What happened to double world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson at the European Athletics Championships? Reason for her withdrawal from the event

Katarina Johnson-Thompson recently withdrew from competing in the women's heptathlon events at the 2024 European Athletics Championships after experiencing discomfort in her right leg. The Championships are scheduled from June 7 to 12, 2024, at the Stadio Olimpico in Roma, Italy.

Johnson-Thompson has secured two gold at the World Championships in 2019 (Doha) and 2023 (Budapest). At the 2019 World Championships, she earned 6981 points to leave behind Nafissatou Thiam and Verena Preiner, who posted 6677 and 6560 points, respectively.

Three years later at the 2023 WAC in the Hungarian capital, she dominated the women's heptathlon event, collecting 6740 points, defeating Anna Hall (6720 points) and Anouk Vetter (6501 points).

The 31-year-old competed in the opening event of the heptathlon, the 110m hurdles, and finished seventh in the heats. Further, the English athlete cleared the high jump of 1.83m.

Right before the heats of the 200m heptathlon event, the world champion felt discomfort in the right leg, forcing her to withdraw from the rest of the events in the heptathlon, including 200m, long jump, javelin throw, and 800m.

With less than 50 days remaining before the Olympics, the athlete and her coach, Aston Moore, decided to step down from competing in Rome to ensure she would be in prime condition for the Paris Olympics. Speaking to Olympics. com, Moore stated that the world champion-

"has developed a small niggle in her right leg, and in light of the proximity of the Olympic Games, we have chosen to bank what we have learned from this first day of competition and withdraw from the heptathlon. We don’t want to risk losing any time from training, which could result if she were to carry on competing with it for another day."

"2012 for me was such a huge achievement" - Katarina Johnson-Thompson reflects on her first Olympics

Katarina Johnson-Thompson during a press conference ahead of the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson reflected on her first Olympics (2012). Johnson-Thompson represented the nation as a 19-year-old on her home soil in London.

During an interview with European Athletics ahead of the 2024 EAC, she reminisced about the London Olympics, stating it made her realize that a career could be made from heptathlon. She also took pride in representing the nation at the greatest sporting event at the young age of 19.

"When I did 2012 that's when I realized that you could make a career out of my sport. When I finished 2012 I just…I didn't realize I didn't understand how I was going to get there because I was so far behind and off the pace."

"2012 for me was such a huge achievement of just being there at 19 years old at the Olympics, at home Olympics."

Katarina Johnson-Thompson's victory in Doha with 6981 points stands as a British record.