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Katarina Johnson-Thompson out of Commonwealth Games with foot injury Katarina Johnson-Thompson out of Commonwealth Games with foot injury
(about 3 hours later)
Katarina Johnson-Thompson has pulled out of the Commonwealth Games after doctors warned her that she risked long-term damage to an injured foot if she competed. Katarina Johnson-Thompson is determined to be fit for the European Championships in Zurich next month after being forced to pull out of the Commonwealth Games with a stress reaction in her left foot.
It is a huge blow for the 21-year-old heptathlete, who admitted she was “absolutely devastated” to withdraw with a stress reaction in her foot picked up in training last week. She had set a string of personal bests in 2014 and was the favourite for gold in Glasgow after winning the prestigious Hypo-Meeting in Götzis in June. The 21-year-old, the favourite for heptathlon gold in Glasgow, admitted she was “absolutely devastated” to be missing out on the Commonwealths. She has been receiving intensive treatment after picking up the injury in training last week but conceded defeat when doctors warned that she risked long-term damage if she competed.
“The Commonwealths was a key target for me this year and I was feeling so good in my preparation up so this is a real blow,” said Johnson-Thompson. “My season so far with a world indoor medal in the long jump, winning at Götzis and becoming world No1 in heptathlon had really given me the confidence that I could come away with that gold medal – but sadly it’s just not meant to be.” It is a bitter blow for the Games’ organisers – but the pain is greater still for Johnson-Thompson. She has enjoyed a stellar 2014, winning a silver medal in the long jump at the world indoor championships in March before setting a string of personal bests, and her battle with the Canadian Brianne Theisen-Eaton, who won silver at the world championships in Moscow last year, was expected to be one of the highlights of the Games.
Johnson-Thompson’s battle with the Canadian Brianne Theisen-Eaton, who won silver at the world championships in Moscow, was expected to be one of the highlights of the Games. Only nine days ago the Liverpudlian smashed her long jump personal best by 11cm as she leapt 6.92m at the Diamond League meeting at Hampden Park. “All the advice is telling me that I risk long-term damage if I compete in a heptathlon in just over a week’s time and I have to take that advice for the sake of my career,” admitted Johnson-Thompson. “I really hope to be able to compete in the long jump at the European Championships next month but it doesn’t take away how gutted I am that I won’t be at the Commonwealths. I know the crowds would have been fantastic after the reception I got in Glasgow at the Diamond League last week.”
She now has to focus on getting fit in time for next month’s European Championships in Zurich. “All the advice is telling me that I risk long-term damage if I compete in a heptathlon in just over a week’s time and I have to take that advice for the sake of my career,” she said. “I really hope to be able to compete in the long jump at the European Championships next month but it doesn’t take away how gutted I am that I won’t be at the Commonwealths.” Competing in the long jump in Zurich will place far less stress on Johnson-Thompson’s body than the seven events demanded by the heptathlon, but the European championships was a secondary ambition this year. With the Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill not competing in 2014 having given birth to her first child, Reggie, the stage was set for Johnson-Thompson to announce herself to the wider public.
Neil Black, British Athletics’ performance director, said he believed that Johnson-Thompson would return later in the summer. “We’re confident that with treatment and careful management she will still be in a position to compete in the long jump at the European Championships,” he added. “But a heptathlon starting next week could result in long-term damage.” All the signs had been positive. She set a world-leading heptathlon score of 6,682 – a personal best – in the prestigious Hypo-Meeting in √ in June and such was her form that she also smashed her long jump personal best by 11cm by leaping 6.92m at a Diamond League meeting at Hampden Park 10 days ago. Yet it is the physiotherapist’s room not the podium that awaits her now.
“The Commonwealths was a key target for me this year and I was feeling so good in my preparation up so this is a real blow,” admitted Johnson-Thompson. “My season so far with a world indoor medal in the long jump, winning at Götzis and becoming world No1 in heptathlon had really given me the confidence that I could come away with that gold medal – but sadly it’s just not meant to be.”
Johnson-Thompson has made rapid progress since finishing 15th in the heptathlon at the London 2012 Olympics as a 19-year-old. She was fifth in the world championships in Moscow last year, where she missed out on a bronze medal by 28 points, and such was her performance in Götzis that her crushing disappointment on being ruled out of the Commonwealth Games was especially understandable.
It was also shared by Jan Paterson, Team England Chef de Mission, who said: “We are so disappointed for Katarina, to be in such incredible form coming into a major event and then to suffer an injury is a massive blow.
“Everyone in the team sends her our very best wishes for a speedy recovery and we hope to see her back on the track as quickly as possible and with no long term damage.”
But Neil Black, British Athletics’ performance director, backed Johnson-Thompson to bounce back later in the summer.
“I know she is personally devastated as this was her main aim this season and was determined to take her place on the start line so as not to let the Glasgow 2014 spectators down,” he said. “However we’re confident that with treatment and careful management she will still be in a position to compete in the long jump at the European Championships.
“Katarina and her coach Mike Holmes are incredibly experienced as an athlete-coach pairing and realise that it is not worth risking a long term injury.”