Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Nominee 2013: Jessica Ennis
February 26, 2013
For home fans of the London 2012 Games, she was the Golden Girl, the one hopes had been pinned on for months.
She was the one athlete more than any other they wanted to win gold. And after the weeks of build-up, of debate and conversation, the girl from Sheffield in England didn’t let her supporters down.
On August 4, the day British Olympic fans will forever call simply ‘Super Saturday’, Jessica Ennis won gold in the Olympic heptathlon.
She dominated the multi-event discipline, and won with a British record score of 6,995, beating closest rival Lilli Schwarzkopf by 306 points.
Incredibly, Ennis’ time in the 100 metres hurdles leg of the heptathlon was also a new British record, and the fastest it’s ever been run in a heptathlon as well.
Demonstrating how increasingly strong Ennis is in her favoured 100m hurdles event, had she decided to enter in the separate 100m hurdles, her best heptathlon time would have been enough to win her fourth place.
Her Olympic success completes the full collection of top flight gold medals alongside her world championship win in 2009 and her world indoor championship and European championship wins in 2010.
Her latest achievements now see Ennis nominated for sport’s most prestigious individual honour: the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award.
And Laureus Academy Member Daley Thompson, the British multi-event Olympic hero, thinks she has a great shot at adding this honour to her achievements.
Thompson said: “Jessica’s performance was majestic. She had the whole weight of the country’s expectations on her shoulders. Despite all that, she certainly delivered. She not only produced a wonderful display in her events but she gave the British team an enormous lift. Jessica showed she could win a gold medal, so everyone who followed her also felt they could do it as well. She was one of the many highlights of an amazing two weeks for British sport.”
Do you agree with Daley and think Ennis deserves the big Award on March 11 over fellow Nominees Allyson Felix, Missy Franklin, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Lindsey Vonn and Serena Williams?
Be sure to comment in the box below to show your support for your favourite.
