Olympic role = No Blogging

Between the months of June, July and August, there will be no blog additions to this site, due to my contractual obligations with LOCOG (London 2012), with whom I am working for this summer as an Olympic news wire reporter (athletics)...

Murray's Shock Breakthrough

WRITTEN FOR SKYSPORTS

After a whirlwind early season track campaign has propelled him to the cusp of Olympic selection, 1500m prodigy Ross Murray admits to being in a state of shock following a less-than-professional build-up to London 2012, writes Nicola Bamford.

The 21-year-old from Gateshead confessed to being so disillusioned with the sport last summer that he succumbed to the university stereotype of surrounding himself with parties and alcohol, causing him to gain 7kg in weight and lose his passion for athletics in the process.

But now – following an injury-free winter – the St Mary’s university undergraduate finds himself as a key contender for Team GB ahead of Augusts’ Olympic Games in the British capital, after speeding to a remarkable 3:34.66 clocking last weekend.

Guided by Craig Winrow, Murray – who has now improved from 3:43.51 since 2010 and from 3:40.34 in the space of just five weeks – revealed:

“This year has been a bit mental to be honest!

“At the start of the year, I didn't think I would run that quick - I thought maybe 3:36 at best so to run it on a cold windy day and win the race by five seconds was a bit of a shock!

“After that, I thought I would have a shot at running the Olympic ‘A’ standard but I wasn't exactly sure how quick I could go.”

Lucky

Opening his outdoor campaign with a solid 3:40.34 in Stretford at the end of April, Murray then went on to register his breakthrough 3:36.69 Olympic ‘B’ standard at the BMC Grand Prix in Manchester in mid-May, before unleashing a shock 3:34.76 clocking when finishing ninth against a top international field at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in Hengelo in the Netherlands just eight days
later.

Murray – who did not compete over the metric mile at all in 2011 – currently sits as second on the British rankings for the season behind World 5,000m champion Mo Farah (3:34.66) and in twenty-first position on the UK all-time senior list.

Now ranked as the fifth-fastest u23 of all-time, Murray explained the reasoning behind his sudden metamorphosis: 

“2011 wasn't a great year for me – I was training quite well early in the year but then I got ill and injured and it all fell to bits,” he said of the year in which he dabbled in the 5,000m event, resulting in a best of only 15:16.76.

“I was trying to live the university lifestyle as well as the athlete lifestyle and it just couldn't work.

“Once I got injured, I got very disillusioned with the sport and went off the rails for a bit - I was out partying way too much, drinking too much - I put on about 6/7kgs and wasn't sure if I wanted to get back involved in athletics.

“I was even organizing to go and work abroad in one of the club 18-30 resorts but luckily, things worked out and I feel like a very lucky boy right now.”

On the winter which saw him place ninth in the British universities cross-country championships and seventh in the UK indoor 3,000m championship final, Murray continued:

“My winter wasn't a perfect build-up - through September and October, I was still trying to build up into full training after my Achilles injury.

“I had a calf problem in November but by the end of December, I was almost at full training and since then, I've been lucky enough to get some consistent training in without too many issues.” 

Crazy

A sixth-place finisher at the 2009 European junior championships, Murray plans to next tackle either an 800m or another 1,500m competition before heading to the Olympic trials in Birmingham at the end of June, where he hopes to seal his place on the British Olympic squad.

Understandably excited about the prospect of making his Olympic debut on home turf, at a young age and on the back of such an eye-catching revival, Murray revealed:

“The main goal now is to just make that Olympic team - I'm not thinking much beyond that as I don't want to get ahead of myself.

“It has been a crazy year so far as it is so, I just want to take it all one step at a time, stay relaxed, keep having fun and hopefully things will go well.”

With a refreshingly laid-back attitude to his second chance in the sport, Murray – who is known for his love of pizza and admits to craving an appearance in reality TV show Geordie Shore – added:

“I love chilling in the beer garden with the boys and girls, relaxing and having fun - I think people can sometimes take sport too seriously, the main thing is to enjoy it - if you don't then what's the point!?”

Aiming for a top-two position in the trials next month, the 2011 UK 3,000m indoor silver-medalist continued:

“If I made the London Olympics, I would be absolutely buzzing!

“To step out in front of a home crowd would be something that may never be matched in your career again - I would just want to do myself, my family, my friends and the whole country proud!”

