Jessica Ennis Claims Gold at the 2010 European Athletics Championships
Heptathlon athlete Jessica Ennis claimed a sweeping victory at the 800m to earn Great Britain another gold in the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, Spain. The champion ran an impressive 2 minutes 10.18 seconds to defiantly leave her biggest rival, Ukrainian's Nataliya Dobrynska, in second place at 2min 12.30 secs. Ennis now sits at a record of 6,823 points in the championship, and at 24 years of age, has already cemented herself among the favourites for Britain's 2012 Summer Olympics.
Close Victory and New Record
A dominating force in all areas of her sport, Ennis performed spectacularly in long jump, javelin, and the 800m run with Olympic champion Dobrynska in hot pursuit. According to BBC Sport, Ennis stated, “It's been nerve-wracking having all the athletes on my heels. It feels so good to win again. I had to raise my game, and I'm so proud to come out on top again. Before the 800m I just wanted to win and I have! I'm so made up.” Dobrynska provoked a hefty challenge after her successful long jump score of 6.56m in the second round, overshadowing Ennis' 6.28m, 6.41m and 6.43m jumps, and closed in the tally with her 49.25m javelin score over Ennis' 46.71m. With the interval on the score sheet reduced, it was crucial for Ennis to win the 800m. Harnessing the pressure into pure adrenaline, the youth did just that – breaking Swede Carolina Kluft's personal best score at the 2006 championships. Though still unable to beat fellow Briton Denise Lewis' record, the prospects for Ennis are hopeful and already building up hype. Ennis states, “There's a lot of pressure and expectation but I'm so happy with myself how I dealt with it.”
Staying Focused
Taking that talent and guiding it in preparation for the Summer Olympics will be a tricky task, and BBC commentator Michael Johnson, a former champion himself, stresses the importance of remaining poised and focused. “You've got to keep everything together,” he insists. “What she'll have to do is take it one step at a time and now focus on next year's World Championships, not get too ahead of herself and have those goals in between now and 2012. It will be a phenomenal opportunity for her to participate in an Olympic Games on home soil, when it's all coming right, when she's at the peak of her career. She's doing everything right at this point. She's got a very level head, she knows what she wants, she's a very focused individual.” Already hailed as Britain's “Golden Girl,” Ennis' patience and performance under pressure will only continue to be tested more vigorously as the 2012 games near. But the Sheffield native, having succeeded in this extremely competitive environment thus far, gives sports fans and critics alike the entitlement to feel proud and hopeful of the new champion.
Current Standings
Ennis' Gold, along with male sprinter Mo Farah's equally dramatic victory in the 5,000m and 10,000m runs, place Britain second in the standings with six gold, six silver, and four bronze. Russia continues to lead with eight gold, six silver, and seven bronze, and France and Germany take third and fourth places, respectively. With eleven more events to go, Britain has a chance to take themselves to the top of the table, a staunch preparation for the highly-anticipated games coming to London in two years.
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