Belgium's reigning champ Thiam takes heptathlon lead

PARIS : Belgium's twice champion Nafissatou Thiam put herself in position for a third Olympic heptathlon gold medal on Friday, leaving overnight leader and reigning world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson needing to run the 800 metres race of her life to unseat the Belgian.

With only the 800m remaining, the 29-year-old Thiam has 5,924 points thanks to a huge javelin throw, while Johnson-Thompson has a score of 5,803 to sit second, and Switzerland's Annik Kaelin is third (5,694).

Thiam trailed Johnson-Thompson by 45 points before she unleashed a monster 54.04 metres javelin throw - the heptathlon's penultimate event - to surge past the 31-year-old Briton, a two-time world champion who is hoping to banish the heartbreak from her three previous Olympics.

Johnson-Thompson had a dream start to the gruelling seven-discipline event with a big shot put personal best on her third attempt and 1.92m mark in the high jump.

But she struggled mightily in Friday's opening event, the long jump, aborting her first jump at take-off, and then giving up a precious 34cm on take-off on her second jump before semi-salvaging the event with a 6.40m mark on her third.

Thiam, whose career best javelin is some-13 metres better than great rival Johnson-Thompson's, hurled the spear a season's best 54.04m, while Johnson-Thompson could only muster 45.49.

Stade de France announcers said Thiam's points advantage was worth about a 9 second advantage in the 800m - a massive gap for the Briton to overcome.

Johnson-Thompson is making her fourth Olympic appearance. She suffered major disappointment in 2016, finishing sixth despite a huge high jump that would have earned her gold in the open high jump event.

She rebounded to win the 2019 world championships before