Katarina Johnson-Thompson Interview

Whilst an Achilles injury and doubts over whether this summer’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics would take place haven’t been ideal preparation for Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the Woolton-born heptathlete isn’t looking for any excuses as she prepares to finally realise her gold medal dream

Words by Lawrence Saunders

How are you feeling just a couple of weeks out from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

Feeling good, this one has been a long time coming so I think we are all just glad for it to finally be here! It’ll be a strange event given the circumstances that we are in, but the Olympics are always a special occasion that athletes look forward to and cherish.

Has the uncertainty over whether the games will take place affected your preparation at all?

It’s not ideal that there’s obviously been a lot of speculation about the Games over the past 18 months but I can only really focus on the things within my control. I’ve approached it as though the Games are going ahead, so I’ve been training, preparing as well as I can and trying to get myself into the best shape possible for this summer.

Do you feel less pressure going into this Olympics given your victory at the World Championships in Doha with a British record 6,981 points? Has that performance given you extra belief that you can win gold?

Becoming the World Champion and British Record holder is a huge honour and gives me confidence, not a feeling of pressure. I really enjoyed Doha but that was then and things have changed since. Tokyo is another event and another opportunity.

After the Rio Olympics, you made the decision to move to Montpellier, to join a group under the guidance of multi-event specialist Bertrand Valcin. Do you enjoy living in France? Do you miss Liverpool, and if so, what do you miss the most?

Liverpool is and will always be home for me so of course I miss it! I miss my mum, my dogs, being able to go to Anfield and just generally being around the people and the city! But I know why I moved to France and I’m enjoying it. Montpellier is a beautiful city; I’ve got a great team there and it allows me to fully focus on my athletics.

Earlier this year you set up the KJT Academy, which aims to support aspiring young athletes from diverse ethnic communities across the North West. What inspired you to start the academy and what do you hope it can achieve?

I am now in a fortunate position where I can give back to the region and support the communities that I grew up in. Sport is obviously a big passion of mine and I want to ensure that those youngsters growing up in the same circumstances that I did are given opportunities to fulfil their potential. Research has sadly shown that there are communities that haven’t been provided with a fair opportunity and I wanted to make a difference where I can. I hope that the KJT Academy will really make a difference in many people’s lives!

Can you tell us more about the athletics event you are launching in Liverpool in September?

It’s called Festathlon and I’d call it more of a sporting festival than an athletics event. It’s taking place at my home track, Wavertree Sports Centre, on 11 September and it’s going to be a great afternoon and evening.

We are bringing together three of my favourite things, the city of Liverpool, athletics, and music. I’ll be there alongside many of my Olympic teammates fresh from Tokyo! The Liverpool International Music Festival is supplying DJ’s and live musical acts for the day so between the sport, the music and the festival crowd, it’ll be a lot of fun!

And what can we expect from a sporting perspective, I hear it will be a little different?

It’s based on the heptathlon, my athletics discipline, but it will be a team event rather than an individual competition. The teams will be all female, there will be four teams made up of elite athletes and four teams from universities, including both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University. It will be a great mix of current and future stars on the track. We really want to give fans access to the athletes, which is something we can do at Wavertree.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be competing at Festathlon on 11 September at Wavertree Athletics Centre. Visit www.festathlon.com for more information.

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