21-year-old Thiam took a commanding lead after superb scores in the long-jump and javelin events, leaving Ennis-Hill needing to record a new personal best in the final 800m event to stand any chance of overhauling her.
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Ennis-Hill was aware she had probably left herself with too much to do heading into the 800 metres.
Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson got their bids for Olympic heptathlon gold off to flying starts in Rio on Friday. “But I’m really proud”. It was not quite as quick as her performance at the world championships in Beijing previous year, but it was good enough to score 1,053 points.
“I’ve just got to make a decision as to whether this is my last heptathlon or not”, the London 2012 champion said afterwards as she tried, unsuccessfully, to hold back the tears.
She said: “I’m really pleased with my hurdles, high jump as well, but shot put I’m devastated”.
Thiam emerged as a serious gold medal threat with a leading leap of 6.58m (1033 points), with Ennis-Hill staying in contention with a jump of 6.34m (956 points).
Adam Gemili, sprinter and captain of Great Britain’s athletics team in Rio, tweeted: “What a roller coaster two days that was”.
Thompson-Johnson also faces questions about her ability to perform at key moments after her three foul jumps in the long jump cost her the chance of winning world heptathlon gold in Beijing previous year.
“It’s insane!” said Thiam. I wasn’t expecting that. “I guess my life is going to change, I am still at university so maybe I have a decision to make!” “It didn’t feel great out there, I felt a bit sluggish”, he said. “But with the physio we did a lot of work and it worked”.
Despite finishing sixth overall in the final event, Canada’s Brianne Thiesen-Eaton secured bronze with a 0.97 victory over her rival. She opened with 36.36m, some way off her PB of 42.01m from 2015, and couldn’t improve.
“I feel in a much better place than previous year”, she says.
Elsewhere Michael Rimmer made it through to the 800m semi-finals as he placed third in his heat with a time of 1:45.99 for automatic qualification but Elliot Giles will not join Rimmer as he faded in the closing stages and crossed the line in seventh place in 1:47.88.
Ennis-Hill, who gave birth to her son Reggie two years ago, is looking to defend the crown she won in such memorable fashion at London 2012.
“She would have been better off doing a standing throw”, said exasperated 2000 Olympic champion Denise Lewis in commentary for the BBC.
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Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou was fourth with a 10.86 PB, while world 200m champ Dafne Schippers of Netherlands was fifth with 10.90 as the top seven went sub-11 seconds. But her gutsy display wasn’t quite enough.
