KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON’S near miss for gold sparked a tearful tribute from a BBC pundit.
KJT’s training partner Jazmin Sawyers choked up after seeing the Liverpudlian take heptathlon silver at Paris 2024 behind three-time Olympic winner Nafi Thiam.
Johnson-Thompson put eight years of injuries and frustration behind her with a heroic performance and first-ever Games‘ gong
Needing to beat Thiam by more than eight seconds in the final event, the 800m, the 31-year-old notched a personal best.
But her time of 2:04.90 was not quite six seconds faster than her Belgian rival, whose finish in 2:10.62 was her own quickest-ever mark.
So Thiam took gold for the third successive Games by just 36 POINTS.
That left long-jumper Sawyers, who had been “devastated” to miss the Paris Games through injury, sending an emotional message to KJT.
As the Beeb showed the athletes reacting with exhaustion to their efforts, she said: “Kat, if you ever watch this back, we are so proud of you.
“You know, to come back for a fourth time and get your medal, you’ve done incredibly.
“With a personal best she’s done absolutely everything in her power to go and get that.”
OLYMPICS FREE BETS – SIGN UP OFFERS AND DEAL FOR PARIS 2024
And with her voice appearing to croak, Sawyers added: “Nafi Thiam was sensational but Kat we’re so proud.”
Team GB’s London 2012 heptathlon winner Jessica Ennis-Hill agreed.
She told the BBC: “Kat should be so proud… the resilience she has shown to keep coming back.”
Ennis-Hill added: “The last two years we have just seen a different Kat.
“She has had a completely lighter persona. You can see that she is so present and competitive.”
KJT herself said: “I am so happy. No complaints at all. I am grateful and emotional and overwhelmed.
“I have no regrets. I am so happy to come away with an Olympic medal.
“Ultimately it’s relief. As I crossed the line, I was running for gold tonight. I had such mixed emotions going into it.
“I was sort of grieving gold but also wanting to fight for gold and celebrate. I had so many different emotions crossing the line.
“To be on the podium is such an honour. Olympic cycles can be brutal. I know that more than anyone.”