Sanya Chasing Missing Gold

WRITTEN FOR SKYSPORTS

Despite taking world indoor and outdoor gold over the past three seasons, 400m sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross will not be content with her illustrious track career until she claims the elusive Olympic crown in London this summer, writes Nicola Bamford.

The 27-year-old American has been among the top tier of global one-lap running for eight years now and having been stripped of her 4x400m relay victory from the 2004 Athens Games, due to a doping admission from team-mate Crystal Cox, Richards-Ross is eager to grab the top Olympic prize once more.

Guided by Clyde Hart - the man who coached world 400m record-holder, Michael Johnson to two Olympic quarter-mile glories – Richards-Ross started her 2012 campaign in fine form, winning the world indoor title with 50.79 in Turkey in March, before opening her outdoor season in Jamaica earlier this month.

Based in Texas for most of the year, she opened with an impressive 50.11 clocking and then went onto win the 200m at last weekend’s Great Manchester CityGames in 22.71 on the straightaway surface.

Speaking exclusively after the North-West event, Richards-Ross explained:

“It felt good – it was fun to run 200m on the straightaway and it didn’t seem that far so I had a great run today and I’m happy.

“I wanted to run under 23-seconds - my coach told me to be patient for the first 100m so I’m very satisfied as it was kind of cold and into a head-wind.

“It was a fantastic experience, I wish they had more events like this and in the States, where the fans can get really close to us and experience the great atmosphere – I had a great time and I definitely want to come back.”

Excited

Born in Kingston, Jamaica and a US citizen since 2002, Richards-Ross is relieved to be back to top form following a below-par summer last year due to a flare up of Behcets disease, a form of vasculitis which she now has under control.

Finishing seventh in the World outdoor Championship final in Daegu, South Korea, the 48.70 runner managed to salvage her 2011 with a gold medal-winning performance in the 4x400m relay final – both events which she won in the 2009 Berlin edition.

Next competing in Ostrava on Friday, Richards-Ross will then travel to Eugene for the Diamond League event in early June before aiming to seal her Olympic selection at the US trials late next month.

Confident of making her third consecutive Olympic appearance, Richards-Ross revealed:

“My health is the best it’s been for a long time – I feel like I’m past it now and my doctors have me on medication so I’m really happy that I’m physically healthy.

“I was really pleased with my indoor training – at the start of the year, I wasn’t sure if I was going to run indoors but my coach didn’t tweak my training too much and I ran great and I was happy to win my first World indoor title.

“Outdoor’s started off pretty well - I had a good race in Jamaica so I’m really excited as I’m in the best shape I’ve been in for a really long time – I’m healthy and I think it’s going to be a great year.”

An Edge

Married to NFL player Aaron Ross, the 2008 Olympic bronze-medallist and 4x400m champion from the Beijing Games has found an unusual distraction from the sport to keep the nerves and pressure at bay.

Owning and running a beauty salon in her home county, Richards-Ross explained:

“My sister and my mom and I run the business together and it’s one of my favourite pastimes when I’m not training.

“I really enjoy the business side of it and also fashion, hair and beauty and we started out own hair-line which has a range of luxury extensions so it’s really fun for me - I call myself a silent partner but I’m not really that silent,” she joked.

With constant globe-trotting commitments necessary in order to hone her craft ahead of the biggest competition of the year, family support is vital to her success, she continued:

“Aaron’s coach has given him time off to watch the Games and it will be his first time watching me in a major championship so I hope having him there will help give me an edge!”

Due to be based in Birmingham from mid-July in the Team USA preparation camp, Richards-Ross revealed:

“I’m so looking forward to feeling the energy and excitement beforehand, I just can’t wait – I think the Olympics will start at our training camp and then really build up from there.

“I’m focusing on the 400m as I’ve wanted to win the Olympic gold in that event for such a long time, which is so hard to accomplish, though I’m not sure if my coach will want to enter me in the 200m as well.

“The Olympic gold is the only thing missing from my resume so I really want to get that gold medal.

“Christine Ohuruogu will be one of my toughest challengers – she’s going to be competing on home soil, which I think will help her and Novlene Williams-Mills has started off the season really strong as well as Amantle Montsho who won the title last year so I think it’s one of the most exciting races at the Olympic Games.

“Anything less than the gold would be a disappointment for me because that’s what I train for - every sportsman wants to win, that’s why we train so hard.”

