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Heptathlon for Women at Olympics
Heptathlon for Women at Olympics: Heptathlon is a combined event contested by women at international athletics competitions. Heptathlon consists of seven events. Three of the events are track events and four field events. The events included in the Heptathlon program are-
- 100 meter hurdles
- High jump
- Shot put
- 200 meter event
- Long jump
- Javelin throw
- 800 meter event
The heptathlon events are contested in two days. On the first day, athletes compete in are 100 meter hurdles, high jump shot put and 200 meter event. The events held on the second day are long jump, javelin throw and 800 meter event.
The combined event first contested by women was "pentathlon". Later, the seven event heptathlon replaced pentathlon from women's athletics program in major competitions. The name of the event was chosen "heptathlon", a Greek word. The word consists of two parts- "hepta" meaning "seven" and "athlon" meaning
"contest". The event was authorized by the International Association of Athletics Federations or IAAF in 1981. The events contested in the heptathlon competition test all the straits of an athlete's athletic power. Athletes have to be proficient in all the events to succeed in the competition. However, they need not be in the top three positions. The athletes are given points for their performance in the events. The points are tallied to determine the winner of the event.
Heptathlon for Women in Summer Olympics: Heptathlon was included in the women's athletics program in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games. The event replaced the old event, pentathlon, which was on schedule since the 1964 Games. Heptathlon has been contested regularly at the Olympics after the 1984 Olympics.
Rules for Heptathlon for Women: The International Association of Athletics Federations or IAAF is responsible for setting rules for the track and field events. The rules followed during the heptathlon competition at the international level are -
- Competing in all the seven events is compulsory for the athletes. Otherwise they will not be considered as participants of the heptathlon competition.
- Generally a gap of 30 minutes is given between two events. However, the time of interval is flexible.
- If any athlete is found fouling her competitors during the competition, her points are deducted for that event. The athlete can be disqualified from the competition for a serious offence. She is not allowed to compete in the next events.
- A completely automatic timing device should be used to keep times in the events. The mean of three time readings or the lower of the two times is considered to be final, when time is recorded manually.
- The individual and total scores of the athletes are declared after the completion of each event.
- In each of the shot put, javelin throw, high jump and long jump events, three chances are allowed to an athlete.
- During the high jump event, the organizing committee should determine the initial height, with which the event has to be started.
- Generally, the 100 meter hurdle event is contested in adjacent lanes.
- In the shot put, javelin throw, high jump and long jump events, metric system is used for taking measurements. A steel tape is used to take the measurements.
- The winner of heptathlon is the athlete with the highest point after the completion of all the events. The tie in the first position is broken by evaluating the event wise performance of the athletes.
Medal Winners in the Heptathlon for Women: Anke Behmer, Natalya Shubenkova, Eunice Barber, Ramona Neubert, Ghada Shouaa, Sabine Braun, Carolina Kluft, Larisa Turchinskaya, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Denise Lewis, Natallia Sazanovich and Irina Belova are some of the athletes who excelled in the domain of heptathlon competition at international level. |
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Olympic history: Women’s combined events
by Steve Smythe April 26, 2016
In a continuing series, Steve Smythe looks at the history of events at the Olympics and this time it is the turn of the women’s pentathlon and heptathlon
While the men’s decathlon debuted in the Olympics in 1904, the women had to wait 60 years to get their first combined events competition and it was a half decathlon in the form of a pentathlon.
Britain have done well in the event and we look at the history of an event that is shaping up as one of Britain’s best medal hopes for Rio with a double-pronged attack from defending champion Ennis-Hill and last year’s world number one Johnson-Thompson.
Pentathlon – 1964 to 1980
Iryna Press won the first ever pentathlon in Tokyo 1964 with a world record 5246 points. She won easily by 211 points but her dominance was purely down to a 17.16m shot which took 386 points out of the runner-up Mary Rand. That throw was significantly further than Press achieved in finishing sixth in the shot final. Long jump champion Rand, who threw just 11.05m, was significantly better in the last three events and moved into second.
