The Sheffield star jumped 6.34m but Thiam produced a personal best of 6.58m to move five points clear before extending her advantage in the javelin.
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It was the second year in a row where the 23-year-old, seen as Ennis-Hill’s multi-eventing heir, has failed to live up to expectations at a major event following her collapse in the long jump at last year’s World Championships.
Thiam said: “I still can’t believe it, I didn’t come for a medal”. This time it was pure torture.
Ennis-Hill of Great Britain finished second with 6,775 points while Canada’s Brianne Thiesen Eaton won bronze with 6,653 points.
Johnson-Thompson faces an almighty struggle for gold but remains in contention for silver, her weaker javelin offset by a traditionally strong 800m.
“I knew I had to beat her (Thiam) by 10 seconds in the 800m”.
“I am pretty emotional but these are happy tears and I am just really proud to be back on the podium”, she said. “But I just thought, I’m going to run hard like I always do”.
I knew she was running for that gold medal.
Ennis-Hill, 30, said she was still undecided on when to retire.
“These two days have been really tough but I am really proud”. “Now I’ve got to go away and make a big decision”.
Ennis-Hill claimed before the Games that Rio 2016 would be her last Olympics, per Oliver Brown in the Telegraph. I’ve had an fantastic few years and achieved so much in the sport. “I’m just so emotional and yeah I’ve just got to make a decision as to whether this is my last heptathlon or not”.
Thiam’s rise has been rapid and staggering.
She also won World Championship gold in 2015, after returning to athletics following the birth of her first child, and put up a valiant effort to take silver on this occasion. But Thiam never relented, producing three more personal bests on the second day, including a monster 53m throw in the javelin despite having not competed in the event since June because of an elbow injury. It was the first Olympic heptathlon medal for Canadian athlete.
Couldn’t have put it better ourselves.Queen of Heptathlon indeed.
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As for Ennis-Hill it could be the end of the road for her career. Does she need it enough to carry on to London?
