Johnson-Thompson leads Olympic heptathlon

Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson leads nan heptathlon astatine Paris 2024 aft 4 events successful her pursuit of a first Olympic medal.

The two-time world champion roared pinch delight aft throwing a individual champion successful nan changeable put of 14.44m connected Thursday evening, earlier clocking 23.44 seconds successful nan 200m to move backmost supra rival Nafissatou Thiam.

Johnson-Thompson, 31, has 4,055 points - a constrictive lead of 48 complete Belgium's two-time reigning Olympic champion Thiam, while American Anna Hall is simply a further 99 down nan Briton.

The heptathlon concludes pinch nan agelong jump, javelin and 800m events.

Johnson-Thompson led nan standings aft making a superb start to nan competition.

Producing season-best performances successful nan 100m hurdles and precocious jump, she led Thiam by conscionable 24 points, pinch 33 points separating nan 3 pre-competition golden badge favourites.

The changeable put represents 1 of Johnson-Thompson's weaker disciplines but she displayed her gold-medal credentials by launching nan champion propulsion of her life to guarantee she would limit her losses to superior thrower Thiam.

The 29-year-old Thiam edged up by matching her individual champion pinch an unmatched 15.54m.

But Johnson-Thompson, successful nan arena which brought a heartbreaking extremity to her podium bid successful Tokyo 3 years ago, vanished nan opening time powerfully to reclaim apical spot.

The reigning world champion declared her 2nd world heptathlon triumph successful Budapest past twelvemonth arsenic "the champion time of my life", having completed a singular turnaround successful her career.

Following nan maiden world occurrence successful 2019, Johnson-Thompson overcame a career-threatening Achilles rupture only to suffer wounded heartbreak successful nan 200m astatine nan Tokyo Olympics.

Last year, successful nan absence of nan injured Thiam, she took world golden up of Hall to group herself up perfectly for nan chance successful Paris to astatine past declare an Olympic medal.

Also connected Thursday, Great Britain's two-time world medallist Laura Muir and Georgia Bell some qualified for nan last of nan women's 1500m.

Drawn successful nan aforesaid semi-final, Bell vanished 2nd successful 3 minutes 59.49 seconds, conscionable down Kenya's two-time reigning Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon (3:58.64), pinch Muir comfortably done successful 4th (3:59.83).

Team-mate Revee Walcott-Nolan ran a individual champion clip of 3:58.08 but that was not capable for her to progress.

The women's 1500m last takes spot astatine 19:15 BST connected Friday.