In Mexico in 1968, Germany’s Ingrid Becker was also poor in the shot, but made up for it in the other four events, culminating in a 23.5 200m. She had been just eighth in 1964.
German athletes took three of the first four places in 1972 but Great Britain came out on top while in 1976 the event was dominated by East Germany, who clean-sweeped the medals.
The final pentathlon in 1980, now with an 800m instead of a 200m, was dominated by the Soviet Union who also won all the medals with all their trio breaking the world record. Nadezhda Tkachenko had been ninth in 1972 and fifth in 1976, but greatly improved thereafter. She initially won the 1978 European Championships but lost the title to a failed drugs test but was back in time after a 18 month suspension for Moscow. Her improvement was significant between the Olympics – from 14.90m to 16.84m in the shot and from 6.08m to 6.73m in the long jump and she finished with a 2:05.82 800m. Bronze medallist Olga Kuragina finished with a 2:03.6!
Heptathlon – 1984 to 2012
The inaugural heptathlon in 1984 was badly affected by the East European boycott and Britain’s Judy Simpson led the first day though the big favourite was Jackie Joyner. The American who went on to jump 6.77m in the long jump final, struggled in the multi event starting with two no jumps and her final jump was a mere 6.11m from way behind the board. A 44.52m javelin throw put her ahead though but she lost out to Glynis Nunn in the 800m and lost by five points which was effectively 0.33 of a second in the 800m or 3cm in the long jump.
The American’s name changed in 1988 as she was now Joyner-Kersee and she was a different athlete too. Her long jump was now an astonishing 7.27m but she also improved from 13.63 to 12.69 in the hurdles, 1.80m to 1.86m in the high jump, from 14.29m to 15.80m in the shot, from 24.05 to 22.56 in the 200m and from 2:13.03 to 2:06.51 in the 800m. The result was a still-standing world record 7291 points.
She defended easily in Barcelona in 1992 but was only better in the high jump where she achieved 1.91m. Her 7044 score was better than anyone else has ever achieved. Carolina Kluft, who has come closest to the American’s score, achieved the biggest ever victory in Athens in 2004 as she won by over 500 points.
Most memorable Olympic pentathlon/heptathlon – Montreal 1976
It wasn’t the best quality Championship but the Montreal pentathlon was the closest major multi event in history with the biggest changes in the final event. After four of the events, just 95 points covered the top eight:
Nadezhda Tkachenko 3788
Lyudmila Popovskaya 3772
Burglinde Pollak 3768
Diane Jones 3764
Christine Laser 3757
Margit Papp 3726
Siegrun Siegl 3718
Jane Frederick 3693
Siegrun Siegl, the world long jump record-holder at 6.99m, managed just 6.49m in her speciality and it only moved her up to seventh place with just the 200m to go. In that though she excelled and ran a time of 23.09. That gave her a total of 4745 while Christine Laser, who had been fifth, ran 23.48 and she too achieved a total of 4745 and the athletes who had started seventh and fifth had moved past everyone to the top.
The gold was decided by head-to-heads and Siegl held advantage over her East German compatriot by 3-2. World record-holder Burglinde Pollak, who had been close to gold in Munich but ended up third, was even closer in Canada. Had she run six hundredths of a second faster, she would have won gold but her 23.64 left her just five points short of her team-mates.
Nadezhda Tkachenko, who had started the event in first found a 24.61 dropped her to fifth. She was to fare better in Moscow in 1980.
