Katarina Johnson-Thompson's bid for a European Championship medal got off to a difficult start on Friday, hampered by a drone crash and an underwhelming performance across the opening disciplines.
The 33-year-old British athlete found herself in 15th place after three events, struggling to regain peak race sharpness following a recent calf injury that sidelined her from the Commonwealth Games.
The competition experienced surreal scenes when a camera drone, attempting to fly under the hurdles, lost its bearings and collided with one of the barriers during the 100m hurdles. The incident caused a delay to the event.
When the race finally commenced, Johnson-Thompson finished in 14 seconds, her slowest performance in a major championship in 14 years. She improved her standing in the high jump, clearing 1.83 meters to move up to 10th, but a disappointing shot put performance of 12.79 meters saw her drop four places.
Poland's Adrianna Sulek-Schubert currently leads the heptathlon, followed by Ireland's Kate O'Connor.
In separate comments, World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe addressed concerns about low attendance at the Birmingham championships, amid London's bid to host the 2029 World Championships. The Alexander Stadium, with a 23,000 capacity, has seen some sessions with less than half its seats filled. Coe suggested that past successes, such as the 2012 London Olympics and the 2017 World Championships, as well as a sold-out Diamond League event, would be highlighted in London's bid presentation. "It's always a challenge starting a championship on a Monday morning," Coe stated.