Jessica Ennis starts season with hurdles win in Glasgow

Hyperupdate · Jan 29, 2011

Jessica Ennis got her season off to the perfect start with victory over world indoor champion Lolo Jones in the 60m hurdles in Glasgow.

The world heptathlon champion, 25, won in a time of 7.97 seconds, just outside the British record she set in beating Jones at the same meeting last year.

Fellow Brit Tiffany Ofili finished second while Jones finished fourth after hitting her third hurdle.

Meanwhile, Jenny Meadows ran a storming race to win the women's 800m.

Helen Clitheroe led from start to finish to win the women's 3000m, while Commonwealth and European silver medallist Mark Lewis-Francis won the men's 60m.

Germany won the team event with 61 points, five points ahead of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who beat a Commonwealth select team into third by virtue of more wins. The United States were fourth with 52 points, Sweden were fifth with 29.

British captain Ennis, who finished third in the long jump, said: "I'm really pleased. I love competing here, it always goes really well. It's a great track to run on and I'm really happy to get under eight seconds again.

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Lewis-Francis sprints to 60m win

"I ran 7.95 last year and I knew I was in good shape so to come here and do that again shows I've done the right things over the winter.

"I had no idea about Lolo because I was right over the far side, it's very hard to see. I concentrated on my own race but it's good to beat her again.

"My start wasn't very good, I kind of sat in the blocks a bit, but I think my general speed's good. I've done a lot of work on that over the winter. I think the latter part of my race is better so I came through quite well and I'm hoping that bodes well for the summer."

Ofili, born and raised in the United States but competing as a Briton for the first time, albeit for a Commonwealth team, clocked 8.04. Germany's Nadine Hildebrand was third in 8.21, while Jones clocked 8.27.

Ennis recorded 6.38m in the long jump to finish behind Germany's Nadja Kather (6.58) and American Funmi Jimoh (6.48).

"I'm quite pleased to be honest," said Ennis. "It started off a bit shaky but 6.38 is not too bad. I'm hoping I can squeeze a bit more out of that in the future."

Meadows, the 2010 world indoor 800m bronze medallist, led from gun to tape to clock 2:01.17 and lead home Germany's Jana Hartmann (2:02.48) and compatriot Marilyn Okoro (2:02.99), who was competing for the Commonwealth.

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Oliver beats Turner to indoor hurdles win

Meadows said: "It felt really comfortable, really smooth. I got to the front quite early, I could see the scoreboard and could see that I was really clear - I was quite surprised it wasn't closer.

"I'm hoping that's a good omen for the rest of the year - last year I had a really good indoors but I spent much of the outdoor season frustrated."

Preston's Clitheroe set a stadium record of 8:52.31 to lead home Allison Kieffer (9:08.13) of the United States and fellow Brit Laura Kenney (9:08.21), who was competing for the Commonwealth.

"I'm delighted to come out and run so well in my first indoor [of the season] especially as I just came back from altitude training in Kenya on Thursday and was travelling through the night," said Clitheroe.

Lewis-Francis ran 6.66 to beat Trinidad's Marc Burns (6.73) and Germany's Alexander Schaf (6.80) into second and third, and despite the modest time the Birchfield Harrier was satisfied.

He said: "It looks like I'm in decent shape - I didn't know what sort of shape I was in before I came. I'm on top of the world right now, I'm just glad to be performing again. Now I want to get back to competing with the best in the world again. That's my aim."

In the men's 60m hurdles, Britain's Commonwealth and European outdoor champion Andy Turner finished second behind American David Oliver.

Oliver, from Florida, was unbeaten outdoors last season, has run two of the six fastest times ever over 110m and never looked like being beaten in Glasgow.

He clocked 7.51, the fastest time in the world this year, Turner was second in 7.66 and fellow Brit Lawrence Clarke, competing for the Commonwealth, recorded 7.71 for third.

Turner, who ran his quickest ever season opener, said: "Technically I got out of the blocks really well, the first two hurdles were quite nice, but I think I hit the third or fourth hurdle which threw me off a little bit.

"I think it would have been closer [if I hadn't hit the hurdle]. I'm not saying I would have beaten him but it would have been close. I was hoping to get at least within a metre of David but I'm confident that things can only get faster."

In the women's 60m, 2008 world indoor silver medallist Jeanette Kwakye (7.40) finished second behind American Alexandria Anderson (7.31), while Ofili (7.63) was fifth.

In the 200m, Danny Talbot came home in 21.39 to finish third behind Sebastian Ernst of Germany (21.21) and Ryan Bailey of the United States (21.24), while in the women's race Joice Maduaka clocked 24.17 to finish second behind Cathleen Tschirch of Germany (23.86).

Holly Bleasdale, competing for the Commonwealth, was second in the women's pole vault with a new personal best of 4.48m - Lisa Ryzih of Germany was first with 4.55, Britain's Kate Dennison fourth with 4.11 - while Nigel Levine (47.22) finished second behind Thomas Schneider (47.02) in the men's 400m.

Britain's Tom Parsons, in a Commonwealth shirt, cleared 2.25 to finish second behind American Jesse Williams (2.28) in the men's high jump, while Ben Williams leapt 15.88 for second in the men's triple jump, behind Leevan Sands of the Bahamas (16.18).
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Fabulous Fabio · Jan 29, 2011

I'd pump her silly

Hyperupdate · Jan 30, 2011

She looks great and I can't wait for her next match

John Smith · Feb 9, 2011

I would wreck that girl. She's ****ing lovely...

Jessica Ennis starts season with hurdles win in Glasgow

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Jessica Ennis starts season with hurdles win in Glasgow

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