HER talent unchallenged, it was only a matter of time for Katarina Johnson-Thompson as she relentlessly pursued a first major title in Prague yesterday.

Pentathlon gold at the European Indoor Championships was the primary objective and it was achieved with incredulous ease. Entering the concluding 800 metres, the world record became the secondary goal.

The 22-year-old Liverpudlian held nothing back in what became a solo quest for supremacy. She was agonisingly short, by less than a second. However her tally of 5000 points, 13 fewer than achieved by Russia's Nataliya Dobrynska in 2012, was the second-most of all-time and enough to remove Jessica Ennis-Hill from the top of the British list.

And yet, there can rarely have a more bereft figure atop a podium. She could hardly speak afterwards amid the tears. "I've been tearing my brains out the past couple of weeks, thinking I could get it," she whispered. "So to come so close, I'm disappointed."

Having given up ballet for athletics, Johnson-Thompson looks set to lead her rivals a merry dance for years to come. If not for a shot putt that was a rock among gems in her five-pronged assault, her eventual mark might have surged even further.

In the 60 metres hurdles, she ran 8.18 seconds to lower her personal best for the third time in as many weeks. Her high jump of 1.95 metres was just shy of her recent British record, as was a long jump effort of 6.89m that, to inject some perspective, would have claimed individual gold at this event in six of its last seven editions. And then, 2:12.78 in her ultimate assault. All were ahead of the field.

She was last in the shot with a best of 12.32, but still close to her furthest ever. If she can find gains there and in the javelin, her weakest discipline outdoors, Olympic and world heptathlon titles over the next 18 months will be hers to lose. "I'm happy to come away with my first major championship gold," she added, without huge conviction. "I've never done that before. So I can take the positives."

Rather than the soon-to-return Ennis-Hill, it may be Johnson-Thompson's compatriot Morgan Lake who might emerge as her likeliest foe. The 17-year-old world junior champion was ninth in her senior bow on 4527 points. "I was only a few points away from the junior world record so I can't be too disappointed," she said.

It capped a fine second day for the British team with Lucy Hatton taking 60m hurdles silver and team-mate Serita Solomon bronze behind Belarus' Alina Talay.

Laura Muir will chase a maiden crown of her own this evening in the 3000m final after tactically plotting safe passage through the semis with a cruise towards second place. The Perthshire prospect looked assured with a swagger that suggests she has converted last year's flaws into points of emphasis.

"I wanted to stay out of trouble and get through with one of those automatic spots and that's what I did," she said. "I pretty much controlled that race quite well. I think it shows a bit of confidence and I'm looking forward to the final."

Guy Learmonth eased into this afternoon's 800m semi-finals with victory in his heat although Glasgow Caledonian student James Bowness missed out. "Based on where I'm ranked I should be in the final," Learmonth said. "The semi will be a new race and even quicker. But I'm ready for it."

Kirsten McAslan will turn her attention to tomorrow's 4x400 relay after narrowly missing the individual final with fourth spot in her semi. Elsewhere today, Chris O'Hare goes in the 1500n semi-finals with Allan Smith opening his challenge in the high jump.