Golden girl Jess fully deserves her success
Aug 18 2009 View from Berlin with Jonathan Edwards
WHAT a cracking weekend that was! I am so pleased for Jess Ennis – after her injury pain last year she deserved this gold so much. What impressed me most was how she met immense pressure so well and just went out on the Sunday and performed immaculately to set a personal best and take the gold.
Of course, Usain Bolt was also superb, I don’t have to say anything about his race. But Tyson Gay, who is coming to the Aviva British Grand Prix at Gateshead on August 31, I have so much respect for. I thought he ran brilliantly and the fact that he hasn’t been fit for the last couple of months, to produce that performance was amazing.
He ran 9.71, which was close to Bolt’s run in Beijing and was a new American record, no mean feat when you consider American greats such as Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene. I am very excited that he will be coming to Gateshead in two weeks time and am sure he will turn on the style for us again. Tonight’s action should be exciting with Phillips Idowu possibly adding another medal for the team. Idowu has had a funny season, starting strongly but has tailed off in the last few weeks. He won in Paris with a poor distance and then came a disappointing third in Crystal Palace last month.
He only needed 17m 33 to win and the conditions were good, so he should have won that event easily but didn’t.
He’ll say he is holding back, which is fine as long as he produces tonight, and his qualifying jumps gave me more confidence. The 30-year-old is approaching competition in a completely different way this season. Last year he was all talk about being superman and bulletproof and now he is trying to keep a low profile. I think that is a better approach and I actually feel more confident in the way he is going about this year than he was last year.
I think he realises the challenge of winning a global title is really tough, it doesn’t matter where you are in the rankings, how far you have jumped, you have to do it when it matters.
He is keeping his cards close to his chest and as his last few jumps haven’t been great, it will put a little doubt in his mind. It’s an open competition but the Portuguese jumper Nelson Evora, who beat him in Beijing, will start as the favourite, as he has been jumping well. Christian Olsson has jumped 17.24 this season and if he is there he can put in a good jump which could put some doubt in the others minds. I think Idowu will be right in the mix for a medal and I will be surprised if he doesn’t win one. But it will be a tough one, so we may see him winning another silver tonight.
There is a difference in his attitude this year. He had hung the gold medal round his neck last year and I think he has realised it is a mistake and won’t fall into that trap again.
Also tonight, Christine Ohuruogu runs in the 400m final. She will have to work hard for a medal, I fear. Richards wasn’t that quick in the heats, but nor was Christine and I’m not sure she can better a time of 49.8s. She could sneak a bronze but for me it’s all about Idowu tonight and whether he can prove me wrong.
:: TYSON Gay, Christine Ohuruogu and Phillips Idowu will all be competing at the Aviva British Grand Prix, Gateshead on August 31. For tickets visit www.uka.org.uk or 08000 55 60 56
