Johnson-Thompson shares heptathlon bronze in dramatic conclusion

Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson captured an emotional fourth global heptathlon medal in unprecedented circumstances as she shared world bronze with American Taliyah Brooks in a dramatic concluding 800m in Tokyo.

Competing at the stadium where she suffered Olympic heartbreak four years ago, Johnson-Thompson, 32, did not know how to react as she continued her late-career resurgence by making a third consecutive major podium.

Needing to beat Brooks by about six seconds to leapfrog her rival on to the podium, Johnson-Thompson wore a puzzled look as it was confirmed they had finished on exactly the same points.

But the tears began to flow when her name - and Brooks' - appeared lit up in bronze on the big screen, tied on 6,581 points to become the first heptathletes to split a world medal.

American Anna Hall claimed a breakthrough world title triumph and Ireland's Kate O'Connor held on for a historic silver, after three-time Olympic champion Nafi Thiam withdrew from the competition when ranked eighth earlier on Saturday.

While Johnson-Thompson insisted she was not looking for redemption on her return to the Japanese capital, where her Games were cruelly ended by a torn calf during the 200m, the significance of her achievements since remains inextricably linked to the journey it has taken to get there.

At her lowest moment, Johnson-Thompson feared her career was over. Little more than three years have passed since nights like this could not have felt further away.

She has completed a remarkable turnaround since, regaining her world title in Budapest in 2023 before ending her long wait for a first Olympic medal at Paris 2024.

Armed here with the freedom with which that journey back to the top has gifted her, she was able to once again celebrate medal success at her seventh World Championships - although not in a scenario she could have ever envisaged.

No stranger to close finishes, Johnson-Thompson was just 36 points away from gold at last summer's Olympics - equating to roughly a two-second difference in the 800m.

Following a relative underperformance in the javelin, where her best of 41.91m ranked 16th overall, she was aware her fortunes would once again come down to the finest margins in the two-lap finale.

With O'Connor's superb javelin personal best of 53.06m ensuring the silver was hers to lose behind runaway leader Hall, Brooks became Johnson-Thompson's priority - aware she had the superior personal best by 8.5 seconds.

Although she succeeded in distancing her rival in the closing stages, clocking two minutes 07.38 seconds, Brooks set up a tense wait after holding on to cross the line 5.39 seconds later.

And so while Hall and O'Connor could begin their celebrations, Brooks and Johnson-Thompson were initially left shrugging their shoulders - before both were eventually awarded the prize they ultimately sought.

"You can see the emotions have kicked in. I don't think I've ever seen it where the scores are the same. The relief she must feel must be so huge," four-time global heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill said on BBC TV.

"We all knew she would come and fight in the 800m. She will always push herself out of her comfort zone. She fought and that's what you want, you want every athlete to come out here and perform and that's what Katarina always does."

Hall topped the standings with 6,888 points, ahead of O'Connor who won Ireland's first global outdoor medal in the multi-event with 6,714.