Ennis sets sights on European title
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Your support makes all the difference.For Jessica Ennis, the homecoming parade continues. At Gateshead yesterday it was a run-out against some of the best in the world in the 100 metres hurdles in the British Grand Prix. Today it will be a civic reception in Sheffield for the 23-year-old who struck World Championship gold over the seven events of the heptathlon in Berlin two weeks ago.
As she signed off her golden summer with fifth place in 13.28sec – in a race won in 12.88sec by Brigitte Foster Hylton, the world champion high hurdler from Jamaica – Ennis (right) was already looking ahead to the challenge of 2010, and narrowing her sights on just the one major championship crown. It was in the Commonwealth Games heptathlon in Melbourne in 2006 that the South Yorkshirewoman first made the medal grade, taking bronze behind her English team-mate Kelly Sotherton and Australian Kylie Wheeler. It now seems likely that she will miss the 2010 Games in New Delhi next October and concentrate her efforts on the European Championships in Barcelona in July
"I'm leaning towards the Europeans at the moment," Ennis said yesterday. "With the heptathlon, you can't compete in everything. It would be very hard to peak in July and again in October." And, with the Olympic Games of 2012 looming on the horizon, it would be unwise of Ennis to risk overextending herself – especially having recovered from the triple stress fracture that ruled her out of the Olympics last year to scale a world champion peak in Berlin.
Phillips Idowu was Britain's other gold medallist in the German capital and the Belgrave Harrier was in winning form yesterday, claiming victory in the triple jump with 17.32m. "That was a good way to celebrate," he said. "I just wanted to win today."
There was also a win for Lisa Dobriskey in the women's 1500m. Having claimed silver in Berlin and smashed through the four minutes barrier in Zurich last Friday, the Ashford woman continued her rich vein of form, leading with 180m to go and finishing clear in 4min 13.60sec.
Christine Ohurouogu also finished in the winner's enclosure, emerging victorious from the women's 400m in 50.94sec. And there was another fine performance from William Sharman in 110m hurdles. The former Gladiators timekeeper and classical pianist led for most of the way before being pipped off the final barrier by the Berlin bronze medallist, David Payne of the US. Sharman finished just 0.01sec behind in 13.61sec.
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