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This is not a redemption mission, according to Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

One of the worst experiences the 32-year-old has had was with her previous experiences in Tokyo.

She has since resurrected to levels that were once unattainable.

Johnson-Thompson’s Olympic heptathlon hopes were shattered by injury during the 200-meter race in a soulless stadium without spectators in the Japanese capital four years ago.

She has recovered and continued as she did when she did that day, and she now has a two-time world champion and silver medalist.

Johnson-Thompson stated on BBC Sport, “Potentially, it will be in my mind [perhaps in the 200m], but I don’t see it as a redemption story at all.”

“I now perceive my story as happy.” I’ve experienced a lot of lows.

Johnson-Thompson expressed her relief at receiving an Olympic silver that felt as good as gold at her fourth Games in Paris.

After Rio 2016, she realized her potential as a world champion when she won her first world gold in Doha three years later, feeling ready to give up when mentally exhausted.

She returned to the sport’s top with a second world gold two years after being physically broken in Tokyo and recovering from a career-threatening Achilles rupture in just eight months.

As Johnson-Thompson completed her rollercoaster ride to the Olympic podium, Johnson-Thompson was only two seconds away from winning the final 800m, but the final piece of the puzzle arrived.

She said, “I always come away from the Olympics with a lot of sadness,” which was odd because of it.

I had the medal to prove it, but I still felt depressed despite doing so this time.

“The journey is now very significant to me. The memories you make, and what you do, along the way. Because it was such a wonderful time, I believe I was just grieving as I prepared for the Paris Olympics.

I was so happy to see it come to fruition by believing in something. But now that it’s over, what will we do next?

Johnson-Thompson isn’t currently feeling her sense of purpose in the sport waning, and she’s ready to compete in her seventh World Championship, which she claims is her lucky number.

With both athletes aiming for a third world title, she will once again compete against Belgium’s three-time Olympian Nafi Thiam for global gold.

Anna Hall of America is also a contender for the gold medal. With 7, 032 points in June, the 24-year-old recorded the joint-second highest total ever, just behind only compatriot Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

It’s difficult for me to see anything else because athletics has always been my life, Johnson-Thompson said.

“If I’m competitive, I’ll keep going as long as I can.” If I’m not, I’ll probably say “it’s time to go” and I won’t enjoy it.

I never felt like I should retire [after the Olympics], despite the fact that by the time my 800-meter sessions were over, I would tell my coach, “This is the last time you’ll see me, I’m never doing this again.”

It hasn’t been the best year for Johnson-Thompson, who is coached by Aston Moore, with encouraging training periods that were interrupted by minor injuries.

Rival Thiam, by contrast, took 12 months to make her Olympic debut after the summer, but Johnson-Thompson insisted that “you can’t write Nafi off at any point, ever.”

It’s going to be a fierce competition, she continued, and it’s exciting that the heptathlon is quickly gaining steam, she continued.

Johnson-Thompson identified potential kinks in the athletes’ training for the Tokyo heptathlon after the curtain-raising 100m hurdles on Friday evening, where the athletes had been battling it out for three hours.

But she thinks that those demands will be comfortingly familiar in more ways than one.

It reminds me of the grassroots days when I used to play for Liverpool Harriers in transitional events.

It resembles the schedule at the World Championships in Doha, too.

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, a British Olympian, jumped out to the semi-finals of the women’s 800-meter race in Tokyo as a first-place finisher.

Hodgkinson is the gold-medal favorite despite having to wait 376 days to make a competitive return following last summer’s Games, where she set a world-leading time when she returned to action in August.

She came away with back-to-back victories in her only two pre-championship races in August after two hamstring tears.

The 23-year-old controlled her heat to reach Friday’s semi-finals, returning to the stadium where she won Olympic silver as a teenager four years ago.

Training partner Georgia Hunter Bell will accompany her there as they attempt to score a stunning British one-two.

“The rounds are awful, they feel awful, and I don’t like them.” I just wanted to be back inside the stadium very much. Hodgkinson told BBC Sport, “It’s so nice to be here.

