Heptathlete disappointed with day one effort despite big breakthrough in Gotzis

Her world-leading personal best of 6682 points to win in Gotzis last weekend might have been Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s biggest breakthrough so far, but the 21-year-old reveals she thought she’d “blown it” after her day one effort.

The European under-23 champion went to third on the UK all-time heptathlon list and top of the British under-23 all-time rankings when winning the world s top invitational combined events meeting, adding her name to the list of greats who have also won the Hypo Meeting in its 40-year history including Daley Thompson, Roman Sebrle, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Carolina Kluft and Jessica Ennis-Hill.

However, despite the win over a field which included the world silver and bronze medallists from last year and the world indoor pentathlon champion, she claimed she was disappointed with her first day and believes that there is plenty more to come.

On day one, she was three hundredths of a second off her PB in the 100m hurdles with 13.47, six centimetres off in the high jump with 1.90m and then struggled in the shot, her weakest event, with 12.17m.

I was definitely disappointed with the first day because I thought I could give a lot more,” said the Liverpool Harrier.

I think after day one I d have been happy to come away with maybe 6500-odd and I thought I d blown it.”

However, she also smashed her 200m PB with 22.89 behind Dafne Schippers amazing 22.35 and on the second day went on to leap 6.70m in the long jump – the furthest she’s ever legally jumped outdoors – and threw a PB 41.44m in the javelin before her 2:08.16 clocking in the 800m secured her victory.

I think my day two is strong and the 200m performance I didn t expect at all I was just chasing Dafne down,” she said.

The world indoor long jump silver medallist felt the victory was her biggest breakthrough so far more so than her fifth place at last year s Worlds in Moscow.

I definitely think it is, especially when it s not a world or Olympic year and I m not going to be doing the Europeans. Everyone was looking at Gotzis. That will be the world championship field next year pretty much,” she said.

London 2012 Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill and former world champion Tatyana Chernova, both taking pregnancy breaks, and world champion Hanna Melnychenko were of course notable absentees who are expected to be in Beijing next year, but Ennis-Hill knows she will have a fight on her hands just to remain British No.1.

Meanwhile, young heptathlon talent Morgan Lake, who joined fellow Brit Johnson-Thompson in Gotzis, has reportedly chosen the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to compete at this summer, rather than the IAAF World Junior Championships in Oregon where she would clearly be a strong contender for gold.

The 17-year-old broke the 6000 points barrier for the first time to finish 17th with 6081 points in Austria to equal the European youth best and go second in the world junior list for 2014.

Following the weekend’s event she took to social network Twitter to pose the question “World Juniors or Commonwealths?” Lake received many responses offering a range of advice but her father and coach, Eldon Lake, has since advised it is the Commonwealth Games she has her sights set on.

“There’s definitely a chance of a bronze medal there unless someone else steps up,” he told The Telegraph. “But the most important thing is that competing at such a big championship will be an invaluable experience.”

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