her career.

With expectations raised, it was clip for redemption connected nan sport's biggest stage.

London 2012 represented a learning acquisition for nan teenage Johnson-Thompson, who vanished 13th arsenic Ennis-Hill won golden connected an unforgettable Super Saturday for Team GB, but it was sixth spot successful Rio that she felt marked a missed opportunity.

It moreover caused her to mobility whether she wanted to proceed - agelong earlier nan unfortunate events of Tokyo.

"Rio 2016 was intelligence exhaustion. Tokyo 2020 was beingness exhaustion," Johnson-Thompson said.

"After some of those Olympics, I wanted to springiness up for different reasons, but I'm gladsome I didn't.

"I'm truthful happy pinch nan past 3 years and nan squad astir me. I wouldn't beryllium connected nan commencement statement without them."

Speaking connected BBC TV, Ennis-Hill said of Johnson-Thompson: "I retrieve successful Rio aft we competed, she was almost fresh to extremity there. She had conscionable had enough.

"But she kept going for 2 much Olympics. It's truthful difficult to put into words really challenging that is and really good she has done."

In Paris, those 12 years of world title acquisition were channelled into putting nan grounds straight.

Johnson-Thompson produced a individual champion successful nan changeable put, by acold 1 of her weakest disciplines, to stay successful golden badge contention, earlier moving nan 800m of her life arsenic she amassed nan second-best people of her profession successful pursuit of nan eventual prize.

Wearing a beaming smile, a metallic tiara connected her caput and pinch a Union Jack draped complete her shoulders, nan accomplishment of going truthful adjacent to golden astatine each was not mislaid connected her for a 2nd arsenic Thiam's triumph was confirmed.

Even this twelvemonth location had been interest surrounding preparations aft Johnson-Thompson withdrew from nan European Championships successful June pinch a insignificant limb issue, having contested only 3 events but already fallen down Thiam.

That was a basal sacrifice to make arsenic she went aft nan 1 prize she desperately desired.

"I'm very grateful and emotional. I'm emotion overwhelmed. I've sewage nary regrets," Johnson-Thompson said connected Friday evening.

"I'm conscionable trying to return it each successful and unrecorded successful nan moment. It's nan eventual relief.

"I was moving for gold, but to beryllium honorable I had specified mixed emotions that I was benignant of grieving golden but besides fighting for gold. Then I was celebrating silver. So galore mixed emotions.

"Just to beryllium connected nan podium is specified an honour. Olympic cycles tin beryllium brutal, and I cognize that much than anyone."