Jessica Ennis of Great Britain smiles after competing in the Women's Heptathlon 200m on Day 7 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 3, 2012 (© Getty Images)
The last event of the women’s Heptathlon day one went almost exactly as expected. Jessica Ennis recorded the second personal best in four events clocking 22.83 in the 200m in the fastest heat in second place with the same time given to winner Dafne Schippers (NED).
Ennis now has a huge lead of 182 points having gathered 4158p during the first day and is 45 points ahead of her 6906p personal best series in Götzis earlier this season and this means that with a good day two, 7000p is still within her grasp.
Lithuanian Austra Skujyte, who was in the lead after three events and had won the previous two events, was close to her usual standard clocking 25.43 and has 3974p for the second place.
The Lithuanian is still going for her second career Olympic medal, but the second day challenge will be fierce as there are up to ten athletes reaching for the two medals behind Jessica Ennis at this stage.
Jessica Zelinka (CAN) is one of these clocking a good 23.32 personal best in the 200m for 3903p and third place after four events. The standings after day one give a good idea about the tightness as athletes in places 3 to 6 are just within a mere four points and there will be new names rising up during the second day of the competition.
2011 World champion Tatyana Chernova did not impress during day one which she closed with a 23.67 200m race, but she is still not that far away either and an usual day two will bring her up to silver medal position in the end.
European Champion Ida Antoinette Nana Djimou of France again lost a few points in the last event, but is still very close to the medals having run 24.72 in the 200m. Russia’s Kristina Savitskaya is right there with the Frenchwoman too as she set a personal best 24.46 and is good during the second day of competition.
Germans Jennifer Oeser and Lilli Schwarzkopf ran season’s bests 24.39 and 24.77 respectively and are close to the medals too with Lyudmyla Yosypenko (UKR), who equalled her personal best 23.68 in the 200m.
American 2008 Olympics silver medallist Hyleas Fountain returned to her level with a 23.64 season’s best winning the second fastest heat, but the Shot Put made her life difficult and she has a real challenge trying to repeat her medal feat from Beijing.
The same goes for the reigning champion Nataliya Dobrynska of Ukraine, who also fell behind in the Shot Put. She ran a season’s best 24.69 at 200m, but the second day will not be enough to get her a medal this time unless something dramatic happens.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Ennis now has a huge lead of 182 points having gathered 4158p during the first day and is 45 points ahead of her 6906p personal best series in Götzis earlier this season and this means that with a good day two, 7000p is still within her grasp.
Lithuanian Austra Skujyte, who was in the lead after three events and had won the previous two events, was close to her usual standard clocking 25.43 and has 3974p for the second place.
The Lithuanian is still going for her second career Olympic medal, but the second day challenge will be fierce as there are up to ten athletes reaching for the two medals behind Jessica Ennis at this stage.
Jessica Zelinka (CAN) is one of these clocking a good 23.32 personal best in the 200m for 3903p and third place after four events. The standings after day one give a good idea about the tightness as athletes in places 3 to 6 are just within a mere four points and there will be new names rising up during the second day of the competition.
2011 World champion Tatyana Chernova did not impress during day one which she closed with a 23.67 200m race, but she is still not that far away either and an usual day two will bring her up to silver medal position in the end.
European Champion Ida Antoinette Nana Djimou of France again lost a few points in the last event, but is still very close to the medals having run 24.72 in the 200m. Russia’s Kristina Savitskaya is right there with the Frenchwoman too as she set a personal best 24.46 and is good during the second day of competition.
Germans Jennifer Oeser and Lilli Schwarzkopf ran season’s bests 24.39 and 24.77 respectively and are close to the medals too with Lyudmyla Yosypenko (UKR), who equalled her personal best 23.68 in the 200m.
American 2008 Olympics silver medallist Hyleas Fountain returned to her level with a 23.64 season’s best winning the second fastest heat, but the Shot Put made her life difficult and she has a real challenge trying to repeat her medal feat from Beijing.
The same goes for the reigning champion Nataliya Dobrynska of Ukraine, who also fell behind in the Shot Put. She ran a season’s best 24.69 at 200m, but the second day will not be enough to get her a medal this time unless something dramatic happens.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
