Athletics: Strong start for Ennis’ comeback

May 11, 2024

Jessica Ennis has made a very encouraging comeback to the heptathlon at the Multistars IAAF Combined Events Challenge in Desenzano del Garda in Italy.

At the end of day one (Saturday), she led the competition and was well on course for the UKA “A” World Championships qualifying standard of 6100 with a running total of 4003, the highest ever first day score by a British heptathlete.

In the day’s opening event, the 100m hurdles she was just 0.01 outside her PB when clocking 12.98secs (+0.7m/s), she followed up with a 1.90m clearance in the high jump, narrowly failing at 1.93m. Next came the shot, where she produced a solid 13.19m. In the day’s final event, the 200m, she clocked 23.49secs to place her in strong position going into day two, where she has the long jump, javelin and 800m to come.

Afterwards, Ennis said: “I am really, really pleased with how today went. I haven’t completed a full heptathlon since Osaka (2007 World Championships) and then I had the injury last year, so it’s been a while.

“I was feeling anxious and really unsure of how I would perform and wondered if my performances would be a little down on what they had been previously. But I was just slightly outside my best for the hurdles, which gave me a real boost and after that I started to feel a lot better.

“To get a first day personal best is really pleasing. I just want to keep it going now and make sure I get the World Championship qualifier and if everything goes to plan, I might just get a PB.”

Desenzano del Garda is witnessing Ennis’ first heptathlon since she was forced to withdraw at the midway point from a meeting in Gotzis, Austria last year with a foot injury that subsequently ruled her out of last year’s Beijing Olympic Games, where she would have been expected to challenge for a medal after finishing 4^th in the heptathlon at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.

Following a full rehabilitation programme - overseen by UKA - she returned to competition during the indoor season in January in a series of low-key competitions where she has shown glimpses of the form that took her to the brink of the World Championships podium two years ago.

Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

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