Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is a track and field athlete born on 9th January 1993. He is a native of Halewood town of Merseyside in England. Katarina specializes and represents the USA internationally in Heptathlon.

Background:

Katarina Johnson-Thompson was born to Late Ricardo Thompson and Tracey Johnson. Her father was a production assistant for ZNS TV in the Bahamas and her mother is a former dancer. She had spent the first year of her life in Nassau before moving to Halewood near Liverpool with her mother.

Katarina pursued her interest in athletics while studying at St. Mark’s Catholic Primary School in Halewood. At the age of 10, she joined Liverpool Harriers Athletics Club. After primary education, Katarina moved to Woolton, Liverpool, where she joined St.Julie’s Catholic High School. While at high school, she was High Jump champion at UK School Games and Heptathlon champion at AAA Junior Championships in 2008.

After graduating from high school, Katarina Johnson-Thompson enrolled at the Liverpool John Moores University to pursue a degree in Sports Science. She continues to associate with Liverpool Harriers Athletics Club and is currently training under Bertrand Valcin.

Rise to Glory:

Katarina Johnson-Thompson received her first career break in 2008 when she won the 300m Indoor title at the England Junior Indoor Championships. That year, in August, she clinched the Long Jump title at the England U17 Championships. In 2009, Katarina got her first international break after winning Heptathlon Gold at the World Youth Athletics Championships.

In 2012, Katarina was crowned as World Junior Champion in Long Jump with a leap of 6.81m. The following year, she clinched the Gold medal in Heptathlon with 6215 points at the European U23 Athletics Championships. In 2014, Katarina won her first senior national title in Long Jump at the British Athletics Championships.

At the 2015 European Indoor Championships, Katarina took home the Gold medal in Pentathlon with 5000 points. That year, she won the Long Jump title at the British Athletics Grand Prix. In 2019, Katarina won the second European Indoor title in Pentathlon with 4983 points.

At the British Athletics Indoor Championships, Katarina had won three titles in Long Jump (2014, 2018, and 2019) and two High Jump titles (2014 and 2015). She is the current World No.1 Women Heptathlon with 1442 points.

Major Achievements:

Katarina Johnson-Thompson made her senior international debut at the 2012 London Olympics, where she was placed 13th in the Heptathlon final result with 6267 points. In 2013, she competed at the World Athletics Championships and finished 5th overall in Heptathlon with 6449 points.

At the 2013 World Indoor Athletics Championships, Katarina won the Silver medal in Long Jump with a leap of 6.81m. In 2016, Katarina finished 6th overall in Heptathlon with 6523 points at the Rio Olympics in Brazil. The following year, Katarina was placed 5th in Heptathlon with 6558 points at the World Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom.

In 2018, Katarina took home the Gold medal in Pentathlon with 4750 points at the World Indoor Athletics Championships. That year, she clinched the Heptathlon Gold with 6255 points at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, followed by a Silver medal in Heptathlon with 6759 points at the European Athletics Championships.

At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, Katarina was crowned as World Champion in Heptathlon with 6981 points (a world-leading record).

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be appearing in her third Olympics at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and is one of the strong contenders to win a medal in Heptathlon.