Johnson-Thompson ready to win World Championships medal

Katarina Johnson-Thompson was second in the 200m hurdles at the Great City Games, with Jessica Ennis-Hill third in the 100m hurdles

Katarina Johnson-Thompson says she would be disappointed not to win her first World Athletics Championships medal in Beijing later this year.

The 22-year-old Briton is the current heptathlon world number one and took European indoor gold in March.

"I feel ready now as an athlete to take on these challenges. I think I'll be disappointed if I don't come away with a medal," she told BBC Sport.

"I should be able to - not like when I was 19 just going for the experience."

Johnson-Thompson, though, will miss this weekend's first big heptathlon event of the season in Gotzis, Austria, due to the effects of a knee injury she picked up in winning the European title in Prague.

And she says caution is important with the World Championships in August - especially since a foot injury curtailed her 2014 season, causing her to miss both the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

"Last season I had such a good start winning Gotzis and then it fizzled out and I couldn't get to any major championships," she said.

"So me and my coach want to take this year slowly. The World Championships are at the end of August so there's plenty of time.

"I'm fully recovered now. I'm back into full training and trying to get fit for Beijing. This year I've got to make that my main focus.

Johnson-Thompson will build up to the event in China with outings in the long jump at the British Championships and the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games, both in July.

So, missing the Gotzis meet means athletics fans will have to wait, most likely until Beijing, to see Johnson-Thompson compete against the returning Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill in a full heptathlon.

But the Liverpudlian does not subscribe to any notion that Ennis-Hill's challenge will provide her with extra motivation.

"Jess says she's taking it slowly with the Rio Olympics in mind so it'll be interesting to see what she puts together in Gotzis," she said.

"The heptathlon's so strong at the minute and it can only be good for the sport.

"But, in the heptathlon you very much have to concentrate on yourself. I've got seven events and I have to make sure I'm the best prepared for each - that's all you can do."

The Anniversary Games take place in the former Olympic Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 24 July-26 July. For more information visit britishathletics.org.uk