Final scores:
1 Siegl 4745
2 Laser 4745
3 Pollak 4740
4 Popovskaya 4700
5 Tkachenko 4669
6 Jones 4582
7 Frederick 4566
8 Papp 4535
|
| Los Angeles, 3/4 Aug 1984 |
| (Competitors: 23; Countries: 13) |
Final
| RANK | FINAL RANKING | POINTS |
|---|
 |
 Glynis Nunn (AUS) |
6390 |
 |
 Jackie Joyner (USA) |
6385 |
 |
 Sabine Everts (FRG) |
6363 |
| 4. |
Cindy Greiner (USA) |
6281 |
| 5. |
 Judy Simpson (GBR) |
6280 |
| 6. |
Sabine Braun (FRG) |
6236 |
| 7. |
 Tineke Hidding (NED) |
6147 |
| 8. |
Kim Hagger (GBR) |
6127 |
| 9. |
Birgit Dressel (FRG) |
6082 |
| 10. |
 Corinne Schneider (SUI) |
6042 |
| 11. |
Marjon Wijnsma (NED) |
6015 |
| 12. |
 Kristine Tannander (SWE) |
5985 |
|
| In the absence of the top GDR and USSR stars, as well as Jane Frederick, the best American, who was injured at the US Trials, Joyner was favourite. Although eighth after two events, she was in with a chance after a fine 14.39 in the shot which allied with a good 200m (24.05), meant that she was only 20 points behind Simpson at the end of the first day, while Nunn and Everts were within 18 points of the American. Joyner’s best event was the long jump, but two fouls left her with a safe effort of 6.11 to make, and this was the difference between gold and silver. A jump in the 6.70 region would have meant a win by 120 points. Instead, Nunn brilliantly reached her lifetime best of 6.66, and was 109 points ahead of the American, though one point behind Everts. Nunn threw only 35.58 in the javelin, but Everts was even more inept, reaching a mere 32.62. In the 800m Nunn set her fourth pb of the event, to come home just five points ahead of Joyner, with Everts a close third, just 27 points away from gold. |
| Seoul, 23/24 Sep 1988 |
| (Competitors: 30; Countries: 19) |
Final
| RANK | FINAL RANKING | POINTS |
|---|
|
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) |
7291(WR) |
|
 Sabine John (GDR) |
6897 |
|
Anke Behmer (GDR) |
6858 |
| 4. |
 Natalya Shubenkova (URS) |
6540 |
| 5. |
Remigija Sablovskaitė (URS) |
6456 |
| 6. |
Ines Schulz (GDR) |
6411 |
| 7. |
Jane Flemming (AUS) |
6351 |
| 8. |
Cindy Greiner (USA) |
6297 |
| 9. |
 Zuzana Lajbnerová (TCH) |
6252 |
| 10. |
Svetlana Buraga (URS) |
6232 |
| 11. |
Marjon Wijnsma (NED) |
6205 |
| 12. |
 Svetla Dimitrova (BUL) |
6171 |
|
| At the time of Seoul, Joyner-Kersee possessed the top five marks of alltime, with four over 7100, almost 200 points ahead of the next best. JJK lost no time in impressing the crowd with her 12.69 hurdles, with John running a fine 12.85. Joyner-Kersee then topped the high jump with 1.86, and only lost ground to the previous world record holder with her shot of 15.80, as compared to the GDR star’s 16.23. At this point Joyner-Kersee led by 73 points. She then ran a superb 22.56 to gain more than 100 points over John’s good 23.05. She was 103 points behind her world record score at the US Trials, but made up 92 of that margin with an Olympic record of 7.27 in the long jump. Her 45.66 javelin lost ground only to Shubenkova (47.46) and her world record as she now trailed her record score by 97 points. Following the three GDR stars and Shubenkova she ran her lifetime best of 2:08.51 and broke her world record by 76 points with 7291, winning by almost 400 points from John, with Behmer a close third with 6858. Twelve years later, Joyner Kersee’s score remained the best and will continue to do so well into the millennium with the advent of the new specification of javelin. |
