Presenter and former Commonwealth Games gymnast Gabby Logan believes that Katarina Johnson-Thompson has what it takes to successfully defend her heptathlon title in Birmingham.
The 29-year-old fended off competition from Nina Schultz and Niamh Emerson to win the gold medal on the Gold Coast four years ago - pushing herself through the pain barrier in the process - before taking the 2019 World Championship title.
Johnson-Thompson's Olympic dreams ended in bitter fashion in Tokyo, though, as the Brit suffered a torn calf muscle during the 200m portion of the heptathlon, as well as attempting to battle back from her ruptured Achilles from 2020.
The reigning Commonwealth Games champion could only place seventh at the Gotzis meeting in Austria during her long-awaited comeback two months ago, but she nevertheless elected to try to defend her world title in Oregon.
Johnson-Thompson failed to finish on the podium earlier this month, with a total of 6222 points only enough for eighth place, but Logan sees no reason why the 2019 world champion cannot storm to Commonwealth glory if her body allows.
© Reuters
"She's such a big name in the sport. She will potentially come off trying to defend her world title as well, she may or may not be still the world champion," Logan told Sports Mole.
"As a heptathlete it's brutal on the body, it's not so much her age, it's just the amount of hours on the clock, which goes back to 2012 – we saw her as a teenager at London and she's now had a decade of performing in these competitions.
"She knows that there's not another decade left. I would see from the outside somebody who is looking to get the best out of themselves in as many stages as she can going forwards. She knows that she should try to enjoy and take on those opportunities.
"If Kat's fit and she's had a good stage of training, she can win the Commonwealth Games. If she's a bit below par and she doesn't she'll be disappointed, but what I love is that she puts herself out there all the time and she doesn't shy away from competition. She's definitely somebody who draws in the crowds as well."
Logan - who represented Wales in rhythmic gymnastics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland - will be at the forefront of the BBC's coverage for the upcoming Games, which will be hosted in England for the first time since Manchester 2002.
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Logan was memorably called out by Usain Bolt over a tongue-in-cheek comment about the Jamaican world record holder skipping the individual events to partake in the 4x100m relay.
"I heard somebody say they're enjoying the games without [Yohan] Blake and me. She knows who I'm talking to, she said it yesterday in the press box!" Bolt jokingly told BBC Sport in the arena.
Recalling that memorable interaction, Logan said: "That was unexpected, and it meant he was watching our coverage! He was referring back to something that I'd said the night before – I got a bit of a ribbing off my colleagues for that!"
The 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony takes place on July 28, and the tournament will end with the closing ceremony on August 8.
Follow the Commonwealth Games across BBC TV, radio and online from 28 July
Ben Knapton
