Katarina Johnson-Thompson storms past heptathlon field on Götzis day one

After the confession, the procession. On the eve of the prestigious Hypo-Meeting here, Katarina Johnson-Thompson revealed that she suffered from impostor syndrome and hated being the centre of attention.

So what did she do? Only produce a series of hypnotic displays to blast 177 points clear of a world-class field after the first day.

Related: Katarina Johnson-Thompson: ‘I don’t know what it’ll take not to feel like an impostor’

In heptathlon terms that is a chasm, the equivalent of a champion thoroughbred racing 20 lengths clear going into the final straight. Not only was Johnson-Thompson’s points tally of 4,034 her second-highest opening day score, but it was achieved despite the weather gods becoming increasingly grumpy.

She said that after impressive efforts in the 100m hurdles and high jump, along with a solid enough shot put, she had started to dream of a massive score. But as the temperatures plummeted and the wind and rain turned increasingly bitter she found it impossible to turn her legs over at high speed in the 200m, the final event of the day.

“I didn’t know what I was capable of, so I’m pleased,” she said. “After a couple of performances you start to dream, but unfortunately the 200m punctured my score a little bit. I am disappointed with that because I felt like I was on for something.”

It was clear that Johnson-Thompson was on for a good day when she equalled her personal best in the first event, the 100m hurdles, not even brushing a hurdle as she flew home in 13.29sec. That put her sixth and a brilliant 1.95m clearance in the high jump – 12cm better than anyone else – established a thumping 112-point lead over the American Erica Bougard.

Then came Johnson-Thompson’s bete noire: the shot put. Beforehand she had revealed she was reverting back to an old technique, which had not been battle-tested in competition since the 2016 Rio Olympics. It showed in her two attempts, neither of which went past the 12-metre marker. But with the pressure on, Johnson-Thompson found a 12.95m throw – 19cm below her personal best – to ensure she kept on the front foot.

She was also the fastest in the 200m, but her time of 23.21sec was half a second slower than her PB. Even so, she remains far ahead of the Americans Kendell Williams (3,857) and Bougard (3,809), in second and third, and the German Carolin Schäfer, the world silver medallist, who is fourth on 3765. Unless Johnson-Thompson fouls three times in the long jump the question is not whether she will win but by how much.

However, there was wretched luck for the other Briton in the field, Niamh Emerson, who was forced to retire after two events when a long-term knee injury flared up.

The 20-year-old is regarded as the next in the production line of great British heptathlon talent having won bronze at the Commonwealth Games and European Indoors and looked in shape when running her second quickest 100m hurdles time.

A high jump clearance of 1.83m then put her into sixth – only for her troublesome right knee to play up when making a second attempt at 1.86m. “I don’t know what happened,” she said. “I took off and my knee just didn’t like it. It was just really painful and I can’t put any weight on it.”

Emerson, who was hoping to get the 6,300 qualifying score for the world championships, will now fly back to the UK for a scan. “We don’t have a clue how serious it is,” she said. “But I am fortunate that it is a long season and I can attempt the standard later.”