Jessica Ennis-Hill has won World Championship gold to mark an amazing return to athletics after injury and the birth of her first child. Ennis-Hill, who hadn't competed in a major championship since the 2012 Olympics, performed well on the opening day to lead overnight and wrapped up victory with the 800m on Sunday in Beijing.
After the first four events, a British one-two was still very much possible as Ennis-Hill lead compatriot Katarina Johnson-Thompson. However the 22-year-old from Liverpool jumped three fouls in the long jump meaning that she registered zero points for that discipline and therefore ending her hopes of a first senior championship medal. Johnson-Thompson then had to complete the final two events, the javelin and 800m, knowing she wouldn't be competing for the top places and in the back of her mind wanting to conserve energy for the individual long jump, which she competes in later this week.
Ennis-Hill started the second day of heptathlon competition with a seasons best in the long jump, 6.43m, before throwing 42.51m in the javelin to open up a good lead over Nadine Broersen and Brianne Theisen-Eaton in second and third place respectively going into the final event. This meant she had a cushion of just under six seconds for the 800m and, with a superior personal best than both Broersen and Theisen-Eaton, Ennis-Hill was very close to a second World Championship gold medal.
Ennis-Hill later said that "If I'd come away with a bronze I'd have been so happy" but was clearly stunned to have won gold. Her and coach Toni Minichiello had "spoke about coming here (to Beijing), and we only wanted to come if I was able to compete for a medal. We spoke about the bronze medal and that it would be amazing for a silver medal, but we never spoke about gold. I kind of thought it was a little beyond me this year."