Jessica Ennis-Hill will compete in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing next month after the Olympic champion was persuaded by her performances and detailed analysis by her coach, Toni Minichiello, that she is a serious medal contender.
It sets up a thrilling head-to-head with her friend and rival Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who is named in both the heptathlon and the long jump. Meanwhile Richard Kilty, the world and European indoor 60m champion, was chosen for the final spot in the 100m alongside CJ Ujah and James Dasaolu as Adam Gemili continues his comeback from injury, while Dina Asher-Smith opted for the 200m despite becoming the first British woman to run under 11 seconds for the 100m on Saturday.
But it is Ennis-Hill’s late decision to enter her first major championships since winning a brilliant gold at London 2012 which provides the standout news. She took the decision only on Monday lunchtime after a meeting with Minichiello during which he told her that her heptathlon scores for the 100m hurdles, long jump and 200m at last weekend’s Anniversary Games, combined with her efforts in the shot put, high jump, javelin and 800m in the prestigious Hypo Meeting in Götzis in May, would be worth 6,683 points – one higher than Johnson-Thompson’s world-leading best in 2014.
Minichiello also told Ennis-Hill that, based on a forensic study of her likely opponents and of previous major championship scores, 6,600 points should be good enough for bronze – and with three weeks’ worth of training before Beijing that was more than achievable.
“It was probably a pretty straightforward discussion,” Minichiello said. “If she wasn’t capable of getting on the podium we wouldn’t have entertained going. She’s got to be good enough to be competitive to win medals. Fundamentally that is what you are funded to do. It’s your job, basically.”
Ennis-Hill has made huge steps since her comeback in May following the birth of her one-year-old son, Reggie. In the Anniversary Games she ran 12.79sec in the 100m hurdles, her joint-second fastest time ever, and followed it up on Saturday with 6.37m in the long jump – her best since London 2012 – and 23.49sec in the 200m.
But Minichiello was under no illusions about the task she faces, warning: “She is going out there to be as good as she can be, but she may need seven season’s bests to get near the podium.”
Minichiello also said he hoped British Athletics would give Ennis-Hill the support she needed in Beijing including the physiotherapist Ally Rose, the biomechanist Dr Paul Brice and the javelin coach Mick Hill. “It’s the same team that helped us do so well in London and Daegu so if they go it will help us make a real challenge for medals,” he insisted.
UK Athletics’ performance director, Neil Black, meanwhile, promised that Ennis-Hill’s inclusion would invigorate the 62-strong Great Britain squad. “It’s brilliant to have her there,” he said. “We know she will kill herself to do well. If a medal comes that’s fantastic. If a gold medal comes it would be unbelievable.”
Black also insisted that Johnson-Thompson would be fit to compete in both the heptathlon and long jump despite injuring a quadriceps muscle at the British trials last month. “We believe she will be fine and competitive for both,” he said.
The European 400m champion, Martyn Rooney, and last year’s European 200m silver medallist, Jodie Williams, have had to settle for relay places after injury-hit seasons. And while Gemili is making a strong recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered after running the 100m in 9.97 in Birmingham in early June, Black says that he has “made the mature decision” that it’s best to run only in the 4x100m relay.
However the 3,000m steeplechaser Lennie Waite will appeal against her omission, which came despite her making the qualifying standard at the weekend, saying she feels “powerless and undervalued”. Andy Vernon, who won silver behind Mo Farah in the 5,000m and 10,000m European Championships last year, also expressed his frustration at missing out, tweeting: “Maybe one day someone in British Athletics will believe in me.” The governing body’s selection criteria state that athletes needed to have “achieved at least two qualification standards” to be in the running for the team.
Black said he stood by his decisions, saying: “We are looking for realistic top eight potential in Beijing or future medallists.”
But he appeared tetchy when asked whether Vernon’s falling-out with Farah, who will defend his 5,000m and 10,000m titles in Beijing, had played a part in his exclusion. “To be honest it’s been a pretty wacky summer so far but that is one of the craziest questions I’ve had,” he said. “Not in the slightest.”
And he gave short shrift to one journalist when pressed on why he had not set medal targets for Beijing. “I can honestly say it hasn’t even entered my brain,” he said, adding angrily. “I thought you guys knew that I don’t set medal targets.”
GB squad for 2015 World Athletics Championships, 22-30 August
MEN
100m: James Dasaolu, Richard Kilty, CJ Ujah; 200m: Zharnel Hughes, Daniel Talbot; 400m: Jarryd Dunn, Rabah Yousif Bkheit; 800m: Kyle Langford, Michael Rimmer; 1500m: Charlie Grice, Chris O’Hare; 5,000m: Mo Farah, Tom Farrell; 10,000m: Mo Farah; 110m hurdles: Lawrence Clarke; 400m hurdles: Niall Flannery; High jump: Robbie Grabarz; Long jump: Dan Bramble, Greg Rutherford; Pole vault: Steve Lewis; Hammer: Mark Dry, Nick Miller; 20k walk: Tom Bosworth; 4 x 100m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, James Ellington, Adam Gemili plus, from individual events, Richard Kilty, Danny Talbot, Chijindu Ujah; 4 x 400m: Jack Green, Martyn Rooney, Conrad Williams, Delano Williams plus, from individual events, Jarryd Dunn, Rabah Yousif Bkheit
WOMEN
100m: Asha Philip; 200m: Margaret Adeoye, Dina Asher-Smith, Bianca Williams; 400m: Christine Ohuruogu, Anyika Onuora; 800m: Jenny Meadows, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Lynsey Sharp; 1500m: Laura Muir, Laura Weightman; 5,000m: Steph Twell; 10,000m: Kate Avery; 100m hurdles: Cindy Ofili, Tiffany Porter; 400m hurdles: Meghan Beesley, Eilidh Child; High jump: Morgan Lake, Isobel Pooley; Long jump: Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Shara Proctor, Lorraine Ugen; Pole vault: Holly Bradshaw; Hammer: Sophie Hitchon; Javelin: Goldie Sayers; Heptathlon: Jessica Ennis-Hill, Katarina Johnson-Thompson; 4 x 100m: Louise Bloor, Desiree Henry, Jodie Williams, Daryll Neita plus, from individual events, Asha Philip, Dina Asher-Smith, Bianca Williams; 4 x 400m: Kirsten McAslan, Seren Bundy-Davies, Laviai Nielsen plus, from individual events, Margaret Adeoye, Eilidh Child, Christine Ohuruogu, Anyika Onuora
