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Who is Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and can she win gold at the 2018 European Championships?

KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON has had a superb 2018 so far winning the World Indoor pentathlon Gold in Birmingham and the heptathlon gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

She has now set her sights on another gold medal at the European Championships in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

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Katarina Johnson-Thompson takes part in the long jump in Birmingham and is looking for he third gold of 2018

What is Katarina Johnson-Thompson's background?

Her parents are called Tracey and Ricardo, with her dad coming from the Bahamas.

She grew up in Liverpool and attended Catholic High School.

Some of her early funding came from the Wells Athletic Foundation.

KJT represents Liverpool Harriers.

AP:Associated Press
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Kat has set her heart on Olympic glory – after she cleans up at the Commonwealth Games

Tell me about Kat's career in a nutshell

Ever since Kat became European Under-23 heptathlon champion five years ago the Liverpudlian was expected to inherit the multi-eventing throne of Jessica Ennis-Hill.

But she has often been eclipsed by Olympic and world champion Nafi Thiam.

In Beijing in 2008, and then London and Rio poor Kat suffered Olympic heartache that less robust characters would not have recovered.

She again suffered heartbreak in Beijing after posting three fouls in the long jump and finishing back in 28th.

And she failed to medal at the World Athletics Champs in London in 2017.

But she has finally come up with a complete performance, having relocated to France to change her coaching set-up in 2017.

PA:Press Association
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It looks as though there is nothing to stop Kat now with her new-found confidence

Has Kat won any gold medals?

Katarina Johnson-Thompson finally tasted glory on the global stage with victory in the pentathlon at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

The horrors of recent global campaigns were forgotten as she came out on top over five disciplines.

Admittedly she was up against a moderate field but 25-year-old Kat still lapped up an immense victory.

She had previously won gold at the European Indoor Championships in 2015 in the pentathlon with a British record of 5000 points.

KJT then added to her gold haul with a win in the heptathlon at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018 in Australia.

What about her other results?

Kat was 15th at London 2012 and then fifth at the 2013 World Championships.

In the long jump she was the 2012 World Junior champion and the 2014 World Indoor silver medallist.

She also holds both British high jump records, outdoor with a height of 1.98m at the 2016 Olympic Games, indoor with a height of 1.97m at the 2015 British Indoor Athletics Championships.

Kat is also the British indoor long jump record holder with a distance of 6.93m, finishing sixth in the 2016 Olympic Games and fifth in the 2017 World Championships.

In winning her recent world indoor title Kat recorded a season's best of 4,750 points.

When will she be competing in Berlin?

The women's heptathlon starts on Thursday, August 9 and finished on Friday, August 10.

The BBC are showing the athletics and other sports from the European Championships on BBC2 and BBC1 throughout the day.

Coverage starts from 9am.

'New' Jess Ennis says hepthalon gold is anyone's

KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON has had a superb 2018 so far winning the World Indoor pentathlon gold in Birmingham and the heptathlon gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.



This post first appeared on Latest Sports News | Today's Sports News | Sports Today, please read the originial post: here

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Who is Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and can she win gold at the 2018 European Championships?

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