Jess the ticket


Nothing particularly interesting or original to say here (no change there then!! roflmao), but congratulations must go to the lovely Jessica Ennis for winning World Championship gold in the heptathlon in Berlin this evening. There's a temptation to brand multi-event atheletes as Jacks (or Jills) of all trades, and therefore somewhat inferior to their counterparts who truly excel at one or two particular disciplines. But bloody hell, competing in seven different events over two days (ten for the boys) and being expected to get as close to your personal best as possible for each seems pretty incredible to me.

And then there are the inevitable problems that come from pushing your body so hard in so many different ways. Dean Macey looked poised to become the new Daley Thompson when he first burst onto the international scene but his career was decimated and heavily curtailed by injuries. Ennis herself was forced to pull out of Beijing last year due to an ankle injury (one that has since required her to completely change her lead-off leg in the javelin), which is why the sight of her cruising to victory this time around was imbued with an extra poignancy. She said she felt like crying at what she'd achieved - like the big wuss that I am, I already was.

Oh, and I can't really talk about this evening's athletics without mentioning the amazing Usain Bolt. Tyson Gay ran a huge national record of 9.71 and didn't get anywhere near him, and yet he makes running look so effortless. Speaking as someone who has just started knackering himself on a regular basis around the local parks in an attempt to get fit, I only wish it was.

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