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HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS: Ennis

“I won’t be happy until I've won them all”

Jessica Ennis has her eyes set on European, World and Olympic glory in the next two years. The world heptathlon champion heads to the European Championships in Barcelona this week targeting a victory that she hopes will culminate in gold at the London 2012 Olympics.

“Within seconds of celebrating my world title at Berlin and hearing the national anthem, I was thinking about the world indoors,” said Ennis.

“Then the Europeans and, ultimately, the London Olympics. I won’t be happy until I've won them all.”

The world indoor heptathlon title came in Doha in March where she shattered the championship record set by Carolina Kluft and beat the Olympic champion, Nataliya Dobrynska, by 86 points.

Also trailing in her wake was bronze medallist Tatyana Chernova and American Hyleas Fountain, who set a national record in Doha.

“I’ve beaten them all now, here or in Berlin, and that’s the nicest thing – to come back this year and prove I’m not a one-hit wonder,” said Ennis.

“I believe in myself. I’m pretty greedy when it comes to titles and medals. I believe I can achieve it all.”

‘Achieving it all’ means opting out of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi this October. It is a move supported former Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis.

“Athletes are individuals, they have to make decisions for themselves,” Lewis told Sky Sports News.

“And Jessica in particular is thinking of that two-year cycle. She is thinking towards London 2012.”

Ennis’ aspirations dictate that she is now competing against the record books as much her opponents.

“[In Barcelona] I’ll have to go better than I did at the worlds and if I do I should score 100 points more than my best score, which would mean breaking Denise Lewis’ British record of 6,831 points.”

It is not a record Lewis herself envisages lasting much longer: “Records are made to be broken and while obviously I’m not going to be uncorking any champagne, it’s there for the taking.

“I even think Jess can go through the magical 7,000-point barrier.”

Such ambitions seemed a world away when Ennis missed out on the Beijing Olympics having suffered three stress fractures in her right foot, which sidelined her for 12 months.

“In hindsight, the injury was the best thing to have happened to me. It forced me to rest and to re-evaluate myself and it made me so hungry to grab every opportunity I could in my sport.”

Ennis – nicknamed ‘Tadpole’ – has been true to her word and is also set become a poster girl for the London Olympics with her talent, looks, and bright personality. She came third in the BBC’s 2009 Sports Personality of the Year award and was voted ‘Sports Woman of the Year’ at Cosmopolitan’s 2009 Ultimate Woman of the Year awards.

In May she became an ambassador for isotonic sports drink company Powerade until the end of 2012. Other endorsements are sure to follow as the Games approach.

Ennis has been at Team GB’s European Championship training camp in Portugal where she suffered an ear infection.

“I could have done without the ear problem,” she said. “But I don’t think any harm’s been done. I’ve just got to fine-tune a few things and I’ll be good and ready.”

Ennis is the favourite and it is something she has to get used to. “I still find it surreal that I'm world champion. A part of me believes I’m still doing the chasing when, in reality, I'm the one being chased now.”

Published: 28 July 2010
Issue: 0

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