- Katarina Johnson-Thompson continued her quest for gold in the heptathlon javelin throw
- In the second morning event, the Team GB star produced his best throw of the season.
- Johnson-Thompson now has to wait for his Belgian rival Nafi Thiam to release the ball.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson continued her quest for Olympic gold in the heptathlon with a strong performance in the javelin throw that allowed her to retain her top spot intact.
The Team GB star led the heptathlon standings heading into the second day of the event after winning the 200m race in front of a raucous crowd at the Stade de France on Thursday.
Friday started in perfect fashion with Johnson-Thompson winning the long jump and starting with a strong opening javelin throw of 44.64m, which was the highest of any competitor after the first few attempts.
Her second attempt produced a rare error from the 31-year-old as officials showed a red flag for crossing the throwing line and in turn putting enormous pressure on her final throw.
Johnson-Thompson regained her form with her final attempt, which ended up being her best effort of the season, with a stunning 45.49m throw that lacked power but was angled perfectly as she glided through the air.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson continued her quest for Olympic gold in the heptathlon with a strong performance in the javelin throw.
Johnson-Thompson kept a steady, focused gaze as she refused to crack a smile.
There was no smile on her face as the Liverpool-born athlete maintained the steady, focused look she had adopted throughout the morning.
Her season-best performance in the javelin throw resulted in Johnson-Thompson earning 773 points in the javelin event and an overall lead of 818 points.
She now faces a nervous wait for the shot to be taken by double Olympic champion Nafi Thiam, who favours the second day’s events and is seen as Johnson-Thompson’s closest rival for gold.
We will continue to report more.
