Katarina Johnson-Thompson leads heptathlon gold medal race after season-best javelin throw – but faces a nervous wait for Olympic rival Nafi Thiam’s score

Katarina Johnson-Thompson continues to lead the race for the Olympic gold medal in the heptathlon, with a strong performance in the javelin to retain her first place.

The Team GB star topped the heptathlon standings on the second day of the event after winning the 200m in front of a jubilant crowd at the Stade de France on Thursday.

Friday started off perfectly with Johnson-Thompson winning the long jump, producing a powerful opening javelin throw of 44.64 meters, the highest distance ever covered by competitors.

Her second attempt earned the 31-year-old a rare foul, with officials showing a red flag for going over the throw line, putting too much pressure on her final attempt.

Johnson-Thompson recovered with her final throw, which turned out to be her best performance of the season. She launched 45.49 meters, lacking some power, but the ball glided through the air at a perfect angle.

Johnson-Thompson maintained her steely, focused gaze while refusing to crack a smile

There was no smile on her face as the Liverpool-born athlete maintained the steely, focused gaze she had adopted during the morning session.

Her season-best performance in the javelin gave Johnson-Thompson 773 points for the javelin event and an overall lead of 818 points.

She must now wait nervously for two-time Olympic champion Nafi Thiam to win her medal, the favourite in the events on day two and seen as Johnson-Thompson’s biggest rival for gold.

Johnson-Thompson will now take time to replenish supplies in preparation for the 800m later this evening.

More to come.