Johnson-Thompson to race for gold in thrilling finish

Team GB’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson will race for Olympic heptathlon gold in the 800m on Friday night after finishing the morning session in second place, 121 points behind Nafissatou Thiam.

Belgium’s Thiam tops the standings with 5,924 points, followed by Johnson-Thompson with 5,803 and Switzerland’s Anna Kaelin on 5,694.

It means Johnson-Thompson, who has never won an Olympic medal, will have to run roughly eight seconds quicker than the defending champion to win.

The world champion began the day with a 48-point lead but knew it would be tough with Thiam’s best event – the javelin – yet to come in Paris.

She registered 6.40m in the long jump, enough to keep her ahead of Thiam, who could only cut her lead by three points.

Johnson-Thompson then threw a season’s best 45.49m in the javelin – comparatively one of her weaker events – but it was not enough to stop Thiam replacing her at the top of the standings.

Thiam’s huge throw of 54.04m helped her take the lead from Johnson-Thompson and set up a thrilling finale.

The 800m takes place at 19:25 BST, with live coverage across BBC platforms.

It will be a tough, tough ask for Johnson-Thompson under the lights – she will, ultimately, need the race of her life to claim gold.

There are just 103 points between Johnson-Thompson and Thiam’s personal bests in the 800m.

Johnson-Thompson’s best time is two minutes 05.63 seconds, while Thiam’s is 2:11.79.

That would earn Johnson-Thompson 1,064 points, and Thiam 961.

However, the Briton has given herself a chance, having produced some of her best performances over the past two days.

On Thursday, she registered a season’s best performance in the 100m hurdles, logged her best mark for five years in the high jump and finished with a career-best throw in the shot put to top the standings.

But Thiam was always going to respond on Friday in the events she has historically been stronger in.

The Belgian is the two-time defending Olympic champion and has won multiple world and European golds.

Britain’s Max Burgin qualified for Saturday’s men’s 800m final, but world bronze medallist Ben Pattison missed out.

Burgin was the third-fastest qualifier, running a personal best one minute 43.50 seconds, but compatriots Pattison and Elliot Giles both exited.

Cindy Sember failed to qualify for the women’s 100m hurdles final after stumbling in her semi-finals.

Great Britain’s quartet of Yemi Mary John, Hannah Kelly, Jodie Williams and Lina Nielsen qualified for the women’s 4x400m final with a season’s best three minutes 24.72 seconds.

They were second fastest in their heat, behind only the United States, with Ireland also advancing to Saturday’s final.

The men’s team also progressed, with Sam Reardon, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Toby Harries and Charles Dobson clocking two minutes 58.88 seconds.

Quincy Wilson made history for the US by helping the men’s team qualify for the final, with the 16-year-old becoming the youngest American male to compete in an Olympic track and field event.

On Friday evening, GB’s women and men will go for gold in the 4x100m relay finals at 18:30 and 18:47 respectively.

Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke bids for a first Olympic medal in the women’s 400m final, alongside Britain’s Amber Anning.

Eilish McColgan and Megan Keith then line up for GB in the women’s 10,000m final.