Johnson-Thompson to race for gold in thrilling finish

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will title for Olympic heptathlon golden successful nan 800m connected Friday nighttime aft finishing nan greeting convention successful 2nd place, 121 points down Nafissatou Thiam.

Belgium's Thiam tops nan standings pinch 5,924 points, followed by nan Briton pinch 5,803 and Switzerland's Anna Kaelin connected 5,694.

It intends Johnson-Thompson will person to tally astir 8 seconds quicker than nan defending champion to win.

Even if she cannot negociate that, nan 31-year-old seems definite of winning her first Olympic medal.

World champion Johnson-Thompson began nan time pinch a 48-point lead but knew it would beryllium reliable pinch Thiam's champion arena - nan javelin - yet to travel successful Paris.

She registered 6.40m successful nan agelong jump, capable to support her up of Thiam, who could only trim her lead by 3 points.

Johnson-Thompson past threw a season's champion 45.49m successful nan javelin - comparatively 1 of her weaker events - but it was not capable to extremity Thiam replacing her astatine nan apical of nan standings.

Thiam's immense propulsion of 54.04m helped her return nan lead and group up a thrilling finale.

The 800m takes spot astatine 19:25 BST, pinch unrecorded sum crossed BBC platforms.

It will beryllium a tough, reliable inquire for Johnson-Thompson nether nan lights - she will, ultimately, request nan title of her life to declare gold.

There are conscionable 103 points betwixt Johnson-Thompson and Thiam's individual bests successful nan 800m.

Johnson-Thompson's champion clip is 2 minutes 05.63 seconds, while Thiam's is 2:11.79.

That would gain Johnson-Thompson 1,064 points, and Thiam 961.

However, nan Briton has fixed herself a chance, having produced immoderate of her champion performances complete nan past 2 days.

On Thursday, she registered a season's champion capacity successful nan 100m hurdles, logged her champion people for 5 years successful nan precocious jump and vanished pinch a career-best propulsion successful nan changeable put to apical nan standings.

But Thiam was ever going to respond connected Friday successful nan events she has historically been stronger in.

The Belgian is nan two-time defending Olympic champion and has won aggregate world and European golds.

Elsewhere connected nan track, Britain's Max Burgin qualified for Saturday's men's 800m final, but world bronze medallist Ben Pattison missed out.

Burgin was nan third-fastest qualifier, moving a individual champion 1 infinitesimal 43.50 seconds, but Pattison and Elliot Giles did not progress.

Cindy Sember grounded to suffice for nan women's 100m hurdles last aft stumbling successful her semi-final.

Great Britain's quartet of Yemi Mary John, Hannah Kelly, Jodie Williams and Lina Nielsen qualified for nan women's 4x400m last pinch a season's champion 3 minutes 24.72 seconds.

They were 2nd fastest successful their heat, down only nan United States, pinch Ireland besides advancing to Saturday's final.

The men's squad besides progressed, pinch Sam Reardon, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Toby Harries and Charles Dobson clocking 2 minutes 58.88 seconds.

Quincy Wilson made history for nan US by helping nan men's squad suffice for nan final, pinch nan 16-year-old becoming nan youngest American antheral to compete successful an Olympic way and section event.

This evening, GB's women and men will spell for golden successful nan 4x100m relay finals astatine 18:30 and 18:47 respectively.

Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke bids for a first Olympic badge successful nan women's 400m final, alongside Britain's Amber Anning.

Eilish McColgan and Megan Keith past statement up for GB successful nan women's 10,000m final.