Ennis-Hill led after the 100m hurdles and lost it to compatriot Katarina Johnson-Thompson after the Liverpudlian set a new British record in the high jump.
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“That’s inevitable, the older ones have to move on and call it a day and the younger ones come through and the sport continues”.
The 21-year-old Belgian claimed five personal bests over the seven events and her javelin in the penultimate discipline meant Ennis-Hill went into the final 800m knowing the game was up.
Meanwhile, Ennis-Hill went into the overnight break with a 75-point lead on Thiam after posting 23.49s (1030 points).
Jessica needed 9.47 seconds to gain the coveted gold medal, and despite beating Thiam by 7.47 seconds, she needed just an extra two seconds to win.
“I have to make a decision as to whether this is my last heptathlon or not but I’m so proud of what I have achieved over the last few years. I don’t want to cry on TV but these years have been unbelievable so just really proud”.
But with a ruptured tendon and heavily-strapped elbow, Thiam launched a monster effort out to 53.13m (921 points) to leave her with a huge advantage going into the final event. Late nights, then packing up, eating and preparing for the next day, she said she was working on between 4-5 hours’ sleep for the final day of the heptathlon.
“I know that Kat’s got so much more”. It’s been a while since I had any alcohol’.
But it will be far harder for Ennis than it was back then, when she was able to treat the 800m nearly as two laps of honour.
Motherhood had changed everything, she said.
Asked directly whether Rio was her last competition, she replied: “Possibly, yeah”.
The defending champion, who is now guaranteed his third Olympic medal, will play either Rafael Nadal or Juan Martin Del Potro in the final on Sunday. “I want to end on a high”.
Team USA track and field athlete Heather Miller-Koch didn’t win the women’s heptathlon. “She’s had two great days she wasn’t going to give that up”.
The silver medal for James marks a remarkable recovery for the Abergavenny-born cyclist after recovering from a career-threatening knee injury and a cancer scare.
“She had had two days of fantastic performances”. I’m very proud of that’.
At 30, her fierce competitive spirit is undiminished.
Thiam admitted she had shocked herself by claiming victory, having been injured in the build-up to the Games. Her points tally of 6,775 was her highest since 2012, better than when she won world championships gold in Beijing last summer. Since winning gold in 2012, Jessica has added more family support, marrying childhood sweetheart Andy Hill in 2013 and giving birth to son Reggie in 2014. And when she returned to training, she initially could not lift heavy weights because her stomach muscles weren’t knitted together after pregnancy, while the greater flexibility she had accrued during that time also hindered her training.
“I’m pretty emotional but these are happy tears”, said Ennis-Hill.
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But Ennis-Hill was determined to succeed. ‘I look back at my career in amazement.
