Anna Hall expresses delight on being named rival to heptathlon 'idols'

Anna Hall recently referred to Katrina Johnson-Thompson and Nafi Thiam as her idols. Heading into the Olympic year, Hall said she held two-time world champion Johnson-Thompson and two-time Olympic gold medalist Nafi Thiam in the highest regard.

Hall demonstrated her potential as an aspiring athlete, securing her second straight medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. She finished second behind her idol Johnson-Thompson after scoring a total of 6720 points in seven heptathlon events.

The American secured the bronze at the 2022 WAC held on home soil after finishing behind Thiam and Anouk Vetter.

Johnson-Thompson clinched her second gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships after dominating with a score of 6740 points. The English athlete have previously secured the gold at the 2019 WAC in Doha.

Hall was named as a rival alongside Johnson-Thompson and Thiam by World Athletics for the 2024 season. Expressing her admiration towards the two athletes, Hall shared a message filled with appreciation and reverence.

"Biggggg 'when your idols become your rivals' moment," Hall wrote.

Johnson-Thompson has garnered significant recognition achieving notable accolades that include two Commonwealth gold, two European Indoor Championships titles, and a gold and a silver at the World Indoor Championships.

Thiam's victories include two consecutive Olympic gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Games, two gold and a silver in the World Championships, two European Championships gold medals, and three European Indoor Championships titles.

Anna Hall was victorious at 2023 World Athletics Championships despite suffering an injury

Anna Hall of Team United States reacts during the Shot Put leg of the Heptathlon during the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.

Anna Hall put on an exceptional display of determination and resilience in the Hungarian capital after suffering a knee injury a month before the competition.

During a training session on July 17, 2023, before the competition, Hall encountered a knee injury on the long jump board. She hyperextended her knee and suffered a PCL injury. However, she had made up her mind to compete in the world championships.

Sharing a video on social media, she highlighted her journey from the injury to the World Championships. Hall can be seen going through her recovery process. The video shows Anna Hall’s recovery journey leading to her success in Budapest.

Overwhelmed by her victory, Hall burst into tears after securing the silver.

"Lots of beauty in the struggle of this sport," Hall wrote on X (formerly Twitter).