Katarina Johnson-Thompson: The Euro Under 23s went well but I managed to tear ankle ligaments in May
By ROAD TO RIO
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The European Under 23 Championships went really well: I came home with a gold medal in the heptathlon, anyway! I was only 50 points off my personal best, which was great considering the season I have had so far.
I managed to tear ligaments on both sides of my ankle during the high jump at Loughborough in May. I thought my season was over, I must admit. But British Athletics were really good: I got a scan the next day and four weeks later I was back in competition in Bedford.
I still turned up in Finland not really knowing how it would go, so there was a lot of relief after the first hurdles race. I don’t normally get nervous before competitions, but I did for the first time last weekend.
Victorious: Katarina Johnson-Thompson celebrates winning the Heptathlon at the European Athletics U23 Championships
I knew what to expect after the hurdles, though. I ran 13.84 seconds – again! It’s the third time I’ve run my personal best now: at the World Junior Championships last year, in the Olympics, and now in Tampere at the European Under23s. Hopefully it will be fourth time lucky and I can finally go a bit faster next time.
If the hurdles go well you know you’re in form and I felt a bit of release after that. I knew everything else would be all right, even though I haven’t really done much high jump this year since my injury. You’ve just got to go all out in an event like that. You can’t afford to be cautious or over-careful; you’ ve just got to trust in your technique. I held my own in the shot put, although I moved down to third place overall, but got a huge personal in the 200m, running 23.45secs. I know I’m running really fast at the moment.
There was a great atmosphere among the British team in Finland. We took fewer people this time, but I think half of us came home with a medal. I shared a room with Jodie Williams and she won 200m gold and two silver medals in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay.
Ennis mk II: Johnson-Thompson was excellent over the competition
The Under 23s isn’t really a development competition any more. They set high standards to get in that team, so it’s not just about getting experience. They actually want people to win things and that’s definitely helped me. I’ve won medals throughout all the age groups, so this was the last one left before the seniors (although I’m still young enough to compete at the Under 23s in two years’ time!).
Hearing that Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and the other four Jamaican athletes had failed drug tests really shocked the whole team, though. The news about Gay really broke my heart, but I tried not to think about it. You want to concentrate on people doing well cleanly and not let that side of things detract from what really matters.
Multi-talented: Katarina Johnson-Thompson shows her skills in the hurdles and javelin
I’ve been selected in the British team for the World Championships in Moscow next month, too. British Athletics coach Aston Moore left me a voicemail so when I turned on my ‘phone back in London after the European Under 23s that was the first thing I heard. It was Aston who told me I was going to London 2012, too, so hopefully that’s a good omen.
I’m doing the long jump at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games in the Olympic Stadium next weekend, which I’m really looking forward to, and then in Moscow I just want to improve on what I’ve just done in Finland. I want that consistency, and I’m determined to sort my throws out.
Coasting: Johnson-Thompson easily won with a score of 6,215, 269 points ahead of second placed Kira Biesenbach
It will be nice to see Jess Ennis in the British team in Moscow, but I don’t think it will affect me if she doesn’t make it through injury. It’s always good to have someone of Jess’ experience alongside you, but I’ve got to concentrate on my own performance now.
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2370932/Katarina-Johnson-Thompson-The-Euro-Under-23s-went-I-managed-tear-ankle-ligaments-May.html#ixzz2alCnsdrJ
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