Katarina Johnson-Thompson earned her third World Championship medal with a hard-fought bronze following a dramatic conclusion to the heptathlon in Tokyo.

The two-time champion came into the final event, the 800m, needing to beat USA’s Taliyah Brooks by 5.8 seconds to claim outright bronze and remarkably managed a 5.79-second margin, meaning the two athletes finished level on 6581 points and shared bronze.

Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool) started the day with a 6.42m leap in the long jump and threw 41.91m in the javelin to set up the grandstand finish.

The achievement was an emotional one for the Liverpudlian, who was forced to withdraw from the Olympic heptathlon at the same stadium at Tokyo 2020 through injury.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is a three-time World medallist 🥇🥇🥉#WCHTokyo25 #NovunaGBNI #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/lYJEV8gUnZ

— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) September 20, 2025

“I have done this so many times and it doesn’t get any easier,” she said. “If anything, I had the least confidence coming into this. It really does mean the world to me.

“I have been through it in this stadium, the minute I stepped inside earlier in the week, I just started sobbing as the memories came back. I can’t put into words the full circle moment I have just been through.”

Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham and Essex Beagles) finished eighth with a personal best score of 6391 points after an excellent Saturday. A new PB of 46.20m in the javelin was sandwiched between season’s best displays in the long jump (6.49m) and 800m (2:14.18).

Abigail Pawlett (Ashley Bryant, Trafford) recorded 5.98m in the long jump before withdrawing with two events remaining, with the 23-year-old suffering from the effects of her fall in the 100m hurdles on Friday.

In the men’s 800m final, Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax Harriers) delivered a personal best time of 1:42.29 to finish sixth.

Burgin was among a trio to set the pace on the opening lap but found himself crowded out down the home straight as Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi won gold in a Championship record time of 1:41.86.

“I have been finishing well, running fast times so if anything, sixth is a bit of a disappointment compared to where I’ve been finishing in the Diamond Leagues this season – but not a disaster. It was a good time, it was a decent race,” Burgin said.

In the women’s 5000m final, a fine performance from Hannah Nuttall (Helen Clitheroe, Wells City) saw her come home eighth in 15.01:25.

“I came into this race and realistically said I would like to be top eight, but there was no part of me actually thought that I would be top eight,” she said.

“I can’t believe that I’ve actually done that. It was hard two days ago to be top eight in the heat, so to then be eighth in the final is incredible. I’m so happy.”

There were mixed fortunes in the relays, with two quartets making it through to the final and two missing out.

The women’s 4x100m quartet of Dina Asher-Smith (Blackheath & Bromley), Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester), Desiree Henry (Linford Christie, Enfield & Haringey) and Daryll Neita (Lance Brauman, Cambridge Harriers) finished third in their heat in 41.88 to seal a place in Sunday’s showpiece.

The Novuna Great Britain & Northern Ireland team will also have representation in the men’s 4x400m final, with Lee Thompson (John Henson, Sheffield & Dearne), Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Pheonix), Seamus Derbyshire (Nick Dakin, City of Stoke) and Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester) joining forces to come home third in 2:58.11.

The women’s 4x400m squad were unable to advance. Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham and Essex Beagles), Poppy Malik (Grant Baker, Harrow), Nicole Yeargin (Gregory Sholars, Pitreavie) and Yemi Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) finished eighth in their heat in 3:25.84.

The men’s 4x100m quartet also saw their progress ended in the heats after a DNF following a mix-up at the final changeover between Jona Efoloko and Eugene Amo-Dadzie.

Tomorrow’s last day features Final action for Morgan Lake in the high jump, Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter-Bell in the 800m and George Mills in the men’s 5000m as well as the 4x100m women and 4x400m men.

Follow this link for the latest results and action from Tokyo 2025.