Katarina Johnson-Thompson suffers Olympics injury scare after pulling out of the heptathlon at the European Championships... as British star refuses to 'risk' issues ahead of Paris

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Katarina Johnson-Thompson suffered an Olympic injury scare last night after pulling out midway through the heptathlon at the European Championships.

The world champion had been well below her best on the opening day of action here in Rome and was languishing in ninth place after three events – 318 points behind leader Nafi Thiam.

With her chances of winning a first European title already looking slim, Johnson-Thompson then withdrew from the remainder of the competition citing a ‘niggle’, a concerning development with less than two months to go until the Paris Olympics.

‘Kat has developed a small niggle in her right leg,’ revealed her coach Aston Moore. ‘In light of the proximity of the Olympic Games, we have chosen to bank what we have learned from this first day of competition and withdraw from the heptathlon.

‘We don’t want to risk losing any time from training, which could be the result if she was to carry competing with it for another day.’

Katarina Johnson-Thompson withdrew from the heptathlon at the European Championships

Her coach revealed that she 'developed a small niggle in her right leg' during the competition

Johnson-Thompson has been plagued with injury issues in her career and was also forced to withdraw halfway through the heptathlon at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, pulling up in the 200 metres with a calf problem.

The Brit bounced back to win her second world title in Budapest last August and had managed to stay fit so far this season. But Johnson-Thompson’s problems resurfaced yesterday in what was her first heptathlon of the year.

Even if her latest injury proves not to be too serious, she will at the very least now go into Paris undercooked, throwing her dreams of winning a first Olympic gold into doubt.

Johnson-Thompson was off the pace from the start of the day in Rome, finishing seventh in her 100m hurdles heat in a time of 13.66sec.

The 31-year-old then registered 1.83m in the high jump, which was well down on the clearance of 1.95m by fit-again double Olympic champion Thiam, who looked in ominous form.

In the evening session, Johnson-Thompson could only muster 12.44m in the shot put – 85cm down on the personal best she set indoors in Birmingham in February.

The world champion had been well below her best on the opening day of action in Rome

Then, 30 minutes before she was due to run in the 200m, news came through that she would not take part.

Fellow British heptathlete Jade O'Dowda, who finished the day in ninth, said: ‘I wasn’t aware she had a problem but that’s the sport I suppose. Fingers crossed. Hopefully she’s fine.’

Earlier in the evening, CJ Ujah made his first international appearance since his failed drugs test cost Team GB an Olympic 4x100m silver medal in Tokyo in 2021.

The 30-year-old, who returned from his 22-month doping ban last year, was only called up for Rome as an injury replacement on Thursday.

Meanwhile, CJ Ujah made his first international appearance since his failed drugs test cost Team GB an Olympic 4x100m silver medal in Tokyo in 2021

But Ujah won his 100m heat last night in 10.23sec to progress to Saturday night’s semi-finals, where Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs will also be in action.

‘I was told I would be first reserve so I was on standby, it wasn’t a problem,’ said Ujah. ‘It was just about getting over the nerves and getting the first run out.

‘I haven’t been at this level for a long time in terms of championships, so it was definitely good to get out there.’

Meanwhile, Ireland won their first European gold medal since Sonia O’Sullivan’s 5,000m and 10,000m double in 1998 when they stormed to victory in the mixed 4x400m relay, with Britain finishing fifth.