Emotional Johnson-Thompson snatches shared heptathlon bronze

johnson-thompson with the bronze medal

Image provided by Alamy.

Loughborough University-based Katarina Johnson-Thompson produced a stunning performance in the 800m to claim an incredible shared heptathlon bronze medal at the World Championships in Tokyo.

Needing to beat American Taliyah Brooks by about six seconds to make the podium, Johnson-Thompson ran a season-best of 2:07.38 to finish second, with Brooks posting 2:13.17 in ninth.

Remarkably, after a lengthy delay, the race result saw Johnson-Thompson and Brooks locked on 6581 points as it was confirmed both athletes would share bronze.

Tears of joy soon flowed for 32-year-old Johnson-Thompson, who has now won medals at the last three major global competitions.

Anna Hall of the United States took gold with 6888 points as Ireland's Kate O'Connor claimed silver with 6714.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Johnson-Thompson said: “I have no words. I'm still in a bit of disbelief…the season’s been so difficult, I’ve done this so many times and it doesn’t get any easier. I think I had the least confidence coming into this.

“I don’t even think this is the hardest-fought medal I’ve got, but honestly, it really does mean the world to me.”

Johnson-Thompson’s medal is Loughborough University’s second of the World Championships following Jake Wightman’s silver on Wednesday.

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 25/131

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2025 QS World University Rankings – the ninth year running.

Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2026, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2025 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.

Loughborough was also named University of the Year for Sport in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 - the fourth time it has been awarded the prestigious title.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.