Although it wasn’t particularly dominant or pretty, it’s nice to be safe through. It’s been a long week of waiting. Thank you for the 800-meter finish.

I once didn’t even know if I would be here; I’ve just been looking forward to leaving. It undoubtedly means a lot, and I’m hoping it will help me every step of the way.

Hodgkinson won her heat by more than five seconds, breaking her British record by one minute and 59.79 seconds.

Hunter Bell, an Olympic 1500m bronze medalist who switched to the shorter of the middle-distance events to compete for a second-place finish, also won, clocking in at 1: 58.82.

It felt like Christmas morning was getting out on track because we have been away in Japan for a while.

The decision to complete the 800-meter is wise. I think I have a lot of good things to show off; I have a high ranking, and this was the year to do it with my team-mate.

Kenya’s reigning champion Mary Moraa, Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, and Swiss Olympian Audrey Werro are all still in danger of winning gold medals.

American hurdles star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone almost broke a 40-year record by winning the women’s 400-meter final, where Great Britain’s Amber Anning placed fifth.

By breaking Sanya Richards-Ross’ United States record in the semi-finals, McLaughlin-Levrone, a two-time Olympic and world 400m hurdles champion, suggested that she could challenge German Marita Koch’s controversial 1985 record of 47.60 seconds.

The 26-year-old 400-meter hurdles record holder ran the fastest 400-meter flat time in history with a 47.78 in the wet conditions at Japan’s National Stadium.

Zharnel Hughes, Dina Asher-Smith, and Amy Hunt, all from Great Britain, made it to the 200-meter finals.

After missing the 100-meter final after winning bronze in 2023, Hughes moved up to the medal race, passing Noah Lyles, who had previously defending his title three times, in 19.95 seconds.

In his preferred event, Lyles delivered a powerful performance. The American did not ease up and completed the line in a world-leading time of 19.51, having already significantly positioned himself ahead of his semi-final opponent.

Shericka Jackson, who has twice defending champion 200m, entered with a personal best of 22.08 in their heat, joining Hunt in the women’s 200m final.

American 100-meter champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden came second in her heat, putting Dina Asher-Smith in second place.

Max Burgin will compete in the men’s 800-meter final on Saturday, but Ben Pattison, a 2023 bronze medalist, had to give up.

Cian McPhillips, Ireland’s Cian McPhillips, who had a remarkable win in a national record of 43.18, slipped Burgin, 23, to the top two spots.

In a race in which Marco Arop and Djamel Sedjati both won Olympic medals, Pattison was only able to finish fifth.

Hannah Nuttall placed seventh in her heat in 14:48.09, but Melissa Courtney-Bryant and Innes FitzGerald did not make the women’s 5, 000m final.

France vs. England in the women’s rugby world cup semi-final

Date: Saturday, September 20th Kick-off: 15:30 BST

A corner of this England team is forever Block 16 for Megan Jones.

“We had different housing choices, but we always gathered there on weekends, before, after, and between training sessions. The England center tells BBC Sport that this is where the special moments actually began.

“The same jokes that we tell today come from that place.”

You forget those occasions forever.

More than ten years ago, those times were. Jones was a teenager when he passed away.

However, many of the same players are still present when she travels from Block 16 to the final four of the Rugby World Cup.

The student housing at Hartpury College and University consists of Block 16.

And its women’s rugby academy is a talent center, welcoming 16-year-olds from all over the nation and playing Red Roses with stupendous frequency.

a very intense version of Harry Potter’s school, Hogwarts.

Jones’ contemporanes included Sarah Bern, Holly Aitchison, Zoe Aldcroft, Tatyana Heard, and Zoe Harrison.

The program included the participation of Ellie Kildunne, Hannah Botterman, Alex Matthews, Amy Cokayne, Abi Burton, Jade Shekells, Emma Sing, and May Campbell.

Many different players have walked into the Red Roses camp and explained their plans to the team, according to Aldcroft, England’s captain.

She says, “There are so many girls in the room who say, “I’m from Hartpury.”

“Those two years have added a lot to them.” You’re 16 years old, along with your classmates, and you’re also studying for a professional rugby team.

