¶2009 WC wHept: Jessica Ennis (GB) 6731 WL

[bhall]

THE FORMCHART
1. Nataliya Dobrynska (Ukraine) .........6733 (’08)
2. Jessica Ennis (Great Britain) ..........6587 (’09)
3. Tatyana Chernova (Russia) ............6768w (’07)
4. Hanna Melnychenko (Ukraine) ........6445 (’09)
5. Jennifer Oeser (Germany) ...............6442 (’09)
6. Lyudmyla Yosypenko (Ukraine) .......6412 (’09)
7. Lili Schwartzkopf (Germany) ...........6536 (’08)
8. Aiga Grabuste (Latvia) .....................6396 (’09)
9. Julie Mächtig (Germany) ..................6320 (’09)
10. Kamila Chudzik (Poland) ...............6494 (’08)

[TNT]

Ukraine is ready to rock it! 8-)

[Powell]

It's interesting how all the Brits here think Ennis is the rock solid favorite :wink:

Oh, and BTW, you're underestimating Chudzik. It's not that I have total confidence in her ability to perform in major championships - she could bomb - but she seems to be peaking at the right time this year, unlike in 2008, and appears to be better than she was when she set her PB last year. She could be a dark horse.

[lalala]

It's interesting how all the Brits here think Ennis is the rock solid favorite :wink:
.

I don't think anyone's said that...

But in what world does someone who leads the world rankings and appears to have gotten MUCH better in at least four of the heptathlon events since she set that world leading mark NOT constitute the role of a favourite?

[andyjgt]

It's interesting how all the Brits here think Ennis is the rock solid favorite :wink:

Do I count as a Brit Powell?!

Mind you it's the total opposite of last year, when all the non-Brits tipped Sotherton for gold, while none of the Brits did! (I didn't, so I must have been a Brit!)

(And I mean gold counting Blonska's score in the final results)

[nevetsllim]

12.93 for Ennis into a slight headwind.

[Weights&Shoes]

yeah she looked good was the best hurdler in the bunch going into those wc

[richxx87]

It's FINALLY begun! Excellent.

[Powell]

Dobrynska sure didn't look in top shape in the 100H :?

Good performance for Chudzik, despite a bad start. 13.50 is a big SB, and just off her PB of 13.46.

[3]

Mr. Powell, I agree. Ms. Dobrynska had the lead up to the 6th hurdle, then flattened out. The entire heat had bests within 1/10 of each other prior to the start, so it was going to be a close one.

[richxx87]

Dobrynska, quite a pretty gal, has some really ugly form over those hurdles.

[Jon]

It's interesting how all the Brits here think Ennis is the rock solid favorite :wink:

I don't think many would say she is a rock-solid favourite. But she is being billed as our best hope for gold. There is a difference.

But also, because she is our best hope, Brits have been following her progress closely this year and the progress of her competitors. Even if Ennis does not set a season's best (let alone a PB) in any of the events, she is still capable of smashing her PB. She looks on course to achieve:

100H - 12.93
HJ - 1.90
SP - 13.75
200 - 23.4
LJ - 6.35
JT - 45
800 - 2:10
Total - 6744

Obviously, she might not achieve marks as good as those in all the events, but similarly she usually always sets individual PBs or SBs in pretty much most of her heptathlons, so it's well within the realms of possibility. Should she score that, it's better than Dobrynska's PB and Dobrynska doesn't look to be in the same form that she had in Beijing.

I agree with you re: Chudzik, though.

[Powell]

Dobrynska, quite a pretty gal, has some really ugly form over those hurdles.

Yes, she does have unusually bad technique for someone so good, but she still managed a 13.4 in Beijing.

[3]

Even if Ennis does not set a season's best (let alone a PB) in any of the events, she is still capable of smashing her PB. She looks on course to achieve:

100H - 12.93

So far, so good, with a spot-on mark in the 100h

[IFK_Vaxjo]

My pick with Chernova as third in the prediction contest feels good after seeing her hurdle race! She can be a real contender actually!