Reigning world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson has taken the early initiative in what will develop into a fascinating and captivating heptathlon at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Thursday (8) morning.
Johnson-Thompson performed above par in the 100m hurdles with a season’s best of 13.40 and displayed some of her form of old in the high jump with a 1.92m clearance, her best jump since the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha where she defeated Nafissatou Thiam.
Thiam began her assault for a record third successive Olympic heptathlon title with an auspicious 13.56 in the 100m hurdles - by contrast, Thiam clocked 13.74 at the European Athletics Championships in Rome - but rued her three failures at 1.95m in the high jump.
Johnson-Thompson leads proceedings after two events with 2197 points ahead of Thiam with 2173 points although the Belgian is expected to take the lead after the shot put which begins at 7.35pm local time.
Anna Hall from the United States showed her competitive zeal in the high jump, a 1.89m clearance moving her up to third with 2164 points at this early juncture of the heptathlon.
Switzerland’s Annik Kalin, who blazed to a 12.86 100m hurdles for the fastest time across the three heats, is seventh after two events with 2047 points.
And there was also a welcome return to the combined events fray from Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schubert who is currently tenth after two events with 2018 points.
Exactly six months to the day after giving birth to her first child, Sulek-Schubert began proceedings in the heptathlon by winning the first 100m hurdles heat in 13.32 ahead of Johnson-Thompson in 13.40.
19.24m for Ogunleye in shot put qualifying
Reigning world indoor silver medallist Yemisi Ogunleye from Germany sealed the automatic qualifying mark on her third attempt in shot put qualifying with 19.24m.
She will be joined in the final by the likes of two-time European champion Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands who produced the fourth best mark across the two pools with 18.92m.
Other European qualifiers included fellow German Alina Kenzel (18.16m), Portugal’s Jessica Inchude (18.36m) and the Swedish duo of Fanny Roos (18.17m) and Axelina Johansson (18.16m).
Reigning Olympic champions Italy had a nervous wait after finishing fifth in their 4x100m heat in 38.07 but their time was the fifth fastest across the two heats so easily fast enough to progress as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers.
Great Britain qualified automatically from the first heat in third with 38.04 along with home favourites France from the second heat in 38.34.
And the British quartet looked in sharp form in the women’s 4x100m heats. Even without Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita who were fourth and fifth respectively in the 200m final, the British quartet still won their heat in 42.03 from France (42.13) and Jamaica (42.35).
The United States won the first heat in 41.94 ahead of Germany (42.15) and Switzerland (42.38).
Steven Mills for European Athletics