Danielle Waterman, England’s full-back, was appointed the year the program was launched in 2009 and will continue to lead it.

Waterman recalls losing to New Zealand in the 2010 Rugby World Cup final at the Stoop.

“I went over to my family’s seat to give my parents a hug, and I was completely devastated.”

“And Siobhan Longdon-Hughes, a young girl, was one of the first fans to make their way to the front of the line to see the players.”

She yelled “Nolli, Nolli!” You’re going to be my coach, I’ll see you next week, she said as I looked over.

When you recently reached the World Cup final, it’s being reminded of your new job if there’s anything that can be said about how you came back to life as a women’s rugby player back then.

Making sure the roughly 10 students from 50 to 60 trialists were the right people and the best players was one of Waterman’s most crucial tasks each year.

Waterman recalls that “there was always a lot of things that I would look at when making those calls.”

I would take the time to speak with the parents and inquire about their interactions with the girls.

If I didn’t believe the program was quite right for them or they weren’t quite ready for it, I would turn down very talented players.

Bern, who is now a vicious prop for England, was initially unable to appear in court due to a family holiday.

Because of her coaching Sarah at the regional level in the South East, I recall speaking to her father and telling him that I could talk to her father.

No, for me, I must meet each player because this is a unique program, I said. I therefore believed it was important even with a person of that caliber.

Once term began, Waterman was just as demanding.

Along with her academic work, her course would also cover nutrition, the gym, video analysis, media management, and psychology.

Tatyana Heard, England’s centre, says, “It is so beneficial to our journeys, but when you don’t realize it, you are just having a kickabout with your mates.”

It’s incredible to have that connection before you even enter the pitch, and then add the drive, determination, and value that are innate in us.

Diane Waterman taught us a lot about working hard, being a professional, and how, as she once said, “when you are tired, you are not tired.”

The training would begin early in the morning.

The gate would close and she would omit any latecomers from the session if any of Waterman’s young players didn’t reach the touchline by 6:30 am.

She said, “I lived in Gloucester, so I would travel to Hartpury and remove all the equipment before each session.”

You only need to walk 200 meters to get here, I told the girls, if I can be here and be there on time.

“I was pretty strict with them, but I think it’s because if you showed up late to an England session, you won’t be training or chosen.

I prefer that they spend time with me in that secure setting.

They needed a coach, a mentor, various facets of being a psychologist, and in some ways a little bit of a mother because they were that far away from home at the time.

I was frequently called “Mummy Nolli”! Not many people could leave a meeting with me without weeping a little bit, which was a bit of a joke.

“I think I was a person they could talk to and talk to about anything,” I believe.

It was serious. However, it was unavoidably silly as well.

One player recalls having their belongings cling film-covered, according to Waterman. One teammate replaced fake tan with fake tan, and another had their legs turn orange.

According to Jones, “it was the best time of my life.” It set us up for the moment because it was so crucial.

After three years in the role, Waterman, who had to work both as a player and as a teacher, resigned reluctantly.

In England’s 21-9 victory over Canada in the World Cup final, she scored the opening try nine months later.

She hopes to become the first England team to win the title since then in nine days with her former team.

They “deserve everything that comes their way because they are brilliant women,” Waterman said, adding that they are more so because they are brilliant women.

They are exactly what I want my son, as well as the rest of the country, to emulate. They are “mega”.

However, whether or not Waterman’s former pupils will pose with the trophy on September 27 will determine how much to her.

They are now in their adulthood or marriage, according to her, and years later there is a photo of them with their Hartpury friends.

They all have such special lifelong friendships, they say. That is one of the most important and important lessons I’ve learned from coaching them, not just their friendship, but also the friendships and fun they still have.

Sure enough, right? After all, there were only ten minutes left, and the Spaniards had survived a number of chances missed before coming up against them in a match where they were second best.

However, Liverpool, under the direction of Arne Slot, have a habit of delivering late goals.

This season, Liverpool have won all five of their competitive games by scoring late winners:

After 91 minutes, that is the standard time for Liverpool’s match-winning moments this season.

