Jessica Ennis: Unbelievable - From My Childhood Dreams to Winning Olympic Gold (21 page)

– Jessica’s 12.54s set at the Olympics was the best performance in the world in a heptathlon event. She also holds the United Kingdom best performances in a heptathlon in the high jump (1.95m), 200 metres (22.83s).

– Jessica’s best marks in a heptathlon are 12.54s (100mh), 1.95 (HJ), 14.67 (SP), 22.83 (200m), 6.54w/6.51 (LJ), 47.49 (JT), 2:07.81 (800m).

– If Jessica achieved personal bests in all her heptathlon events her score would be 7138 points (with windy LJ/indoor SP).

– The average of Jessica’s top 10 heptathlons is 6710 pts.

– Jessica finished runner up in the 2007 IAAF World Combined Events Challenge and in the same year won the European Athletic Association Rising Star Award.

– As of 1 October 2012 Jessica ranks number 5 on the World All Time Ranking behind:

Jackie Joyner-Kersee (7291p)

Carolina Klüft (7032p)

Larisa Turchinskaya (7007p)

Sabine Braun (6985p).

Top left:
Proud new mum Alison with baby Jess.

Top right:
Daddy’s girl.

Middle right:
My Spice Girls moves.

Above:
Me and little sister Carmel in Grandma and Grandad’s garden.

Left:
Teenage kicks – doing the hurdles at Don Valley in 2000.

Right:
Mick makes his point – an early javelin session with Mick Hill ahead of the English Schools competition in 2000.

Royal approval – Prince Andrew presents me with my English Schools high-jump medal in 2000.

The Champ Mk I. My European Juniors gold medal in 2005.

Above:
Up and over down under – I celebrate jumping 1.91m at the 2006 commonwealth Games in Melbourne, my first senior international competition.

Left:
Awaiting the 800m results with Kelly Sotherton in Melbourne.

Making the step up – I get the bronze with Kylie Wheeler (left) and Kelly at the Commonwealth Games, 2006.

All those bribes pay off – with Grandad and my bronze medal.

‘This will be you one day.’ The great Carolina Klüft has a kind word as she celebrates winning the world title in 2007.

During the first event of the first day (with Jessica Zelinka) in Götzis in 2008 I was blissfully unaware that my life was about to derail.