Jessica Ennis-Hill has backed Katarina Johnson-Thompson to end her Olympic curse and strike gold in Paris this summer.
Johnson-Thompson effectively has her dress rehearsal for the Games at the European Athletics Championships — which begin on Friday — as she plots her course for a first Olympic medal.
The Briton made her Olympic debut at London 2012 as Ennis-Hill won gold. She arrived at the next Games, in Rio de Janeiro, after an injury-ravaged two years to finish sixth.
A ruptured Achilles threatened to halt her from competing at the Tokyo Games, and then she suffered a torn calf during the 200metres.
But despite the Olympic heartache, Ennis-Hill predicted her former team-mate and rival would use Rome as a stepping stone to come good in the French capital a year on from being crowned world champion for the second time in her career in Budapest.
“She’s in the gold mix,” said Ennis-Hill. “She blew me away in Budapest. I thought she’d win a medal, but I did not expect her to win gold. That was an incredible performance by her.
“She was just so consistent and just not fazed by anything going on around her. If she can bring that into the Olympics, then she’s a dangerous threat. Kat’s got a really, really good shout.
“I’ve seen the growing belief. Sometimes you don’t have to be really out there [in competition], you just have to be really consistent.
“I learned in 2015 after having Reggie [her first child] not to be fazed by what’s happening around you, do your consistent performances, and Kat really showed that in Budapest, real mental resilience.”
Johnson-Thompson faces competition for Olympic gold from two of the best heptathletes of all time, in Anna Hall, who she pipped to world gold last year, and Nafi Thiam, the two-time Olympic champion who eclipsed Ennis-Hill at the Rio Olympics. Johnson-Thompson and Thiam will be going head to head at this weekend’s Europeans in Rome.
Regarding those rivals, Laureus Academy member Ennis-Hill said: “Anna’s coming back from what looks like a pretty bad knee injury. She’s building back.
“It’s tough to come back into the heptathlon after that and she’s a very explosive athlete. And Nafi has had Achilles issues and is trying to win a third consecutive Olympics, which is a massive task. I’d say the odds are slightly against her, but she’s a fantastic athlete in one piece.
“You never know what’s going to happen in a heptathlon. Kat’s kind of experienced everything, and if there was ever a time, at what will likely be her last Olympics, this is it.”
Ennis-Hill has never been a close confidante to Johnson-Thompson but says, “whenever anyone asks for advice, I’m there”, and she keeps close tabs on the younger athlete through her fellow BBC pundit Denise Lewis.
If there was ever a time, at what will likely be her last Olympics, this is it
“I think it’s a strange one as our paths kind of crossed,” said Ennis-Hill. “She probably felt she was in my shadow a little bit and I didn’t want to be the one to go, ‘Oh, maybe you should do this’.
“I don’t want to be that person. I know she talks to Denise a lot and I obviously follow that and catch up with Denise.”
Britain’s team for Rome has weakened in recent days with the withdrawal of both Zharnel Hughes and Matt Hudson-Smith, both of whom had been contenders for gold in their respective events.
But Johnson-Thompson aside, Ennis-Hill tipped Keely Hodgkinson, favourite for European 800m gold, for top honours.
“I’ve got such high hopes for Keely this summer, because she’s been incredible for the past few years but always ended up with the silver medal,” she said.
“She’s in one of the toughest fields in the world but has the capability of stepping up. She has picked up a lot of experience in the past few years and just needs to get that gold-medal-winning experience.”