Helsinki a great opportunity for medals, believes former two-time European 4x400m relay champ, Baulch

WRITTEN FOR EUROPEAN ATHLETICS

Fourteen years on from collecting continental gold in the long relay with Great Britain and Northern Ireland team-mates Mark Hylton, Iwan Thomas and Mark Richardson, Welshman Jamie Baulch believes the new biennial format of the European Championships is a change for the better, writes Nicola Bamford.

The 38-year-old from Cardiff – who pipped Poland and Spain in the 1998 contest in Budapest and went on to retain the 4x400m crown in Munich four years later from Russia and France with compatriots Jared Deacon, Matt Elias and Daniel Caines – has fond memories of the event and explained:

“Championships are what we’re all after so generally it’s a good thing that the European’s is now every two years, as elite athletes have a short lifespan at the top so they want to get as many medals as they can.”

With the 2012 European event set to be staged in the Finnish capital of Helsinki between June 27th and July 1st fast-approaching, athletes across the continent are opening their seasons early to reach sharp mid-season form.

A winner of eleven major championship medals including the 1999 World indoor individual 400m gold from Japan and the 1996 Olympic relay silver in Atlanta, Baulch knows first-hand how a European title is not to be sniffed at:

“I have great memories of both occasions in my career,” he revealed.

“1998 was so special to me - I have fond memories of the track, the feeling of getting that gold medal and at the time, European 400m running was at its highest peak – we had such an amazing team and it was a tough race.

“I preferred Budapest to Munich as it was drizzling rain compared to the boiling heat of four years earlier.”

The holder of the British indoor record with a 45.39 clocking from the 1997 season, the father of two boys hung up his spikes in 2005 with an outdoor best of 44.57, which still ranks him as seventh on an illustrious British all-time list.

In 2010, Baulch and his team-mates were finally upgraded as the true 1997 World champions, a full thirteen years after the event, leaving the founder of Definitive Sports Management and the Jamie Baulch Academy with a bitter taste.

Keen to utilise his expertise on the global athletics circuit, Baulch manages the likes of World 400m hurdles champion Dai Greene and recalls watching his charge storm to European glory in the 2010 Barcelona event as one of his finest memories as an agent.

On his opinion of the event now only ten weeks way, Baulch explained:

“I think Helsinki will be a successful championship - lots of athletes will contest the 400m, just not the top British sprinters as they have to be a lot more selective this year, what with the home Games approaching and it also comes just a few days after the British Olympic trials. Helsinki’s a great place and it’s somewhere I can’t believe I haven’t been to before.”

Still running regularly – with a fine 3:51:44 clocking in the 2011 London Marathon to his name – Baulch will be seen on British television in July contesting ITV’s “Dancing on Ice – Going for Gold” celebrity competition alongside fellow British compatriots, four-time European 110m hurdles champion Colin Jackson and 1984 Olympic javelin champion Tessa Sanderson on the eve of the London Olympic Games.

Whether he can ice-skate as well as he can run and manage elite athletes remains to be seen...

Cathartic Return for Chambers

WRITTEN ON MAY 20

Having today competed in his first race on UK soil since hearing the news that his Olympic dream could still be alive, sprinter Dwain Chambers has declared his relief after receiving a positive reception from the British public and fans of the sport, writes Nicola Bamford.

The 34-year-old 100m specialist finished second in the 150m event at the annual Great Manchester CityGames behind two-time World 200m bronze-medallist Wallace Spearman of the USA in 15.27 to the victor’s 14.87, whilst British 150m record-holder Marlon Devonish was third with 15.37.

Admitting the racing experience on home turf left him with a feeling of relief, Chambers – who was recently declared fit to attempt qualification for this summer’s London Olympic Games following an original lifetime ban after a doping expansion dating back to 2003 – laid his emotions bare in a honest post-race stint with reporters: 

“Today was a great feeling – I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I was going to get and I got a good one so I’m happy,” he said.

“It was a lot of fun and a great atmosphere – being able to compete in front of a home crowd has been the missing piece in my puzzle for so long and having them so close was a great idea, so it was a nice experience.”

Clocking a 10.26 100m split during his exertions, the London-based runner continued:

“I’ll take that time - I’m in good shape and I’m better than the 10.52 (which he recorded in Puerto Rico last weekend) - dancing at the start was unusual for me yet it made it fun but I probably won’t do it next to (world 100m and 200m record-holder Usain) Bolt anytime!

