News16 May 2017


Johnson-Thompson, Ikauniece-Admidina and Nana Djimou set for Götzis

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Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the heptathlon shot at the Hypo-Meeting in Gotzis (© Getty Images)

Five major championships medallists are among the latest additions to the heptathlon field for the Hypo-Meeting, the next leg of the IAAF Combined Events Challenge, in Götzis on 27-28 May.

Britain’s 2015 European indoor champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be hoping to recapture the form that carried her to a lifetime best of 6682 when winning in Götzis in 2014. The 24-year-old, who finished fifth at the 2013 World Championships and sixth at last year’s Olympic Games, owns the second-best indoor pentathlon score in history at 5000.

World bronze medallist Laura Ikauniece-Admidina broke her own Latvian record when finishing second in Götzis last year with 6622. The 2012 European silver medallist came within five points of her PB to finish fourth in Rio, just 36 points shy of a medal.

France’s Antoinette Nana Djimou owns four continental titles, having won gold at two outdoor European Championships and two European Indoor Championships. The 31-year-old, whose best result to date in Götzis was her third-place finish in 2011, last year took the European silver medal in Amsterdam.

Up-and-coming Swiss talent Geraldine Ruckstuhl will be making her Hypo-Meeting debut. The 19-year-old, who is still an U20 athlete, struck gold at the 2015 World U18 Championships with a score of 6037 with the U18 implements. She has contested one senior heptathlon to date, scoring 5835 last year.

She will be joined by fellow Swiss heptathletes Caroline Agnou, the European junior champion, and Ellen Sprunger.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Commonwealth silver medallist Ashley Bryant, former British indoor record-holder John Lane and France’s Gael Querin are among the latest athletes announced for the decathlon.

Organisers and Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF