Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson trails leader Nafissatou Thiam by 143 points after two events of the heptathlon at the European Athletics Championships in Rome.

World champion Johnson-Thompson ran 13.66 seconds in opening event the 100m hurdles and finished seventh in her heat.

The 31-year-old then registered the joint-second best of 1.83m in the high jump, along with compatriot Jade O’Dowda, to lie fourth overall.

Olympic champion Thiam leads the event after running 13.74s in the 100m hurdles and then leapfrogging to the top of the standings with an impressive 1.95m in the high jump.

Thiam has 2,186 points, with fellow Belgian Noor Vidts second on 2,078, Italy’s Sveva Gerevini third on 2,050 and Johnson-Thompson on 2,043 along with Croatia’s Jana Koscak.

O’Dowda, 24, who ran 13.70s in the 100m hurdles, made four consecutive clearances at the third attempt on the way to clearing 1.83m in the high jump and is in sixth place overall on 2,037 points.

The shot put and 200m take place in the evening session on Friday, with the long jump, javelin and 800m being held on Saturday.

Britain’s Jemma Reekie ran four minutes 6.68 seconds to win her heat in the women’s 1500m.

She progresses through to Sunday’s final, along with compatriots Georgia Bell (4:12.01) and Katie Snowden (4:12.17), who were second and third respectively in their heat.

Lawrence Okoye will contest Friday’s men’s discus final after qualifying in sixth overall with a 63.62m throw.

British team captain Elliot Giles (1:46.44) and Thomas Randolph (1:45.58) qualified for the men’s 800m semi-finals, which take place on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Jacob Fincham-Dukes jumped 8.18m to secure his place in the men’s long jump final, and Lizzie Bird reached the women’s 3000m steeplechase final after placing fourth in her heat in 9:32.87.