Greg Rutherford demanded critics lay off Katarina Johnson-Thompson after her long jump collapse cost her a heptathlon medal at the World Championships in Beijing.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson began her quest for redemption after her heptathlon 'walk of shame' by comfortably qualifying for the long jump final at the athletics World Championship.

With just 198 days to go until the Rio Oympics, Katarina Johnson-Thompson has gold in her sights after being revealed as the face of paint company Dulux's Colour of the Year for 2016.

Johnson-Thompson believes she has the ability to beat Ennis-Hill and wants to fulfil her burgeoning potential with a gold medal in Rio next month.

The Muller Anniversary Games takes place at London's Olympic Stadium this weekend as some of the world's best athletes prepare for the start of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next month.

In June 2012 Katarina Johnson-Thompson scored a huge lifetime best in the heptathlon at a low-key meeting in Kladno in the Czech Republic to unexpectedly qualify for the London Olympics.

The first full day of Olympic action takes place on August 6. Sportsmail has put together a guide to the seven to follow throughout the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games in Brazil.

Team GB and Team USA already have a slew of medals under their belt, but as these adorable photographs show, each and every one of our Olympians had to start somewhere.

Sir Bradley Wiggins has become the most decorated British Olympian in history after winning his eighth individual medal, as part of the men's team pursuit squad.

DALEY THOMPSON: The achievement of Jessica Ennis-Hill in winning back-to-back medals in the Olympic heptathlon places her alongside the best British athletes in history.

It's HOT OR NOT time once again, as IAN LADYMAN runs the rule over the good and bad from the world of sport this week, including Glenn Hoddle, Gary Neville and Mark Cavendish.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson admits to a struggle learning French but says a new life in Montpellier and mentoring from Jessica Ennis-Hill could translate into gold-winning performances.

With the World Championships in London just around the corner, the excitement levels are slowly starting to build. WILL KELLEHER takes a look at the athletes that fans should watch out for.

Pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw declared herself 'heartbroken' after falling short in the final. Bradshaw needed to clear the bar at 4.75m on her final jump to stand a chance of a podium finish.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI AT THE LONDON STADIUM: Johnson-Thompson, there was a degree of redemption, considering it was this discipline that wrecked her chances in the heptathlon.

UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos has defended Britain's performance at the World Championship by claiming an athletics medal is the hardest prize to win in sport.

The 25-year-old is favourite for the pentathlon at the World Indoor Championships, which were getting under way on Thursday but has played down her chances of winning.

In the space of a pentathlon on Friday, Johnson-Thompson ran, jumped and threw her way out of the realm of perennial underachiever and into one reserved for world champions.

Here, Sportsmail's Riath Al-Samarrai athletics correspondent brings you eight athletes to watch throughout the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia's Gold Coast.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson insists she has no plans to switch away from heptathlon to jumping events - but has indicated she is open to contesting a decathlon before the close of her career.

For Katarina Johnson-Thompson, there was a hugely impressive silver medal after eventually losing her fascinating heptathlon tussle with the great Belgian, Nafi Thiam.

On the basis of her impressive performances in winning a European heptathlon silver medal in Berlin this week, the odds are finally shortening on her one day finding a way past Nafi Thiam.

Athletic stars Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith made the most of their post-season break by heading down the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson arrived in Austria with doubts in her mind and left on Sunday night having maybe implanted a few in someone else.

Before Jodie Comer played the ruthless assassin Villanelle in the hit show, she honed her skills in drama classes at the same Liverpool school attended as the indoor pentathlon champion.

Her haul of 4,138 points puts her 96 clear of the Olympic champion from Belgium, which is not unusual - the configuration of this event is such that she usually has the best of day one.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI IN DOHA: After all the squirming and falling and doubting and fouling, the Kat finally let herself out of the bag. The 26-year-old can now officially call herself the world's best.

The 26-year-old broke Jessica Ennis-Hill's British record to post 6,981 points and take the title at the World Championships on Thursday. She beat defending champion Nafi Thiam by 304 points.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI IN DOHA: There were tears before bedtime for Katarina Johnson-Thompson and a few more after breakfast on Friday morning.

Johnson-Thompson could break the 12-year-old European heptathlon record, according to the former champion who played a major role in the transformation of her career.

The heptathlete, 26, shared a sun-drenched snap of herself to Instagram on Monday posing on an idyllic sea swing.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: I'll tell you one that surprised me - it was a message from my language tutor,' says Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

EXCLUSIVE BY RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: The heated marketing row that casts a shadow over Team GB's preparations for the Tokyo Olympics is expected to be resolved next week.

There are three significant events in the 2021 athletics calendar, with the European Indoors on March 5-7 joined by the rescheduled World Indoors on March 19-21 and the Tokyo Olympics.

One Direction stars Niall Horan and Harry Styles were two of the celeb fans who posted heartfelt tributes to the star on social media as the news broke.

RAY CONNOLLY: Waking up to learn that Glenn Frey, who co-wrote and sang that song with the American group The Eagles, had died, there was much lamentation among rock music fans.

Legal documents reveal the 51-year-old was also named executor of his will, meaning she is in charge of distributing his personal effects as per his instruction.

In her complaint, Cindy Frey (nee Millican) accused Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan of negligence for failing to properly treat her late husband Glenn Frey's ulcerative colitis.

Adele showed she can nail any musical performance as she channelled her inner Nicki Minaj during a raucous rap performance in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Nicki Minaj smoldered in a new Instagram post this Thursday. The 36-year-old rapper showed off her cleavage in a busty colorful bodysuit and let her fur wrap slide off one shoulder.

Nicki Minaj dropped a music video for her new song Megatron, after promoting the track on social media for weeks.

Nicki Minaj has revealed she obtained a marriage license with her boyfriend, Kenneth Petty.

Nicki Minaj went on a very special dinner date to Red Lobster with Jimmy Fallon during a pre-taped segment of a live edition of The Tonight Show.

Nicky Minaj and Kaley Cuoco were just a few of the Los Angeles-based celebrities reacting on social media after a second Southern California earthquake struck in only two days.

Twelve years after the release of her first mixtape, Playtime is Over, Nicki Minaj is calling out artists and writers alike for what for not acknowledging her influence on hip hop music.

On Sunday, Nicki Minaj announced her new collaboration alongside luxury label Fendi in a new Instagram video. The rapper-turned-designer, 36, served a fierce look as she struck a few poses.

Nicki Minaj shared a new trailer for Angry Birds 2 that features more of her character than any other. She plays Pinky in the upcoming sequel, a bird who speaks in the English accent she's used before.

Nicki Minaj suggested she was pregnant and engaged to her boyfriend Kenneth Petty on a track released Friday. He's a registered sex offender and pleased guilty to manslaughter in 2006.

Nicki Minaj hit back at naysayers who have been slamming her for dating convicted felon Kenneth 'Zoo' Petty: 'How f***ing dare you talk about lowering standards.'

Nicki Minaj has obtained a marriage license with boyfriend Kenneth Petty.