News Detail
Jessica Ennis wins double title
Birmingham: Jessica Ennis enjoyed a successful day out as she was crowned high jump and 100 metres hurdles champion at the Team GB Olympic trials in Birmingham on Saturday.
Having jumped a season’s best of 1.89 metres earlier in the afternoon, beating Isobel Pooley in second place, Ennis then went on to run 12.92 in the hurdles, seeing off the threat of Tiffany Porter, who finished second with a time of 13.21.
Already part of the London Olympics team after qualifying in the heptathlon, the 26-year-old now competes in both the long jump and the 200 metres hurdles on Sunday. “It’s great to come here and do well — it’s a big weekend for British athletes,” Ennis told the BBC.
“The crowd have been brilliant, it’s a packed stadium and they have really got behind us. It was nice to know I had the qualification, so I could come here and sharpen up on the individual events.”
Dwain Chambers retained the men’s 100 metre title with a time of 10.25, his fastest of the season, though still short of the 10.18 needed for Olympic qualification.
He has until July 1 to reach the A Standard time required to make the cut for the London Games. Adam Gemili, the 18-year-old who, crucially, has already clocked 10.18 this year, can now take his place in the Olympics team after finishing second.
Chambers was a happy, if relieved, man: “I was so scared because my heat in the semi-final didn’t go well,” he told the BBC. “I had pressure with all the youngsters like Adam coming through but I relied on my experience and it got me through.
“I still need to get the qualifying time and I have a chance to get it at the Europeans in Helsinki next week, so that is the next step.
“The pressure of trials is the hardest part and I am glad it’s over. Now I can concentrate on getting the time.”
For Gemili meanwhile, this is all still new. “I can’t believe it, I don’t know what to say,” he said. “Now I have run the standard and finished in the top two, I will speak to my coach about what to do next.”
World champion Dai Greene won the men’s 400 metres hurdles final, coming in at 49.47 seconds, with Jack Green second on 49.88.
Christine Ohuruogu, a gold medal winner at Beijing, won the women’s 400 metres with a time of 51.89, followed by Shana Cox with 52.87.
“I am not delighted with the time but it was okay,” Ohuruogu said. “I have had a hard week, I have been training hard so I was ready to deal with the Olympic programme.
“I am going to rest for a couple of days now and then get ready for London 2012.”
World 5,000 metres champion Mo Farah pulled out of the 1,500 final having won his heat on Friday, saying he needed to rest ahead of the European championships next week.
“Sorry I can’t be at the trials today guys! I need to rest as much as possible and save my legs to defend my European title next week,” Farah explained via his Twitter account.__(Reuters)
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