Athletics World Indoor Championships - Jessica Ennis wins Heptathlon gold medal in Doha
Last updated 16/03/2010 10:40:01
Jessica Ennis wins Heptathlon gold medal in Doha
Britain's pentathlete Jessica Ennis continued her remarkable progress towards London Olympic Gold when she was crowned the world's best all round female at the World Indoors in Doha.
Heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis beat Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska and Russian Tatyana Chernova to add the one day pentathlon title to her outdoor gold in Berlin.
"It feels great to beat the three medallists from Beijing," Ennis said after scoring a record 4937 points.
Dwayne Chambers made it two golds for the Brits in one day when he overcame a slow start to clock 6.48s - the world's quickest this year - and beat Mike Rodgers to win the 60m.
Chambers stormed through all the qualifying heats but the 31-year-old Londoner had to work all the way in Saturday's final before bursting past the American Rodgers (6.53) and Antigua's Daniel Bailey (6.57) as they closed on the finish line.
The European indoor champion was all smiles as he improved on the world indoor silver he shared in Valencia in 2008 and become the first Briton to win the title since Jason Gardener seven years ago.
After beating the world's best this year of 6.49 run by American Ivory Williams, missing in Qatar following his drug suspension picked up last Wednesday, Chambers said: "It was not an easy competition from beginning to end.
"I was a little bit slower from the blocks - that is why I wasn't as relaxed as I expected. It was the longest six and a half seconds of my life."
But Chambers has accepted he will not be joining Ennis in London having finally bowed to the Olympic ban after his drugs suspension.
Britain's other sprinter Harry Aikines Aryeetey, 21, missed the final after the former world junior champion pulled up with a hamstring injury in the semi-finals.
It was a joyous return to the track for Sheffield athlete Ennis though who has struggled with a niggling foot injury since winning gold at the outdoor Berlin World Championships seven months ago.
"It is very special to win here and break the championship record," she said of her new mark, three points ahead of that set by Sweden's Carolina Kluft in Birmingham in 2003, but failed to beat Irina Belova's 18-year-old world record of 4991 points. "I had a great year in 2009 so everyone was expecting me to win. I know the world record is within reach."
Ethiopian Meseret Defar had the Doha stadium crowd on its feet after claiming a record fourth consecutive indoor title in the 3,000m clocking 8:51.17 after outsprinting Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot on the last lap.
UK champion Andrew Osagie could not repeat his impressive efforts in the 800m on the opening day after being pipped on the line in his semi-final in a time of one minute 51.29s to miss out on a final spot.
The British men's 4x400m relay team faced an anxious wait before hearing they had progressed to the final as fastest losers, while Carl Myerscough finished ninth in a shot put final won by American Christian Cantwell.
Team captain Jenny Meadows, bronze medallist at the World Championships last summer, will be going for 800m gold on Sunday.
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