AFTER BREAKING THE British heptathlon record, Jessica Ennis is looking forward to dealing with the pressure of London Olympics favouritism.
The 2009 heptathlon World Champion broke Denise Lewis’ 12-year-old record in Gotzis, Austria, on Sunday in what was the perfect preparation for the forthcoming Games on home soil.
Ennis became one of only eight women to shatter the 6,900-point mark, but the 26-year-old claimed she was not specifically targeting the record.
“I felt in great shape, I was really happy with the way my training had gone leading up to the event,” she said. ”But I hadn’t really thought about points scores and I hadn’t thought about the British record.
“I just really wanted to go there and put together a good performance and hopefully win and come away with that confidence for the rest of the season.”
Ennis acknowledged breaking the record would pile yet more pressure on her, with British fans expecting gold at the Olympics, but she remains confident she can handle the additional scrutiny.
“I think it was important (the win), mentally it was important for me,” she said. ”Obviously there is a lot more to be done throughout the year, the Olympics is still to come, but it is a good way to start and has definitely given me some confidence for the rest of the season.”
