Katarina Johnson-Thompson shares heptathlon bronze medal at World Championships

Katarina Johnson-Thompson clinched a shared bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships after finishing the heptathlon level on points with American Taliyah Brooks.

The defending world champion from Liverpool needed to beat Brooks in the 800 metres, the final event, by about six seconds to claim bronze, and crossed the finish second in two minutes 07.38 seconds.

Brooks finished ninth in the 800m in 2:13.17, meaning both women were level in the combined scoring at 6581 points.

They faced a nervy wait on the track until it was determined the medal would be shared.

“I don’t have any words at the minute. I just feel in a bit of disbelief because the season’s been so difficult,” an emotional Johnson-Thompson told the BBC afterwards.

“I’ve been through it in this stadium. When I first came here earlier in the week, the minute I stepped out into the stadium I just started sobbing.”

Johnson-Thompson’s bid to win an Olympic medal at the same stadium in 2020 ended in heartache when she was forced to withdraw from the event after suffering a calf injury during the 200m.

“I think I was seen in the crowd as a supporter and my mum texted me the picture of me in the stadium, just after I’d been in the toilets crying my eyes out, remembering all the memories from this place,” she said.

“It holds so much emotion and to finish the 200m yesterday meant the absolute world. So to finish here and leave with a medal this time around, I can’t put it into words.

“It’s like the full circle moment I’ve just been through.”

The United States’ Anna Hall was crowned champion with 6888 points and there was a historic silver for Ireland’s Kate O’Connor, who set a national record of 6714 points.

It was Ireland’s first-ever outdoor senior multi-event medal, and the country’s first World Championship medal in 12 years.

Earlier, there was disaster in the men’s 4x100m relay heats when the British quartet of Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe, Jona Efoloko and Eugene Amo-Dadzie missed the final handover and failed to qualify for the final.

Eugene Amo-Dadzie said he had not watched the transition back, but shouldered the blame after appearing to set off too quickly to receive the baton from Efoloko after two good changeovers.

Amo-Dadzie said: “I think in a relay, it’s a team effort, right? But each individual has a lot to do.

“I guess it’s a natural disappointment. When we’re in a situation where you feel like you didn’t do the job to the best of your ability, because it doesn’t just impact yourself, it impacts the whole team.

“So I think that’s probably one of the main frustrations, and I appreciate the grace that’s being shown by my teammates – that’s very, very much appreciated.

“Practice has been great. We’re not just saying that truly. And the simple direction was to go out there and do the same thing ultimately. So, yeah, that’s really frustrating. We one 100 per cent will be back from it.”

There were also questions for the women’s 4×400 relay team after they failed to qualify for their final, coming last in their heat.

The result caused London 2012 Olympic and 2015 world long jump champion Greg Rutherford to remark on the BBC broadcast: “A lot of money is put into that programme. You can’t be coming last in your heat at a World Championships.”

The evening went more smoothly for the British women in the 4x100m relay, who secured a place in Sunday’s final.

Max Burgin finished sixth in the men’s 800m final in a personal-best 1:42.29.

The Briton did not have much room to manoeuvre on the final stretch, when Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who took gold in a championship record 1:41.86, broke away alongside eventual silver and bronze medallists Djamel Sedjati of Algeria and Canada’s Marco Arop.

Hannah Nutall finished eighth overall in her 5000m final in 15:01.25.