Thompson out of Commonwealth Games
Katarina Johnson-Thompson has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games due to an undisclosed injury, impacting the heptathlon competition. Her absence increases the medal prospects for Northern Ireland's Kate O'Connor.
Why it matters
The withdrawal of a high-profile Olympic medalist significantly alters the competitive landscape of a major international sporting event.
Kate O'Connor's main rival for the heptathlon gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, England's Katarina Johnson-Thompson, has pulled due to an undisclosed injury.
The 33-year-old 2024 Olympic Games silver medallist is hopeful she will be fit to compete in next month's European Championships in Birmingham. She has been replaced by Niamh Emerson.
Johnson-Thompson's absence further increases O'Connor's chances of delivering for Northern Ireland at the Games, which holds its opening ceremony tonight.
Newry native O'Connor took silver behind Johnson-Thompson in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
While Johnson-Thompson made the podium at the Paris Games two years ago, O'Connor was 14th overall, but she has since kicked on spectacularly.
In 2025, she won pentathlon bronze at the European Indoors, pentathlon silver at the World Indoors, heptathlon gold at the World University Games and then heptathlon silver in Tokyo at the World Championships, where Johnson-Thompson shared bronze.
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