“The crowd seemed genuine so I hope to continue to receive that kind of reception throughout the summer - I was scared beforehand to be honest.”

Optimistic

Comparing his days’ work to a somewhat cathartic experience, the father of two – with a 100m best of 9.97 from the 1999 season, where he took world 100m bronze - will face Bolt in Ostrava on Friday in a long-awaited return to the global international outdoor circuit.

A bronze medallist over 60m from March’s World indoor Championships in Turkey, Chambers explained:

“It will be a massive difference - the level of competition I’ve been running at for the last few years well, you’ve got to compete against the highest quality of athletes in order to be amongst the best.

“Now those opportunities are available to me, I’ve got to get my mind in a different mindset, going up against guys who are 9.8 runners and I haven’t been in that calibre for a long time.

“So I’ve got to make my mind sharp, get my moves quicker – the intensity increases, the pressure increases and your expectations increase as well - I’m looking forward to racing the fastest in the world more often now.”

Now working as an anti-drugs campaigner in schools in between his training, racing and travelling commitments, Chambers continued:

“I’m optimistic and happy but I can’t take for granted what I’ve had to endure because of my actions.

“It takes a bit of time (to digest and improve) – I had a lot of weight on my shoulders before so now that’s been lifted, I need to find something else to draw off and that’s what makes it difficult.”

Admitting that he has recently started seeing a sports psychologist in order to mentally recover from his Olympic fate upheaval, the UK indoor 60m and UK outdoor 100m champion revealed:

 “It’s definitely helping – I turned it down for a long time but boy, do I need it.

“I’ve taken it upon myself since I’ve been back (from training with former 100m world record-holder Asafa Powell in Jamaica) and it’s important for me – externally I look fine but internally it’s tough.

“I keep relaxed, socialising with the athletes and walking the streets to get a feel for how the public are with me but all those worries were put to one side once the crowd were cheering me on the start-line, it made it more relaxing for me to do my job.”

Special

Still ranked as the second-fastest British man of all-time, Chambers is understandably relieved to now have the chance to qualify for Team GB ahead of Augusts’ Olympic cauldron.

A former World and European indoor 60m champion, Chambers is unlikely to approach the form which saw him speed to a fourth-place finish in the 100m final in the 2004 Athens Games but he appears content at just having the opportunity to attend after missing the 2008 edition:

“A lot of people have said you must be over the moon but this is a road we’ve been travelling for nine years and I didn’t know what emotions I’ll be going through – it still hasn’t sunk in yet,” he explained.

“So for something to be going on for nine years, I can’t expect it to be normal after just two weeks – my kids haven’t got a clue what’s going on – they’re too young to understand but they’ve given me the boost to go out and perform.

“Today’s been a special day for me – I was nervous about the reception but it turned out really well - I’m just trying to get on with the athletes and do the best I can to perform.

“No chance did I ever think this time would come - it’s been hard mentally and I’m very grateful to have the chance to do my best in front of a home crowd – that’s something I’ve been waiting for a long time.

“I believe the momentum is definitely changing – my mind is at ease now – that’s one of the main things that was making it difficult to perform, you need a clear mind to perform but now I’ve got a free mind so I can concentrate on running and enjoy it.”

Assuming he qualifies for the British squad at the Olympic trials in Birmingham next month, Chambers – who was disqualified for a false-start in the semi-final stage of the World outdoor Championships last summer - continued:

“Once I can hopefully qualify for the team, that’s when it will all set in.

“I’m still on a rollercoaster, trying to find my feet and preparing for competitions I never expected to be in - now that I’ve got them, I’m enthusiastic, I’m feeling like a little kid again, I mean I’m 34!

“It’s nice to just be able to concentrate on one thing, running and I’d like my kids to come to watch in London – it will be a milestone in my career.”

Jackson Welcomes Invites

WRITTEN FOR SKYSPORTS

Enjoying a fresh batch of invitations to some of the top meetings across the globe, 800m runner Emma Jackson is relishing the new opportunities her pre-London form is attracting ahead of a potential Olympic debut, writes Nicola Bamford.

The 23-year-old Staffordshire runner has her eyes firmly set on a spot in Team GB for this summer’s Games in London and having already recorded two lifetime bests on the track, has got her 2012 campaign off to an impressive start.

