Somewhere in the slew of congratulatory messages aimed at Katarina Johnson-Thompson after winning her first major gold medal was one from Jessica Ennis-Hill, whose British pentathlon record she had just broken. The Olympic heptathlon champion had earlier posted pictures of herself looking in superb shape as she prepares to make a comeback after the birth of son, Reggie. ‘Sad to see my record go but couldn’t have gone to a more deserving athlete,’ she said. ‘I know how you feel,’ replied Johnson-Thompson, addressing Morgan Lake, who had just broken Johnson-Thompson’s own British junior record. There is more love than loathing in this emerging three-way rivalry but it could be just what athletics needs to capture the interest of the British public. Katarina Johnson-Thompson won European Indoor pentathlon gold in Prague on Friday . ‘I heard that the Davis Cup tennis on the BBC got switched off to go to the athletics to watch my world record attempt, which is insane,’ said Johnson-Thompson. ‘It’s great for the sport and if heptathlon can be the driving force to get people watching athletics then it will be nothing but positive. The rivalry will be good in the summer with the Olympic champion coming back and hopefully me and Morgan coming through. It’s great.’ All three will meet for the first time in a heptathlon at the Hypo meeting in Gotzis in Austria at the end of May. The youngster collapsed to the floor in celebration after finishing the 800 metres . Fellow British pentathlete Morgan Lake looks on despondently after crashing out at 1.95m . For Lake, who is just 17 but better than both her illustrious compatriots were at the same age, it will be another step on her ascent to the senior ranks. But if Johnson-Thompson continues her meteoric rise and Ennis-Hill can come close to recapturing the form which saw her win gold at London 2012, their battle could be one of the most gripping in sport this year. Johnson-Thompson clearly sets herself high standards. Crestfallen after missing out on the pentathlon world record by 13 points, she burst into tears of despair. Coach Mike Holmes, mother Tracey and a host of Great Britain teammates were on hand to remind her she had become only the second woman in history to break 5,000 points in the pentathlon. Great Britain's Jessica Ennis poses with her gold medal at the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships . Johnson-Thompson shows off her pentathlon gold at the European Athletic Indoor Championships . Laying in her bed on Friday night, her body exhausted after what she deemed the most gruelling day of her career but mind unable to shut down, she ran through the day’s events. Perhaps, she mused, if the organisers had been kinder with the competition schedule she might have been able to recover better in time for her assault on the 800 metres, the final event. Or maybe if she had someone to push her in the 60m hurdles, she could have gone that split-second quicker. But her ambition should not be confused with arrogance. Johnson-Thompson, 22, claimed she would be in awe of Ennis Hill when they next compete. It will be the first time they have met since the London Olympics when she finished 15th, aged 19. Much has changed but even though she is now the world’s No1 heptathlete, Johnson-Thompson remains respectful of the elder stateswoman. Johnson-Thompson  celebrates gold in the Pentathlon at the 2015 European Athletics Indoor Championships . ‘I’m in awe of any Olympic champion,’ she said. ‘She’s one of the people who inspired me to be a heptathlete and I’ve seen her do it from a young age. It’s strange that I’m now breaking her records but she’s the Olympic champion and she’s got the British record outdoors. There’s a big difference between the heptathlon and pentathlon. I don’t know what would make me consider me her equal. I don’t like all the talk about it.’ Johnson-Thompson has been wary of setting targets in the past but admitted a medal in Beijing and gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016 were on her radar. ‘I didn’t imagine three years ago that I would be in this situation,’ she said. ‘It has come quicker than I expected. I’ll try to win in Rio, but I will be in my prime for Tokyo in 2020.’ The only problem is that by then Lake may be snapping at her heels.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson scooped pentathlon gold in Prague . She brokes Jessica Ennis-Hill's British pentathlon record in the process . Ennis-Hill said her record could not have gone to a more deserving athlete . All three will meet for the first time in a heptathlon in Austria in May .