Olympics Rio 2016: Jessica Ennis-Hill leads after four events, Katarina Johnson-Thompson fourth
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Updated 13/08/2016 at 03:03 GMT
Jessica Ennis-Hill made an excellent start to the defence of her Olympic heptathlon title on Friday to lead after four events overnight, but her compatriot Katarina Johnson-Thompson is up against it after a shot-put disaster.
Jessica Ennis-Hill (GBR) of Britain competes
Image credit: Reuters
Ennis-Hill was solid all day while her younger rivals oscillated.
She opened up with an impressive 12.84 seconds in the 100 metres hurdles on a wet track, then cleared a season's best of 1.89m - her second-best jump at a global championships - in the high jump. A solid shot kept her well placed and a 200m of 23.49, second-best on the night, left her in the lead on 4,057 points.
Johnson-Thompson cleared a British high jump record of 1.98 metres to lead after two events, but had an appalling shot best of 11.68 to plummet to sixth. Johnson-Thompson came back with the day's fastest 200m to end the day fourth, 100 points off the pace.
Between the two Britons are two 21-year-olds - Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam and Akela Jones of Barbados.
Thiam also cleared a personal best 1.98m in the high jump and launched the shot a competition-best 14.91 metres to take the lead, before a sluggish 25.10 in the 200 slipped her back to second on 3,985.
100M HURDLES
Ennis-Hill’s time of 12.84 seconds – equating to 1,149 points – was well clear of chief rivals Theisen-Eaton (13.18s) and Johnson-Thompson (13.48s) in arguably her strongest event.
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Jessica Ennis-Hill (GBR) of Britain competes
Image credit: Reuters
Despite the damp conditions leading to cautious runs from her competitors, Ennis-Hill stormed to victory in the final heat to eclipse her opening time from the IAAF World Championships in Beijing by 0.07s. She went on to clinch gold last summer.
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Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson reacts in the Women's Heptathlon High Jump during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 12, 2016.
Image credit: AFP
Barbados’ Akela Jones and Netherlands’ Nadine Visser took second and third respectively, although both were outside 13 seconds.
Johnson-Thompson was second in heat three of four, only nine-hundredths short of her personal best.
HIGH JUMP
An extraordinary high jump competition saw the three pre-event contenders shine, with Thieson-Eaton recovering from an early scare to post 1.86m, Ennis-Hill setting 1.89m and Johnson-Thompson soaring to new heights.
A remarkable head-to-head between Johnson-Thompson and Thiam saw them propel each other to a new Olympic Best in the heptathlon, with them both eventually bowing out at 1.98m after three failures at 2.01m.
A feat that saw Johnson-Thompson assume the lead.
SHOT PUT
Johnson-Thompson relinquished her grasp on the lead in the shot, her weakest event, where she posted a throw of 11.68m – well below her personal or season best. Ennis-Hill failed to clear 14m but her throw of 13.86m was enough to move up to second as Nafissatou Thiam took the lead after three events with a competition-best throw of 14.91m.
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Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam competes in the Women's Heptathlon Shot Put during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 12, 2016.
Image credit: AFP
Akela Jones of the Barbados finished second in the shot with a throw of 14.09. Jones's throw saw her up to third as Johnson-Thompson fell to sixth.
200m
Johnson-Thompson regained her composure to post the fastest 200m - 23.49 - to end the day fourth, 100 points off the pace. Ennis-Hill trailed in second in the 200m with a time of 23.49 to move into the lead on 4057.
Thiam ran a 25.10 which leaves her 75 points shy of reigning champion Ennis-Hill.
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Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson competes in the Women's Heptathlon 200m during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 12, 2016
Image credit: AFP
Brianne Theisen-Eaton, expected to challenge for gold after taking silver at the World Championships in 2013 and 2015, is in sixth spot after four events with 3871.
With additional reporting from Reuters
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