Highlights: European Championships Heptathlon day 1

By Sarah Holt

Jessica Ennis is in the bronze medal position

While all eyes on day one of the heptathlon at the European Championships were on Carolina Kluft and Kelly Sotherton, it was a young British student who stole the spotlight.

After four events, 20-year-old Jessica Ennis was sitting pretty in the bronze medal place.

Just as Sotherton crept out of the shadow of Britain's former champion Denise Lewis at the Athens Olympics to take bronze, Ennis is emerging as a real rival to her elder compatriot.

Ennis, a psychology student at Sheffield, has been given the nickname "Tadpole" by Sotherton because of her diminutive size and age - but she is enjoying a meteoric rise through the sporting ranks.

In March, she made her senior debut in a national vest at the Commonwealth Games after finishing 2005 as the world junior heptathlon number one.

She claimed a surprise bronze in Melbourne and is now focused on doing the same in Gothenburg.

"Winning Commonwealth bronze has made it a different ball game for me," Ennis told BBC Sport.

"I raised my standard when I notched up 6,269 points (bettering her personal best by 359 points) and I have to keep competing at that level now.

"I have increased the pressure on myself but that's what I need to keep performing well."

Ennis is confident that she can shoulder the extra burden.

When she stepped onto the podium in Australia, none of her family, friends or even coach Toni Minichello was there watching in the stands.

ENNIS REVEALED Born: 28/01/1986 Club: Sheffield Coach: Toni Minichello Heptathlon personal best: 6269 pts Honours: Commonwealth bronze (2006), European Junior champion (2005) Ennis on Ennis: "I'm boring - there's nothing exciting about me!"

"I proved I could handle my first big championships by myself," said Ennis. "I did what I needed to do without my coach needing to be there.

"I am strong mentally, and the experience has only added to my confidence."

However, Ennis concedes the European Championships are the biggest test she has confronted so far.

She went to Gothenburg ranked as the European number eight, facing the small matter of taking on reigning European, Olympic and world champion Carolina Kluft on home soil.

Ennis met Kluft for the first time at the European Cup of Combined Events this summer and insists she is not intimidated by the all-conquering Swede.

"I was nervous competing against her at the European Cup but I've done it now and nerves aren't a factor any more," said Ennis.

"I'm not sure what makes her tick but it was good to see how she competes and gets herself psyched up.

"She was really friendly and is so down to earth despite how amazing she is. She is the one to beat at the Europeans but I'm looking forward to it."

As well as facing Kluft in the fight to the podium, Ennis is going head-to-head with British team-mate Sotherton.

Ennis (left) and Sotherton share the podium in Melbourne

"There's no rivalry between Kelly and me - we get on fine," said Ennis.

"She does try and mentor me a bit because she has her opinion on each event and will give me advice.

"But she's very competitive and so am I, so it's different when we're competing against each other."

Beyond Gothenburg, Ennis is - like many athletes her age - eyeing the London Olympics in 2012.

Before then she has simpler targets - the most pressing being an end-of-season holiday.

"I'll probably have to wait until Christmas for my holiday now," sighs Ennis. "If I can get some time off."

Her time at university has little in common with that of the average student.

On the average day of study, she might also fit in a hurdle session, an ice bath, a physio appointment and then high jump and shot put practice.

Then again, Jessica Ennis is not a typical student.