Katarina Johnson-Thompson: My recovery from injury is going well and I want to go to at least two more Olympic Games

World champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson has told the 22 Voices podcast her recovery from an achilles injury is going well and she "definitely" wants to carry on competing until at least the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Johnson-Thompson is the latest guest to appear on 22 Voices, a podcast series from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. In it, she is asked by presenter Samantha Johnson how many more Olympic Games she has in her before retirement:

"Another two at least, counting Tokyo. Definitely until Paris 2024, that’s for sure, that will be almost like a home Games. It’s super difficult to win an Olympic medal, I think that’s why the weight behind it is always there, and you have to be ready on that day, every four years."

"It’s important for me because I have achieved a lot of things I want to achieve, and I still don’t feel like I’ve reached my full potential, I still don’t feel like I’ve gotten everything I wanted out of the sport. So, I think that’s a huge driving force and my motivation."

The 2019 world champion also touches on her recovery from the achilles injury she picked up at the end of last year:

"My recovery is going really well. I’m gutted that it’s not the way I wanted to start a new year, but I’m remaining positive and I’m in a good place right now. I’m progressing really fast and I’m happy that all things are set in place for the outdoor season."

22 Voices will profile sporting stars and cultural trailblazers as the build up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games continues.

The heptathlete is one of the faces of the Games, alongside other elite athletes including swimming champion Adam Peaty, world champion gymnast Joe Fraser and para swimming legend Ellie Simmonds.

Johnson-Thompson tells the podcast she’s been competing at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium since she was a junior, and she can’t wait to compete in front of a home crowd there in 2022:

"It’s one of those stadiums that has got a lot of history for me and it’s just perfect that the Commonwealth Games will be there next year. I’m super excited to have crowds back in athletics, excited for normality and a home games, and to have fans. It’s going to be great, I can’t wait."

In the podcast, the Liverpool-born star also talks about nearly quitting athletics in 2016 after a disappointing Rio Olympics, why she spoke out about racism and the Black Lives Matter movement last summer, and losing motivation during the first lockdown last year:

"When it got announced that the Olympics were going to be postponed, it was like my whole motivation and energy to get up and do what I normally do each day started to fade away week by week. It hit me the hardest because my dreams of Tokyo 2020 went in the bin.

"The third lockdown I’ve been very positive. Facilities are more open to trying to facilitate elite athletes because Tokyo is happening, so we have to find a way now."

To listen to the full episode of 22 Voices featuring Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and to subscribe to the podcast, head to www.birmingham2022.com/22voices

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