Katarina Johnson-Thompson praised by former coach after first Olympic medal win

The president of Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s athletic club, who briefly coached her as a youngster, has spoken of her “long journey” to win her first Olympic medal.

The athlete secured a silver in the heptathlon on Friday, where she clocked a personal best in the 800 metres.

The 31-year-old said she was “grieving gold” after losing out to Belgian rival Nafissatou Thiam but added: “I’m so grateful, emotional and overwhelmed. I’m just trying to live in the moment.”

The president of her club, Liverpool Harriers, told the PA news agency it was “wonderful” to see her finally secure a medal in Paris, which is her fourth Olympics.

Stephen Carroll, who briefly helped coach the athlete when she was around 12 years old, said: “We’re so pleased. Everyone at the club, the youngsters, family and friends – and obviously the team behind that have been working so hard.

“And I’ve known her since she was 10 years of age and how she’s worked so hard to come through.”

“It’s been a long journey and it’s well deserved,” he added.

Mr Carroll said Johnson-Thompson is an inspiration to younger members of the club who “all seem to mob” her during training sessions.

He added: “She gets involved. She asks them about themselves, what events they are doing and, you know, shows a real interest in the club.”

The athlete is one of a number of Britons to claim medals on Friday – including Toby Roberts, who described his Olympic gold medal win in the men’s boulder and lead event as “the happiest moment of my life”.

The 19-year-old’s success was Great Britain’s 14th gold medal in Paris.

Roberts told the PA news agency the victory “definitely hasn’t sunk in” yet.

“To work for a goal for so many years, like 10 plus years, and for it to finally, to finally achieve your dreams down on that podium – it’s just a moment which I’ll never forget,” he added.

“And, yeah, it’s the happiest moment of my life.”

Other medal winners on Friday included Elinor Barker and Neah Evans, who won silver in the women’s Madison, and a quartet of runners – Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita – who secured the women’s 4×100 metres silver.

Roberts completed his first recorded climb when he was just three years old and, when aged only 10, became the youngest Briton to scale the 8a Raindogs route at Malham Cove in North Yorkshire.

The Elstead, Surrey, athlete also became the first Briton to win a lead World Cup medal for 28 years at the Ratho World Cup in 2022.

Roberts said his father, Tristian, who is also his coach, “always 100% trusts me”, adding he is “forever grateful” to his parents “to have been there to allow me to achieve my dream”.

Roberts, who spent the pandemic lockdown training on a wall in his back garden, used to climb with Craggy Island Youth Climbing Team, now part of the Spider Climbing Group.

The Blue Spider Climbing team, based in Guildford, said it is “incredible” that the “really talented” climber had won gold.

After securing his gold, Roberts celebrated by finding and hugging his family – including his sisters Katie and Emma, his mother Marina and his father.

Shauna Coxsey, who became Team GB’s first sport climber ahead of Tokyo, called Roberts an “absolute legend” and told of having tears pouring down her face as she watched him take gold.

Ms Coxsey said: “Toby Roberts, what an absolute legend. His tenacity, grit and determination is second to none.

“I’ve never known anyone fight as hard on a wall as Toby does, and he is such a deserved winner.”