Katarina Johnson-Thompson: World champion changed coach to boost Paris 2024 hopes

Johnson-Thompson won her first global outdoor title in Doha in 2019

Katarina Johnson-Thompson says she changed coach right before her world title defence to give her the best chance of success at the 2024 Olympics.

But just months after relocating to Florida, the world champion, 29, split from Petros Kyprianou this June as it "just wasn't working for me out there".

"Looking ahead to Paris [2024], I wanted to make these decisions sooner rather than later," she said.

Valcin helped Johnson-Thompson win world gold in Doha in 2019 and she has now returned to the UK to work with Aston Moore, who has coached her before when previous coaches were unable to join her at certain events.

She added: "I made the decision to come back home and move forward without Petros, which is a shame.

"Ultimately, I have to do what's right for me and I believe this is what it is.

"It ended amicably. That's why I didn't really want to get into it and cause unnecessary headlines."

As well as adjusting to a new coach before this year's world championships in the USA, which start on Friday, 15 July, Johnson-Thompson is still returning to full fitness after various injury problems over the last 18 months.

She recovered from a ruptured Achilles to make last year's Tokyo Olympics, only to see her dream of a first Olympic medal ended by a calf injury in the 200m.

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Johnson-Thompson registered her third-lowest heptathlon score in Gotzis in May (6,174), although it was her first full heptathlon since becoming world champion with a British record of 6,981 in October 2019.

This year's world championships take place in Eugene, Oregon, with the heptathlon starting on Sunday and two-time Olympic champion Nafi Thiam looking to reclaim the title the Belgian won in 2017.

"Going into Doha, I felt like I was in the best shape of my life, I was consistently putting things together in training and in competition," said Johnson-Thompson.

"I did have confidence in my ability go in there and win but at the same time I was in the mindset of 'what will be, will be'.

"Whatever score came out, I knew I was in good shape and I was going to put a good score out but I didn't really care about what medal I took.

"Right now, it's been shifted in the fact I have a new coach. Different points are taking priority right now, I feel like it's definitely a different mindset, but it doesn't mean that I can't get a good score out.

"Success is something that is individual to each person and success for me would be getting a good score out this summer, doing the two championships and being proud of what I've put out. I'm definitely in a different mindset."