Jessica Ennis wins heptathlon gold
Jessica Ennis won the heptathlon in the Olympic Stadium on Saturday night, but this was more than a welcome first gold medal around the neck of a British track and field athlete.
It was a dazzling performance by the 26 year-old from Sheffield, a show-stopper more than worthy of all the attention showered on the unofficial Face of the Games in the run-up to London 2012.
Fittingly, for someone who had inspired so much love and affection in people across the country, her moment of glory came at prime time on a Saturday night. We already knew she had a winning smile. Now we saw her as a supreme athlete, beating the world.
Ennis was in the lead going into the last event of seven in the heptathlon, the 800 metres. Experts were predicting victory and she even allowed herself to contemplate breaking the barrier of 7.000 points. “I’ve got to run two minutes five seconds to do that and it’s a tough time but I’ll see what I’ve got in my legs and I’ll go for it” – she said.
Jessica Ennis.
Britain’s gold medal heptathlon hero Jess Ennis has ruled out any chance of appearing in the individual 100 metres hurdles at London 2012.
Ennis had entered herself for the event, which have heats on Monday and a final on Tuesday, in case she had any problems in the heptathlon.
But, after sparking off a British gold medal hat-trick in the Olympic Stadium on Saturday night, Ennis is ready for a break.
“Right now I’m just going to enjoy this moment for as long as I possibly can, spend some time with my family and then have a break and relax” – the 26-year-old told BBC Breakfast.
“It’s being a long build-up and it’s been stressful.
“I did think about it (entering the 100m hurdles) especially when I ran a personal best in the hurdles.
“But for me it was just about the heptathlon. I’m more than happy with that and I think I just need to rest now.”
Ennis started with a record in the hurdles and finished it off almost 36 hours later with an 800-meter run that was more like two victory laps of the packed, 80.000-seat Olympic Stadium.
Ennis went into the last of her seven events with a lead of 188 points over Austra Skujyte of Lithuania and extended her margin by winning the last race in 2 minutes, 8,65 seconds.
She posted a total of 6.955 points, a British record. World champion Tatyana Chernova of Russia (a strong second-day performer) initially was classified in second place and Lyudmyla Yosypenko of Ukraine was third but the results were later changed after a protest.
Lilli Schwarzkopf of Germany was promoted to silver with 6.649 points and Chernova was demoted to third place, still with 6.628 points.
Yosypenko of Ukraine finished fourth with 6.618.
Schwarzkopf finished in fourth place in the 800 but was initially disqualified for running outside her lane. She was reinstated following a protest before a counter-protest from the Ukrainian team was rejected.
The capacity crowd went wild as Ennis collapsed over the line. She sobbed at the end, then carried a Union flag around the track.