About

Katarina Johnson-Thompson, born in Liverpool on January 9, 1993, to Ricardo and Tracey, has roots in both the Bahamas and the UK. With her father hailing from Nassau, KJT spent her early childhood on the island before returning to Liverpool, a city she proudly calls home.

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Although KJT's family background included ballet and dance—her mother was a dancer—KJT gravitated towards sport. Her athletic journey began almost by accident: a school sports day high jump event sparked her interest in athletics after she broke her school’s high jump record on her first try. This achievement led her to join the Liverpool Harriers Athletics Club at just 10 years old, where she began refining her natural talents.

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As a Liverpool Harrier, KJT's versatility in various athletic disciplines became clear, winning national titles across multiple events and ultimately leading her to multi-events. Under coach Mike Holmes, she dedicated herself to the heptathlon and quickly advanced, joining the National Lottery World Class Performance Program at just 15. Kat’s first major victory on the world stage came in 2009 when she won gold in the heptathlon at the World Youth Championships in Brixen, Italy, marking the beginning of her journey toward athletic stardom.

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Her talent continued to shine through the age groups. In 2012, KJT won World Junior gold in the long jump and made her Olympic debut at the London 2012 Olympics. Senior multi-event success followed: she topped the 2014 heptathlon world rankings and went on to break the 5,000-point mark in the pentathlon to win gold at the 2015 European Indoor Championships in Prague. KJT also earned World Indoor and European Indoor titles in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

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Since her Olympic debut, KJT’s outdoor career has progressed steadily. After placing 6th at the Rio 2016 Olympics, she relocated to Montpellier, France, to train under multi-event specialist Bertrand Valcin. This transition paid off, yielding two Commonwealth Games gold medals and a European Championships silver in 2018. Her 2019 World Championships performance in Doha was a career highlight: she won the heptathlon gold with a British record of 6981 points, hitting event PBs in four individual events.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, KJT realized her long-awaited Olympic dream, capturing a podium finish that solidified her status as one of the world’s elite heptathletes. Now, her sights are set on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where she hopes to build on her success and extend her legacy further.

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Off the track, KJT divides her time between Liverpool and Loughborough, training with coach Aston Moore. Beyond athletics, she’s involved in philanthropy, music, reading, and fashion. Having walked in the Off-White show at Paris Fashion Week in 2018 and won Stylist Magazine’s 2019 Sportsperson of the Year award, KJT continues to bridge sport and culture, inspiring young women to pursue their own paths.

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As she prepares for LA 2028, follow KJT on social media for updates on her journey, training, and life beyond athletics.