Jessica Ennis of Great Britain & Northern Ireland on her way to securing the first World Championship title for her country at the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin (© Getty Images)
Jessica Ennis crowned her evening winning the 800m, the last event of the Heptathlon in 2 minutes 12.22 seconds to score a personal best and world leading 6731 total points for the gold medal. The Sheffield born and based athlete lead the competition from start to finish to win with a clear margin of 260 points.
The 23-year-old started the 800m with a fast 61-second lap and seemed to fade with 200m to go but still held on to the lead until the finish line. Ennis, who was fourth in Osaka two years ago also became the first Brit to win the Heptathlon. Countrywoman Denise Lewis got the silver medal in 1997 and 1999 with Kelly Sotherton winning the bronze in 2007. The Briton added 144 points to her personal best 6587 from earlier this season.
Behind the leader the fight for the two dimmer medals was fierce. German Jennifer Oeser looked to be going for a clear second place before falling at the end of the first lap of 800m competition. But the German picked herself up quickly catching the others and went on to record a fine 2:14.34 result despite falling down. 25-year-old Oeser set a personal best 6493 points to capture the silver medal before a delighted home crowd.
Ukraine’s Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska made every effort trying to catch Polish Kamila Chudzik for the bronze medal, but the Pole kept her cool and was close enough in the final event to secure bronze to Poland. Chudzik set a season’s best 6471 points missing her 2008 personal best 6494 by just 23p. This was also Poland’s first ever medal in a World Championships Heptathlon. Dobrynska ran a good 800m in 2:13.22 to finish in fourth place having scored 6444 points.
Ukraine also occupied places five and six in the competition with Lyudmyla Yosypenko setting a personal best 6416 for fifth place and Hanna Melnychenko taking sixth with 6414 points. Antoinette Nana Dijmou of France set a personal best 6323 for the seventh place with Olympic bronze medallist Tatyana Chernova (RUS) in eighth place this time having scored 6288 total points.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
The 23-year-old started the 800m with a fast 61-second lap and seemed to fade with 200m to go but still held on to the lead until the finish line. Ennis, who was fourth in Osaka two years ago also became the first Brit to win the Heptathlon. Countrywoman Denise Lewis got the silver medal in 1997 and 1999 with Kelly Sotherton winning the bronze in 2007. The Briton added 144 points to her personal best 6587 from earlier this season.
Behind the leader the fight for the two dimmer medals was fierce. German Jennifer Oeser looked to be going for a clear second place before falling at the end of the first lap of 800m competition. But the German picked herself up quickly catching the others and went on to record a fine 2:14.34 result despite falling down. 25-year-old Oeser set a personal best 6493 points to capture the silver medal before a delighted home crowd.
Ukraine’s Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska made every effort trying to catch Polish Kamila Chudzik for the bronze medal, but the Pole kept her cool and was close enough in the final event to secure bronze to Poland. Chudzik set a season’s best 6471 points missing her 2008 personal best 6494 by just 23p. This was also Poland’s first ever medal in a World Championships Heptathlon. Dobrynska ran a good 800m in 2:13.22 to finish in fourth place having scored 6444 points.
Ukraine also occupied places five and six in the competition with Lyudmyla Yosypenko setting a personal best 6416 for fifth place and Hanna Melnychenko taking sixth with 6414 points. Antoinette Nana Dijmou of France set a personal best 6323 for the seventh place with Olympic bronze medallist Tatyana Chernova (RUS) in eighth place this time having scored 6288 total points.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
