Ennis delighted to finally lay Olympic ghost to rest

From David Jordan, Sportsbeat, in Doha

 JESSICA Ennis insists she has finally drawn a line under her Olympic nightmare after adding world indoor pentathlon gold to her world heptathlon title with a dominant victory in Doha.

FORWARD THINKING: Now that Jessica Ennis has banished her Olympic demons she has set her sights on the world record heptathlon points score this season (Getty Images)

The 24-year-old Brit roared into the lead in the ASPIRE Dome with the second fastest 60m hurdles time of her career and never looked back as she shattered the championship record to top the podium.   

Rewind the clock two years ago and Ennis was left heartbroken after missing her Olympic debut following multiple stress fractures in her foot.

Ennis' absence in China opened the door for Ukraine's Nataliya Dobrynska to strike gold, with Hyleas Fountain of the USA taking silver and Russia's Tatyana Chernova bronze.

But after overcoming another injury worry in the same foot that ruled her out of the Games, and topping the podium at the Aspire Dome - ahead of all three Beijing medallists - Ennis insists she's no longer haunted by the ghosts of two years ago.

"Winning the worlds and then competing here against everybody who was in the Beijing Olympics field, apart from Kelly Sotherton, was really special for me," she said.

"That foot injury has always played on my mind since missing Beijing and I was worried when I injured it again before coming out here.

"It made it important to perform and produce a good jump off it in the high jump, which I did.

"It has really boosted my confidence knowing I came here having had that and still managed to beat people who won medals in Beijing.

"I can look forward now knowing I have overcome those two things and they have made me stronger.

"I missed some training that would have made me stronger because of the injury so to win when you have done that is always a boost.

"It's hard, with everyone expecting you to win after having a good year last year. I'm just glad I've delivered and brought home a gold again."

Ennis powered into the lead after clocking 8.04 seconds in the 60m hurdles and clearing 1.90m in the high jump - her two favourite events.

But it was her lesser events, the long jump and the shot put, where she showed her all-round class by recovering from poor starts to record a lifetime best jump of 6.44m and the biggest throw of her career, 14.01m.

Needing to run the 800m inside 2:08minutes to break the world record, Ennis came home in 2:12.55mins to claim gold - 86 points clear of Chernova - and admitted her sights are set on eclipsing the outdoor world mark before 2010 is out.

"I knew it would have to be a big run to break the world record and I went out as fast as I could," added Ennis.

"I tried to lead it from the front to give myself the best possible chance of doing it and I think when Karolina [Tyminska of Poland] went past me she was trying to drag me along with her so I could do it.

"It wasn't to be this time but I still had a great event and I still won gold and I'm delighted with my long jump mark because that is something I have struggled with for a long time.

"I think the world record is definitely there for me this year, I came here without the best preparation and I got really close so the confidence is there from me.

"I have got the Europeans as the next big one and I want to keep the run going there, I'll go have a little rest and then get back to my training."

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