Heptathlete Jessica Ennis produced her best-ever first-day performance to dominate the IAAF World Combined Events Challenge meeting in Italy.

The Briton, 23, came close to personal bests in all four events in Desenzano as she finished with 4,003 points.

Ennis, who missed the Olympics because of a foot injury, is on course to qualify for the World Championships.

"I'm really pleased with how it went. I was feeling anxious and really unsure of how I would perform," she said.

"To get a first-day personal best is really pleasing. I just want to keep it going now and make sure I get the World Championships qualifier and, if everything goes to plan, I might just get a PB."

Ennis, who needs 6,100 points to qualify for Berlin, has not competed in a full heptathlon since finishing fourth at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.

606: DEBATE Does Ennis lack anything for her to be a real top athlete? upthesi

Following a full rehabilitation programme Ennis returned to competition during the indoor season in January in a series of low-key competitions.

The Sheffield athlete, seeking to reclaim the title she won two years ago in Desenzano, was the fastest in the hurdles in a time of 12.98 seconds.

She then leapt an excellent 1.90m in the high jump, produced a solid 13.19m in the shot put and rounded off the day by clocking 23.49 seconds over 200m into a slight headwind.

Ennis will compete in the long jump, javelin and 800m on Sunday.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version