Johnson-Thompson in medal hunt but Thiam withdraws

Defending champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson remains in heptathlon medal contention with just two events remaining in Tokyo - but rival Nafi Thiam withdrew on Saturday.

Johnson-Thompson, bidding for a third world title, will begin the final session of the competition in third place, 167 points behind American leader Anna Hall and 59 behind Taliyah Brooks.

The 32-year-old recorded a long jump best of 6.42m on Saturday, after marginally fouling on a much bigger leap with her third and final attempt, to reach 4,874 points before the javelin (11:00 BST) and 800m events (13:11).

Ireland's Kate O'Connor dropped to fourth, 50 points outside the podium places, while GB's Jade O'Dowda is sixth.

Belgium's Olympic champion Thiam ended the penultimate session in eighth place - however her coach later confirmed that she would not continue.

"I withdrew her from the competition," said Michael van der Plaetsen, according to Belgium's national press agency, external.

Thiam, who has split the past four world golds with Johnson-Thompson, had a disrupted build-up to the championships amid a disagreement with Belgian Athletics.

The 31-year-old's federation have rejected her claims that she was blocked from joining the team camp before the championships for refusing to sign its code of conduct, relating to a sponsor conflict.

Prior to her withdrawal, Thiam told Belgian newspaper DH Les Sports+, external: "It was difficult from the beginning. I tried to fight, to go through these difficulties, but clearly it does not follow. I have trouble explaining it myself.

"Clearly my body is not happy. I don't want to do anything stupid, because I think that now, finishing would be for the principle."

Johnson-Thompson was just 36 points away from gold at Paris 2024 - equating to roughly a two-second difference in the 800m - but still celebrated the end of her wait for an Olympic medal with silver behind Thiam at her fourth Games.

On Friday, she returned to the stadium where she suffered Olympic heartbreak four years ago, when her medal ambitions were ruined by a calf injury sustained during the 200m.

Johnson-Thompson told BBC Sport she was not seeking redemption in the Japanese capital, where she ended day one only 12 points down on the tally she achieved on her way to world gold in 2023.

The problem, however, was that silver medallist Hall amassed 156 points more than she had at this point two years ago.

Johnson-Thompson was delighted for Jade O'Dowda, who won their opening 100m hurdles race in a personal best 13.34 seconds, ahead of her British team-mate in a season's best 13.44.

She was relieved to stay in the competition with a clearance at 1.86m with her third and final attempt in the high jump, ensuring she matched Hall, as Thiam cleared 1.89m.

And she signed off on day one with the third-fastest 200m time, behind Hall and fellow Briton Abigail Pawlett, who recovered from a nasty fall in the 100m hurdles.

There was a sense of what might have been for Johnson-Thompson in the long jump, after she marginally fouled on a much bigger leap with her third and final attempt.

Johnson-Thompson told BBC Sport: "It was hard to get going this morning, it was such a quick turnaround.

"I felt good, the body felt good, I'm just really gutted about that final no jump.

“It just shows the margins in sport. You can't really get any closer."

O'Dowda rose from 15th to put herself in contention with a long jump season’s best of 6.49m, while Pawlett is 15th in the standings.

Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell will meet in the women's 800m final on Sunday after the two training partners continued their seamless progress through the rounds.

After Olympic 800m champion Hodgkinson and Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Hunter Bell both won their heats on Thursday, they safely finished inside the top two automatic qualification places in their respective semi-finals.

Hodgkinson won her heat in one minute 57.53 seconds, while Hunter Bell crossed the line behind Kenya's defending champion Mary Moraa.

They will attempt to become the first British athletes to secure a one-two at a global championships since Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders in the women's 400m in the Japanese city of Osaka, 18 years ago.

Hodgkinson is the favourite, having ended her wait for a first global title last summer and returned from a 12-month injury-enforced absence to clock the fastest time in the world this year.

"I'm happy to be in my fifth world finals in a row. I'm really happy to do that and be in contention for another medal," Hodgkinson said.

"This would mean more to me than last year, just the journey here makes it that much sweeter.

"It's so difficult to get here anyway, and then to come here and perform, especially off the year that I've had - I'm just grateful to be running and want to put together a performance I'm proud of. I want to be able to say I left it all out there."

George Mills progressed safely to the final of the men's 5,000m on Sunday by finishing fourth in his heat.