Katarina Johnson-Thompson is aiming to finally end her Olympic hoodoo with heptathlon gold in Paris after a long, difficult road to the 2024 Games.
The 31-year-old is a World and Commonwealth champion but an Olympic gold is the only accolade that has eluded her over the course of her otherwise hugely successful career. She finished 13th in the heptathlon in London and sixth in Rio before a torn calf muscle shattered her hopes at the Tokyo Olympics, with Paris now seen as her time to finally top the podium.
As well as struggles on the track, it has not been an easy journey for Johnson-Thompson off it in recent years, as she has had to cope with the loss of her father as well as navigating a long-distance relationship with a fellow Team GB star.
Ahead of what could be the greatest moment of her career so far, here's what you need to know about the Liverpool-born star's life outside of the Olympics.
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Family tragedy
Johnson-Thompson's father Ricardo passed away in 2017 at the age of 59.
He died on his home island of the Bahamas, where he had lived away from his daughter since she was one. However, the pair still had a good relationship and the heptathlete admitted it had been a "difficult" time for her and her family in an interview with the Daily Mail.
"What happened with my dad is why I have been so switched on in competitions," she explained. 'He didn't see me win and that has actually made me want to win in front of my mum even more, if that makes sense.
"She comes to see me in every single competition and I always feel for her when I don't do well, or I let myself down, or I don't reach my potential."
She later told the Guardian: "I am proud of myself because there have been some hard and difficult times. But dad definitely spurred me on this year. I wanted to start winning things. I wanted my family to see me doing well. And I think I have done that for sure."
Net worth
Johnson-Thompson reportedly boasts an estimated net worth of around $4.5million.
Back in 2022, she was named as the fourth richest British sportswoman under 30 years old according to the Heat Rich list.
Much of her net worth has been boosted by her partnership with Nike, while she has also endorsed other huge brands including Estee Lauder, EA, Müller and British Gas.
Despite her sizeable net worth, Johnson-Thompson admitted she had struggled to buy her first home as she came out in support of per cent mortgage rates to help more people purchase a house.
Appearing on GB News’ On The Money, she said: “I had trouble buying my first home a couple of years ago. I think the illusion of track and field is, it was so nice to say all those facts and stuff, but many people, unless they are ranked in the top 10 in the world, struggle to earn a decent wage.
“For me the struggle was that my career isn't going to last a lifetime and I’m going to probably retire when I’m 35 and many banks don’t really understand that sort of payment setup. But with the rise in living costs, many people are struggling to get on the property ladder for different reasons."
Olympian boyfriend
Johnson-Thompson has been dating fellow Olympian and British hurdler Andrew Pozzi since 2018.
The couple have a long-distance relationship, however, with Pozzi living in Cardiff while Johnson-Thompson has lived in Loughborough, as well as Montpellier, since they started dating.
The Liverpool-born star gave an insight into their relationship earlier this year, as she told the Observer: "We'll start a programme together and watch it at the same time. We've been watching Traitors. I don't think I'd make a good traitor. I can't lie to save my life."
Pozzi has won gold at both the European and World Indoor Championships and appeared at the last three Olympics before retiring last month due to a "serious ankle fracture".
In a social media post, he wrote: "After missing the 2023 season with serious injury, I have battled exceptionally hard to return to the world stage and earnt my place at what would have been my fourth Olympic Games. Unfortunately, as I continued to build and improve upon my 13.23s clocking in Montgeron, my body gave way in training to another serious ankle fracture."
"I have decided that now is the right time for me to retire from professional athletics," Pozzi added. "This is a profoundly sad moment, but also one that I can embrace fully with the knowledge that I have approached every minute of my time in this sport with uncompromising focus, resolute determination and the highest of standards."
He has proudly shared his other half's accomplishment's however, taking to social media following Johnson-Thompson's world heptathlon gold last year and writing: "The best all round athlete on the planet. Again."
Retirement decision
Having previously identified 35 as a potential retirement age, Johnson-Thompson could well make it to the next Olympics in Los Angeles. However, heading into the Paris Games, there was speculation that it could be her last, whether or not she finally makes it onto the podium in the biggest competition of her life.
But Johnson-Thompson says she has now plans to give up heptathlon, telling Athletics Weekly: "The phrase, ‘one last push’ doesn’t come to mind. I feel like I am growing into myself and the longer that I’ve been doing the sport, the more I know about myself and I know how to be ready for it.
“I understand what my body needs, what my mind needs, and how to get a good performance. I feel like I am getting stronger in the sense of I know how to do it better than I did 10 years ago. It saddens me at the thought of having all this knowledge and then stopping. As long as I am competitive, I will continue the sport.”