Guided by Alan Morris in Stoke, Jackson opened her season in Doha earlier this month at the prestigious Diamond League event – her first invitation to such since a breakthrough year in 2011.

Storming to an eye-catching fifth place in a 1:59.37 personal best, Jackson now sits as eleventh the British all-time list and later went on to register a fine 4:11.54 clocking with victory at the Loughborough International last weekend:

“I'm thrilled to open my season with a PB and an Olympic ‘A’ Standard - it means that I don't have to chase the standard, just race the races and see what happens,” the 2007 European junior silver-medallist explained.

“It's such a good feeling to open with a PB - I knew I was training well but you never quite know how that will translate into a race until you get out there and do it.

“It (Doha) was a bit of a scary season opener but I think I perform best with a bit of fear in me sometimes! - If you ever need a kick up the backside in training, knowing you're going to be running against the best in the world is a good way to get it!

“My PB in Loughborough was nice as well - I didn't even feel like I'd raced at the end so I know there's a lot more to come there, it just proves to me that my endurance is better than ever and it gives me an extra confidence boost going into these next few races.”

Consistent

Having now broken the two-minute barrier on four occasions – the first in August last year – Jackson is excited in becoming a now regular feature on the top-tier international circuit.

Admitting that she sometimes has to pinch herself at such opportunities, the 2010 Commonwealth fourth-placer will next compete in Hengelo on Sunday and another Diamond League in Rome four days later.

“This year, I'm hoping to get more consistent around 1.59.00 and if I can  run closer to that and hopefully sneak under it, then I would be very happy,” Jackson revealed.

Mentored by 2004 double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, Jackson is surprised by her recent form due to giving spent much of the winter plagued by injuries:

“The winter was a bit of a disaster - I had a freak injury where I whacked my knee on my front door of my house and the resulting bone bruise meant I had six weeks of no running.

“It was so frustrating to injure myself that way and it lingered on and on and got to the point where the physio’s just told me to take painkillers and run through the pain, as it was literally just a bruise and I wasn't doing myself any harm.

“I pushed myself so hard trying to get back fit after the knee problem that I then strained my calf - it wasn't too bad but it meant another four weeks out when I'd already missed so much.

“I was so upset at the time but, unlike with my knee bruise, I could still aqua jog, bike and cross train with this injury - I spoke to Kelly as soon as I'd done it and she gave me some priceless advice on how to get the injury healed and how to stay fit, it worked wonders and somehow I came back fitter than before!”

Hunger

Having reached the semi-final stage of the World outdoor Championships in Daegu, South Korea last summer, the two-lap runner revealed how useful her first global senior championship experience had been:

“2011 was fantastic - going to the World’s definitely changed something inside me - it gave me a hunger to go to more and more of those major champs and I loved every second of Daegu.

“I also had a chance to go out on the European circuit quite a bit last year which was all fairly new to me - it was a real learning curve, going out to races abroad without Alan or my parents but I was fine and so I went out to Doha this year by myself.”

Determined to place inside the top two at next month’s Olympic trials in Birmingham, Jackson continued:

“My event is notoriously strong in Britain - I'm sure it will get very interesting as the season progresses and I know the trials will be tough whatever happens, so I just need to make sure I'm in the best shape I can be.”

Eager to make her Olympic debut in the British capital later this August, she explained:

“The Olympics are obviously at the forefront of everyone's mind all the time at the moment, though it's quite difficult in my event as there are currently four women with the 800m ‘A’ standard and only three places on the team.

“I want to be one of those three like you wouldn't believe but I've not let myself presume that I'm going to be one of them - I know I'm going to have to fight tooth and nail to get there and so I want to know I'm going to be there first before I start talking about my aims for the Olympics.

“I don't want to be an also-ran by any means but the trials come first and so I'm mainly focussing on them right now - I just don't want to get ahead of myself or get complacent and end up missing out.”

Hurdles Chaos for Jess

WRITTEN ON MAY 20TH

Olympic heptathlon gold medal contender, Jessica Ennis endured a rollercoaster ride of emotions after winning this afternoon’s 110m hurdles at the Great Manchester CityGames – her elation diluting to anger just minutes after her victory on the back of an unusual technical error, writes Nicola Bamford.

