The face of London 2012 — her heptathlon gold was the defining moment of Britain's greatest sporting summer.
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill was born in Sheffield in 1986 and became the face of the London 2012 Olympics — her heptathlon gold at the home Games, celebrated as perhaps the most emotionally resonant moment of the Games, making her arguably Britain's greatest multi-event athlete. She competed from 2003 to 2016. Her heptathlon score of 6,955 points at London 2012 was a championship record and her personal best. The heptathlon — 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m on day one; long jump, javelin and 800m on day two — demands excellence across speed, power and endurance disciplines. Her personal bests include 12.54 seconds for 100m hurdles and 1.95 metres in the high jump. She won World Championship titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015 — the latter an extraordinary return after giving birth to her son Reggie in 2013. She was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009 and 2012. She was created a Dame in 2017. She had her image painted on the BBC Sport studio floor for London 2012 — a pressure she described as simultaneously motivating and terrifying.
Heptathlon dominance and London 2012 Olympic gold
How They Played
Complete all-round athlete excelling across seven heptathlon disciplines
Lasting Impact
Face of London 2012 Olympics and greatest British heptathlete
Olympic Gold Heptathlon London 2012
She returned from maternity leave to win the 2015 World Championship — proving London 2012 was no fluke.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- Olympic Gold Heptathlon London 2012
- World Champion Heptathlon 2009, 2011, 2015
- European Champion Heptathlon 2010
- Commonwealth Champion Heptathlon 2014
- BBC Sports Personality of Year 2009, 2012
- DBE 2017 (Dame)