KATARINA Johnson-Thompson’s boyfriend, Andrew Pozzi, has left a significant mark on athletics with his impressive career.
After dropping out of this year Olympics, he is now cheering on his girlfriend at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Andrew Pozzi, born on 15 May 1992 in Stratford-upon-Avon, is a retired British hurdler known for his achievements in the 60 meters and 110 meters hurdles.
He was the 2018 World Indoor Champion in the 60 meters hurdles and had a successful junior career, setting the UK junior record for the 110 meters hurdles with a time of 13.29 seconds.
Andrew’s coaching was led by Malcolm Arnold, who also coached notable athletes like Colin Jackson and John Akii-Bua.
His early career saw him winning the “Outstanding Athlete of the Year” award at the UK Athletics Awards in 2011 and securing victories in both the 60 meters and 110 meters hurdles at the UK Championships.
In his junior career, Andrew achieved significant milestones, including winning a silver medal at the 2011 European Junior Athletics Championships and setting a junior record at the Bauhaus Junior Gala in Germany.
His senior career began with strong performances, including a notable finish at the 2012 World Indoor Championships where he placed fourth in the final.
Andrew was also selected for the 2012 London Olympics but struggled with injury, which affected his performance.
On 4 July 2024 he announced his retirement from athletics due to “a serious ankle fracture”.
Andrew Pozzi said in a statement, shared on social media: “It’s with great sadness that I must decline my selection to represent Team GB and announce my withdrawal from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“After missing the 2023 season with serious injury, I have battled exceptionally hard to return to the world stage and earn my place at what would have been my fourth Olympic Games.
“In difficult circumstances I’m immensely proud of the progress that I have made this season and the level that I was once again able to reach.
“Unfortunately as I continued to build and improve upon my 13.23s clocking in Montgeron my body gave way in training to another serious ankle fracture.
” Injury has always been my greatest competitor over the last 17 years and whilst my history has beenn littered with serious difficulty, I am most proud of the resilience that I’ve shown and the achievements that I’ve amassed following such heartbreaks.
“I have never shied away from difficult, nor seemingly impossible tasks.
“I have decided that now is the right time for me to retire from professional athletics.
“This is a profoundly sad moment, but also one that I can embrace fully, with the knowledge that I have approached every minute of my time in this sport with uncompromising focus, resolute determinaten and the highest of standards.
“It has been my greatest honour to live out the dreams of my 10 year old self, and my greatest privilge to have received such boundless support and loving generosity from so many to do so.
“In both goof and bad times, I have always felt immeasurably lucky to be surrounded by the best people.
“To all, thank you.”
Andrew Pozzi and Katarina Johnson-Thompson have been together since 2018 but have chosen to not live together.
Katarina said in 2019:”Whenever you live away and you have family, friends, loved ones, or relationships in other countries, it requires a better level of organisation.
“One of the benefits of what we do is that we end up attending a lot of the same competitions and are in the same place for several days.”
Andrew holds the UK junior record for the 110 meters hurdles with a time of 13.29 seconds.
He set this record on July 3, 2011, at the Bauhaus Junior Gala in Mannheim, Germany.
In indoor events, Andrew achieved a personal best of 7.43 seconds in the 60 meters hurdles when he won the gold medal at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
For outdoor events, his personal best in the 110 meters hurdles is 13.13 seconds, which he achieved at on April 15, 2017.