In matches that they won by a single goal in 2024-2005, 70 minutes was the typical time they scored the winning goal.

The run of late winners is markedly different from last year, when Liverpool only managed to score four stoppage-time goals in 48 matches in the Premier League and Champions League, with two of those goals coming at Brentford.

No rival Liverpool’s late winners are nearly as prolific as their rivals.

Slot, who took Jurgen Klopp’s place last summer, believes that Liverpool’s success depends largely on self-assurance and fitness.

He said on Wednesday that there will be games where we will go 2-0 up after six minutes, and then we will score a third without using stoppage time to find a late winner.

“We will need one in the last minute and won’t get it,” he added. However, we believe that we will always push. Additionally, how well rested and prepared we are to push one more time is another factor.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the late winner’s team was widely regarded as the masters.

Even though his old foe, Arsene Wenger, is not far behind, it shouldn’t surprise that Ferguson holds the record for most winning goals scored after the 81st minute.

In addition, Slot’s position at the top of the table for Premier League teams that have won the most goals in the 90th minute or later has increased.

The Reds have won the last two games of the season under a variety of circumstances.

They comfortably held on to Bournemouth and Atletico, built a two-goal lead, before wasting cheap goals and eventually resolving the issue by putting pressure on themselves.

They also wiped away a two-goal lead at 10-man Newcastle, but their late winner came against the flow of play.

And they struggled to create clear-cut chances against resolute defenses, ultimately coming out on top thanks to set-pieces against Arsenal and Burnley.

Then, there is no formula for how Liverpool are going to achieve these victories.

However, understanding how the goals have developed might provide some insight into why they are happening.

Since Klopp started working on a midfield overhaul for Liverpool in the summer of 2023, the squad has undergone significant changes. The 2022-23 first-team squad’s final season, which included nine players, is still in place.

A small group of senior players, including Salah, Van Dijk, Andy Robertson, and Alisson, have been the focus of the revitalized group.

More than half of Liverpool’s late-goal involvements were made by players who were 32.5 or older, despite the squad’s average age of 26.2.

The average age at which Liverpool’s late goals have been scored or assisted is 28.9, and it would be significantly higher (30.4) if it weren’t for Ngumoha, who is 17 years old.

Great Britain vs. Japan: Billie Jean King Cup 2025

Location: Shenzhen, China

With a 2-0 victory over Japan, ruthless Katie Boulter secured Great Britain’s spot in the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals.

In the second singles match, Boulter defeated Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-1, the nation’s top singles player in Shenzhen in the absence of Emma Raducanu.

Ena Shibahara’s 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory by Sonay Kartal had already given Anne Keothavong’s side the perfect start.

After falling in the final four times before, Great Britain will now face the United States on Saturday in an effort to resurrect their hopes of winning the women’s team tournament.

According to Boulter, “Sonay put in a clinical performance out there,” making it “very easy to follow.”

“We showed a lot of heart during the qualifying period earlier this year.” Another chance at a championship game.

Boulter never looked particularly vulnerable against Uchijima, who won 70% of first-serve points throughout.

Boulter reeled off the next three games to take the first set after the opening game’s fifth break.

With a break at the start of the second set, Boulter kept that momentum going, always featuring Uchijima in her aggressive play.

Since making her Wimbledon debut earlier this year, world number 82 Kartal has won all three of her BJK Cup matches. She reached the fourth round for the first time this summer.

Kartal won back-to-back breaks to lead Shibahara, but Kartal was unshakeable and in charge right away.

Shibahara initially appeared anxious, but when she won eight points in a row to reclaim her 4-3 lead, she quickly shifted her focus.

However, Kartal put a restraint behind her, putting an end to Shibahara’s run with a love that once more stung her rival. Kartal took advantage of the Japanese’s opening set by making errors in the service game.

Kartal had to dig deep to avoid a 4-4 break-point chance in the second set, which was much closer.

Kartal won the tie-break with a victory on her second match point despite being unable to break the obstinate Shibahara’s serve.

I knew it would not be easy in the slightest because their [Japan’s] entire team is extremely tough, Karatal said.