European Athletics – (EAA) – News – Ennis targets 7000 points barrier

It is a cold winter's morning in Sheffield, England, the glitz and drama of an Olympic Games seems like a world away and rain is in the air.

That scenario could be one that Jessica Ennis finds herself in on many occasions in the next few months but on the horizon is a challenge that will drive her through the chilly temperatures.

Ennis has an Olympic gold medal in her bag after winning the heptathlon on home soil at London 2012. She is also a World and European champion but she has now found a new target.

The British multi-eventer is determined to break the 7000 points barrier and join an elite group.

Only three women have achieved this mark before: American Jackie Joyner-Kersee, with her world record of 7291 from 1988; Sweden's Carolina Kluft with 7032 from 2007; and Larisa Turchinskaya, the Russian who recorded 7007 points in 1989.

The top two marks both came during major championships, with Joyner-Kersee setting her total at the Olympic Games in Seoul and Kluft securing her best at the World Championships in Osaka.

Ennis was no different in raising the level of her performance even higher on the biggest stage when she broke her British record with 6955 to win gold in London.

But now there is this new challenge to take into 2013 where she is likely to compete in the heptathlon at least twice – at Gotzis in May and at the World Championships in Moscow in August.

Ennis is fifth on the all-time list behind Germany's Sabine Braun's 6985, but she is chasing more.

"Your motivation levels are very different (after the Olympics)," said Ennis. "It's just getting back into it and looking forward to the next championship.

"The World Championships are going to be the main focus for next year, preparing and being where I need to be.

"I'm still 26, I've got time to achieve a bit more, and it's about re-setting your goals.

"Now the Olympic thing has been achieved, that's a great position to be in but I have to look forward to trying to get my title back at the Worlds next year and looking forward to 7000 points, just setting yourself new goals."

So where will Ennis look to achieve those extra points?

It is the second day of the competition that could make the difference in her pursuit of 7000.

At the Olympics in London, she ended the opening day with 4158 points, her highest ever for the first four events.

She could not have asked for a better start when she broke the British record for the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.54, improving her own best time by 0.25 before fine performances followed in the high jump, shot put and 200m.

The opening two events of the second day, the long jump and the javelin, could be the areas where Ennis can score greater points to reach that 7000.

In 2009, her long jump best was 6.43m, which in the three summers since she has beaten with bests of 6.51m in all those years while since 2008 her javelin has improved by over four metres, from 43.08m to 47.49m.

A few more metres in that or the odd centimetre or two into the sand, and Ennis' next big landmark is likely to have been achieved.

Not a bad thought when you are trying to keep warm during a training session in November or December.

 

European Athletics – (EAA) –  News