• European Athletics Championships

Ennis begins challenge for gold with win in the hurdles

Jessica Ennis looked in great shape as she cruised home in the 100m hurdles © Getty Images

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Britain's Jessica Ennis began her quest for Spanish heptathlon gold in supreme fashion after following up a blistering run in the 100m hurdles with a victory in the high jump.

The world champion, who only recently recovered from a virus, lived up to her billing as favourite in Barcelona - powering out of the starting blocks before pulling away from the field with brilliant pace and technique to clock 12.95 seconds.

The hurdles are renowned as being the strongest of her seven events and she certainly laid down a marker with a sub-13 second mark into a slight headwind - earning her 1132 points.

"It felt ok, there was a bit of a headwind, I'm not sure what the wind reading was. It was a good start, I'd like to have run a little quicker but I'm quite happy with that time," she told the BBC.

The 24-year-old Brit then won her second event - the high jump. She cleared 1.89m at the first attempt but could not manage any more as she failed to successfully evade 1.92m.

She will head into Friday afternoon's shot put on 2225 points overall - a 134-point lead over Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska. The 200m will bring to a close Ennis' first day before the final three events on Saturday.

"It felt quite good," Ennis said after the high jump. "It was nice to have some first-time clearances. I would have liked to have jumped into the 1.90s but 1.89 is good. I am pleased."

In the 100m hurdles, Christina Vukicevic recorded a time of 12.83 seconds - the fastest of the heats - to qualify in great shape. The brisk times continued as the in-form Carolin Nytra posted 12.88 seconds while Ireland's Derval O'Rourke qualified with a personal best of 12.88.

Emily Freeman, drawn on the outside in lane seven, held it together down the home straight in heat two of the women's 200m to qualify third in 23.44. Heavy strapping to both legs was a slight concern and Freeman later admitted she is not 100% fit.

"I've had a bit of a struggle all year with injuries and in the last week some new things have come up but I've got to make the best of what I've got now," she said. "My aim is a season's best in the next round."

Frenchman Yohann Diniz picked himself off the floor to win the 50km Walk marathon in 3:40:37 - setting the European season's fastest time by over nine minutes. The defending European champion suffered a nasty-looking fall next to a drinks station but recovered to earn France their third gold medal in Barcelona.

In the shot put, British No. 1 Carl Myerscough left it late before sneaking through to Saturday's final. The 6ft 10 and 21 stone man mountain, secured his place in the showpiece with an effort of 19.81m on his third throw.

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