The 26-year-old Sheffield-based multi-eventer originally recorded an impressive 12.75 lifetime best along Deansgate’s temporary track earlier today, beating defending Olympic champion Dawn Harper of the USA (12.86) and her compatriot, world silver-medallist Danielle Carruthers (13.02) but just thirty minutes later, her excitement was cruelly turned into devastation as rumours of a missing hurdle turned out to be true.

Guided by Toni Minichello, the Yorkshire athlete – who’s previous sits at 12.79 from last August – was left visibly confused and frustrated at the incident, having previously revealed her delight at an excellent days’ work:

“I feel let down - I felt like it was a good race, I was running well and I was obviously coming through at the end - stick another hurdle on there it would have been the same outcome but ahhh, I’m so annoyed. What can I say?” she said in the aftermath of the hurdles chaos.  

“I’ve still had a good competitive race but I’ve just not got the result that I wanted - maybe I’ll have to save it for next weekend (in the combined events meeting in Gotzis) and check the number of hurdles, I’ll have to walk down the track and count.

“I can’t believe that - it’s a great event but that’s a massive, massive mess up. I was just talking to Dawn Harper and to me it didn’t feel any different but Gemma Bennett (fourth in 13.54) was saying she felt that it was a long run off, but you just run don’t you?

“You expect that all the hurdles will be out and everything’s the way it should be and you just run as fast as you can and get across the line and that’s what I did but unfortunately, it wasn’t set up right.”

Unacceptable

As Team GB’s poster girl for the Games, the reigning world indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon silver-medallist is understandably eager to have a trouble-free 2012 campaign and the misfortune in the north-west city ignited sincere apologies from the organisers.

UK Athletics – on behalf of their team of officials and race organisers, Nova International – issued a statement shortly after the confusion and disappointment:

“We can confirm that due to human error, only nine sets of hurdles rather than the required ten, were put on the track for the women’s 110m hurdles event this afternoon,” they said.

“We employ leading UKA officials to manage this vital element of the event on our behalf, and we will of course be investigating this unfortunate occurrence further with them.

“On behalf of all this staging the Great CityGames today, we would like to apologise for this unacceptable incident, and in particular to the athletes.”

Determined to use her frustration as fuel to motivate her to replicate her evident fine form, Ennis explained:

 “I do feel let down to be honest because it’s a great opportunity for me to come and race here and it was a great race - when you’re in the middle of a race, you don’t really notice -  obviously if it was set at the wrong distance you would, but I just didn’t notice.”

Heading to the annual Austrian meeting a few days from now to hone her Olympic preparation against her fiercest rivals for gold in London, she continued: 

“I’m going to go into next weekend giving it everything, I know I’m in good shape and I’m capable of running a good time but yeah, I am frustrated because it is just so annoying.

“I would love to run a time like that again and just get some really solid performances in, just make sure everything’s really consistent.”

Looking to go close to her personal best score of 6,823 from her victory in the 2010 European Championships Ennis divulged:

“More than anything I just want really solid performances, not for one event to really let me down – when you do PB’s and do a great performance, you do take a lot of confidence from that so I would love to do that as well.”

Engaged to be married next year, the British indoor pentathlon record-holder took many positives out of her city-centre race, in what has been an eye-catching season so far:

“It was a good race so I’m really pleased - training’s been going well and I’ve hurdled well indoors, so I knew it was going in the right direction.

“I don’t expect to come to these races and to win, I just really want to run close to my personal best, season best because it’s all about points to me at the end of the day so to actually come and win its brilliant.”

Focused

Despite the almost unheard of circumstances, the 2009 World heptathlon champion was generous in
her opinion of the event in general:

“I think people see today as quite a fun event which it is – I think it’s good preparation really, because it’s a different kind of environment - the crowds really close to you and everyone’s shouting your name and wanting pictures so it’s being able to deal with the and keep focused and concentrate on competing.

“It’s good practice and when you are at the start and everyone’s cheering for you, it’s a really nice feeling, it just helps bring that extra performance in you.”

Having faced devastation in the build-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, after fracturing her right foot in three places, Ennis is confident of reaching the Games in medal-winning form and still hasn’t ruled out doing a ‘heptathlon-hurdles’ double eleven weeks from now:

“I would love to do the hurdles there as well but I just really feel it’s too close (in the timetable) and I just want to keep really focused on the heptathlon.

“If there was the opportunity to do it I would, but I just think it’s too close this year - my name will be down in case anything happens.”

And as today proved, anything indeed really can happen in elite sport.