Jessica Ennis storms to world indoor pentathlon gold in Doha

From David Jordan, Sportsbeat, in Doha

 INDOORS or out, Jessica Ennis is unquestionably the best multi-eventer in the business after a dominant display to capture gold at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha.

GOLDEN GIRL: Jessica Ennis adds the world indoor pentathlon gold to her world heptathlon title in Doha (Getty Images)

The 24-year-old put the finishing touches to world gold, adding to the world heptathlon title she won in Berlin last summer, with a scintillating 800m performance to break the championship pentathlon record.

In truth, Ennis has been in untouchable form in Doha. She has led from the front in the Persian Gulf and now she has her second major piece of silverware in as many years.

"I knew the world record was there and I gave it everything by taking the race on from the front but it just wasn't to be," she said.

"Karolina [Tyminska] went past me and I think she was trying to drag me through for the time but I'm delighted with the gold medal."

The Brit set the tone in the 60m hurdles, blitzing home more than 0.15 seconds ahead of her nearest competitors and impressive showings in the high jump, shot put and 800m were intersected by a long jump personal best.

As is her way and just as she did last year, Ennis made a blistering start in Doha and clocked the second fastest 60m hurdles time of her career, romping home in 8.04 seconds.

An impressive high jump showing followed and Ennis extended her lead over Olympic silver medallist Hyleas Fountain of the USA, but a superb shot put performance from Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska had catapulted the Ukrainian back into contention in Qatar.

The long jump is a discipline that has caused Ennis difficulties and she had changed her take-off foot following the stress fracture injury that ruled her out of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

But she produced a superb superb effort to finish third in long jump, leaving Fountain 66 points adrift.

Heading into the 800m the gold medal was Ennis' to lose and she did not disappoint, romping across the line in 2:12.55 minutes - her second personal best of the day - to amass a total of 4937, just 54 points short of the world record.

Silver went to Dobrynska, who finished a full 86 points behind the Brit while Tatyana Chernova of Russia edged ouf Fountain for bronze but there can be little doubt as to who is the golden girl of the multi-eventing. 

Live commentary from day two of the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha