Ennis speechless after smashing 60m hurdles personal best

Posted: Saturday 18th February 2012 | 14:55

JESS Ennis was left speechless after smashing her 60m hurdles personal best at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham.

IMPRESSIVE: Jess Ennis admitted she was stunned by her 7.87 second personal best time for the 60m hurdles at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham

Ennis clocked an impressive 7.87 seconds, the fastest in the world this year, to beat American hurdles specialist Danielle Carruthers and underline her form ahead of next month's World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, where she will look to retain her pentathlon title.

"I didn’t expect to run that quickly at all. I feel in really good shape and the hurdles have been going really well," she said.

"To run 7.94 or something like that I would have been really happy with, but to run that much under my PB is just brilliant.

"I could feel Danielle right there on my shoulder. It’s great to have that competitiveness and someone right there beside you, it pushes you on.

"I’m on a massive high now and a bit speechless, it's an incredible time for me and I'm so happy."

Holly Bleasdale underlined her growing reputation by claiming the scalp of former world champion and one-time Olympic medallist Anna Rogowska in the women's pole vault.

Both athletes cleared 4.70m but Bleasdale did it at the first attempt to win on countback.

"To come out here in front of this capacity crowd where there’s a bit of pressure and jump 4.70m again is obviously what I keep aiming for," said Bleasdale, who moved to third on the all-time indoor list with her British record earlier this year.

"I still feel like there’s something lacking in my jumping.My run up was really good but I can’t seem to translate that speed into my vault to get the big heights."

Elsewhere, new national champion JJ Jegede continued his impressive recent form, record a 8.04 metre personal best to win the men's long jump.

"It’s a pity I missed out on world indoor qualifying, which is 8.15m, but I beat a world class field so I’m happy about that and hopeful for 2012," he said.

"I’m probably going to do one more meet and see if I can get close to the 8.20m mark and then go back into winter training and get ready for the outdoor season."