By Riath Al-samarrai for The Mail on Sunday
Published: 18:43 BST, 25 May 2019 | Updated: 19:55 BST, 25 May 2019
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Perhaps she was being a little harsh on herself. Having admitted upon arrival in Gotzis that she still feels like an 'impostor' at the highest level, Katarina Johnson-Thompson made a mockery of both her words and the field on Saturday at the Hypomeeting.
By the close, with four events down, she was a massive 177 points clear in a heptathlon that typically serves as the best indicator of who stands where going into the majors.
In the absence of Nafi Thiam, the Olympic champion, the picture was never going to be quite so detailed this year. And yet the numbers tell a promising tale of Johnson-Thompson's form four months out from the world championships, with her haul of 4034 points only 15 shy of her record for this stage of a competition.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson made a mockery of the field on Saturday at the Hypomeeting
If there was a mild disappointment it was in the day-ending 200m, which is usually a banker for the 26-year-old, but this time, in dropping temperatures and drizzle, she clocked 23.21sec, well down on her 22.79sec best.
Had the weather held, she would be a strong bet on Sunday to break the personal best of 6759 points that she set at the European Championships last year.
It could still be a close run thing, but that applies more to the pursuit of her own record rather than a second Gotzis title, which
