KJT: ‘I would never have got in that wheelchair. I did not want to give the world that image of me’

Britain’s world champion heptathlete opens up on an Olympic ordeal which was both traumatic and heroic

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is thinking back to Tokyo and not greatly enjoying the experience.

Only when Derek Redmond’s name is introduced into the conversation does she allow herself a smile.

“Funnily enough my mum said that if she’d been there she’d have done the same as Derek’s dad,” said Britain’s world champion heptathlete, whose gold medal hopes were crushed by injury just as she was starting to believe.

“I absolutely know she would have.”

Johnson-Thompson was not even born when Redmond’s hamstring tore during his 400 metres semi-final at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The image of dad Jim coming out of the crowd and onto the track to help his stricken son finish the race is one of the most inspirational in sport.

“I wasn’t going to be beat by the Olympics,” Derek said later. “I could live with finishing eighth and getting knocked out but I couldn’t live with not finishing at all.”

Almost 30 years on Johnson-Thompson’s calf tore coming off the bend in the 200 metres, her fourth event of seven.

She fell to the track and was quickly engulfed by grief at the loss of her dream. With mum Tracy back home in Liverpool due to the pandemic and the stadium empty, she was all alone.

Two officials arrived with a wheelchair and good intentions but were given short shrift as she hauled herself up and limped to the line.

“I would never have got in that chair and given people the chance to write that sad story about me,” she said.

“I did not want to give the world that image of me. Whatever it took I was going to finish.”

A change of seasons has brought a major shift in the life of the 28-year-old. Her body has mended, so too her spirit.

She is switching her base from France to Florida, where new coach Petros Kyprianou will prepare her to defend her World and Commonwealth titles this summer.

“I’m resetting and re-evaluating,” she said. “In a way more calm than ever that I am able to achieve those dreams.

“I’ve already proved to myself that I am capable of doing it. I just need to get the work in now, show up and things will happen.”

The fact the injury was not to her take-off leg in which the rupture occurred but the other, gives her enormous heart.

“One of my values in life is that hard work pays off,” she said. “It didn’t feel that way in the moment, after all I’d done to get to Tokyo. I was devastated not to get to finish it off.

“But I’m very proud of myself for getting there. It was perhaps the biggest achievement of all.

“I gave it everything I had and don’t have regrets. I’m at peace with it.”

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is a Müllerlight Ambassador and member of the Müller Athletic Squad, promoting Mullerlight Greek Style Lemon yogurt; fat-free, no added sugar and high in protein