| Barcelona, 31 Jul/1 Aug 1992 |
| (Competitors: 32; Countries: 22) |
Final
| RANK | FINAL RANKING | POINTS |
|---|
|
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) |
7044 |
|
 Irina Belova (EUN) |
6845 |
|
Sabine Braun (GER) |
6649 |
| 4. |
 Liliana Năstase (ROU) |
6619
(NR) |
| 5. |
 Svetla Dimitrova (BUL) |
6464 |
| 6. |
Peggy Beer (GER) |
6434 |
| 7. |
Birgit Clarius (GER) |
6388 |
| 8. |
 Urszula Włodarczyk (POL) |
6333 |
| 9. |
Cindy Greiner (USA) |
6300 |
| 10. |
Maria Kamrowska (POL) |
6263 |
| 11. |
Kym Carter (USA) |
6256 |
| 12. |
Anzhela Atroshchenko (EUN) |
6251 |
|
| Recovering from an ankle injury Joyner-Kersee was not quite the athlete she had been in 1988. Nevertheless, she led after the first event with a fine 12.85 in the hurdles (worth 1147). She was just one ahead of Năstase’s 12.86, but 60 clear of Braun and Belova, her principal rivals. Braun gained on the American in the next two events, most notably with her fine high jump of 1.94, but Joyner-Kersee was more than a second quicker than Braun, with 23.12, and Belova moved to within striking distance of the German, with 23.34. The long jump saw Joyner-Kersee leap beyond her individual bronze medal distance with 7.10, to take a 239-point lead over Belova, whose 6.82 would have been good enough for fourth in the long jump final. Braun, meanwhile, slumped to 6.02. JJK was clearly safe for the gold medal and she scored her first 7000+ effort since the Seoul event; it was also the final such effort of her career. Belova was a clear winner of the silver medal, with Braun just holding off Năstase for the bronze. |
| Atlanta, 27/28 Jul 1996 |
| (Competitors: 29; Countries: 21) |
Final classification
| Rank | Final ranking | Points |
|---|
|
 Ghada Shouaa (SYR) |
6.780 |
|
 Natalya Sazanovich (BLR) |
6.563 |
|
Denise Lewis (GBR) |
6.489 |
| 4. |
Urszula Włodarczyk (POL) |
6.484 |
| 5. |
 Eunice Barber (SLE) |
6.342 |
| 6. |
 Rita Ináncsi (HUN) |
6.336 |
| 7. |
Sabine Braun (GER) |
6.317 |
| 8. |
Kelly Blair (USA) |
6.307 |
| 9. |
Sharon Hanson (USA) |
6.292 |
| 10. |
 Remigija Nazaroviene (LTU) |
6.254 |
| 11. |
Mona Steigauf (GER) |
6.246 |
| — |
 Regla Cardenas (CUB) |
6.246 |
|
| Syria had never produced a world-class athlete until the emergence of Shouaa, who won the world title in 1995. A healthy Joyner-Kersee would have been tipped to beat Shouaa, but JJK injured herself in running 13.24 in the hurdles and retired after warming up for the high jump. This was held in drizzly conditions, and Shouaa and Włodarczyk did well to clear 1.86. Shouaa then threw the shot a Syrian record 15.95, and after a good 23.85 in the 200m led by 112 points with 3992, from Włodarczyk, with Sazanovich third with 3856. Both Shouaa (6.26) and Lewis (6.32) had poor long jumps, leaving Shouaa six points behind Sazanovich. Lewis (54.82) and Shouaa (55.70) threw magnificently in the javelin, which lifted the Briton to third, and Shouaa to a 182 point lead over Sazanovich. Shouaa beat both her principal opponents in the 800m to win by more than 200 points, with Lewis third by just five points from the Pole. |
| Sydney, 23/24 Sep 2000 |
| (Competitors: 33: Countries: 23) |
Overall results
Points table after 7th event:
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Overall
points | Overview by event (points on top, then result. Best performance in each event shown in green) |
|---|
| 100 mh |
HJ |
SP |
200 m |
LJ |
JT |
800 m |
 |
Denise Lewis |
 Great Britain |
6584 |
1090 pts
13.23 s |
916
1.75 |
898
15.55 |
948
24.34 |
1001
6.48 |
864
50.19 |
867
2:16.83 |
 |
Yelena Prokhorova |
 Russia |
6531 |
1031 pts
13.63 s |
991
1.81 |
741
13.21 |
1008
23.72 |
1036
6.59 |
764
45.05[1] |
960
2:10.32 |
 |
Natallia Sazanovich |
 Belarus |
6527 (SB) |
1058 pts
13.45 s |
1029
1.84 |
847
14.79 |
969
24.12 |
1007
6.50 |
744
43.97 |
873
2:16.41[1] |
| 4 |
Urszula Włodarczyk |
 Poland |
6470 (SB) |
1075 pts
13.33 s |
953
1.78 |
824
14.45 |
953
24.29 |
946
6.31 |
786
46.16[1] |
933
2:12.15 |
| 5 |
Sabine Braun |
 Germany |
6355 |
1052 pts
13.49 s |
991
1.81 |
816
14.33 |
911
24.74 |
918
6.22 |
832
48.56 |
835
2:19.14 |
| 6 |
Natalya Roshchupkina |
Russia |
6237 |
1021 pts
13.70 s[1] |
1029
1.84 |
796
14.03 |
1026
23.53 |
691
5.47 |
742
43.87 |
932
2:12.24 |
| 7 |
Karin Specht-Ertl |
Germany |
6209 |
1060 pts
13.43 s |
953
1.78 |
764
13.55 |
920
24.64 |
918
6.22 |
719
42.70 |
875
2:16.25 |
| 8 |
Tiia Hautala |
 Finland |
6173 |
1033 pts
13.62 s |
953
1.78 |
748
13.31 |
887
25.00 |
887
6.12 |
771
45.40 |
894
2:14.90 |
| 9 |
Le Shundra Nathan |
 United States |
6150 |
1015 pts
13.74 s |
953
1.78 |
809
14.22 |
902
24.84 |
868
6.06 |
734
43.48 |
869
2:16.67 |
| 10 |
Jane Jamieson |
 Australia |
6104 |
966 pts
14.09 s |
991
1.81 |
767
13.59 |
862
25.27 |
877
6.09 |
770
45.32 |
871
2:16.57 |
| 11 |
Magalys García |
 Cuba |
6054 (SB) |
1056 pts
13.46 s |
806
1.66 |
747
13.29 |
926
24.58 |
825
5.92 |
866
50.31 |
828
2:19.64 |
| 12 |
Austra Skujytė |
 Lithuania |
6034 |
927 pts
14.37 s |
953
1.78 |
867
15.09[1] |
855
25.35 |
840
5.97 |
772
45.43 |
820
2:20.25 |
|
| World Champion Eunice Barber and Denise Lewis were the most highly regarded from their scores of 6842 and 6831 earlier in the season, but Barber was injured in July, and the third possible winner – reigning champion Ghada Shouaa – also had injury problems. Shouaa failed to finish the hurdles, but Barber ran an event-leading 12.97, backing it up with 1.84 to share the high jump lead. Things then went downhill for the Frenchwoman as she put 11.27 against Lewis’s 15.55. She was then more than a second down on her 200m best and retired injured after one poor long jump on the second day. Sazanovich had led from the shot on, heading the field with 3903 after day one, with Roshchupkina (3872) and Lewis (3852) the closest. The leading Russian fell out of contention with disastrous long jump contest, having two fouls and a paltry 5.47. Sazanovich was finally caught in the javelin, where Lewis threw more than 6m further than the Belarussian to gain 120 points. Prokhorova ran 6.09 seconds faster than Sazanovich in the 800m to slip four points past her, while Lewis improved two places from her Atlanta finish to take her first global title. |
| Athens, 20/21 Aug 2004 |
| (Competitors: 34; Countries: 24) |
Overall results
The final results of the event are in the following table.[4]
- Key
The highest mark recorded in each event is highlighted in yellow
|
|
Carolina Klüft (SWE) |
6952 (SB) |
1093
13.21 s |
1119
1.91 m |
845
14.77 m |
1052
23.27 s |
1099
6.78 m |
839
48.89 m |
905
2:14.15 min |
|
Austra Skujytė (LTU) |
6435 (PB) |
974
14.03 s |
928
1.76 m |
955
16.40 m |
903
24.82 s |
943
6.30 m |
852
49.58 m |
880
2:15.92 min |
|
Kelly Sotherton (GBR) |
6424 (PB) |
1059
13.44 s |
1041
1.85 m |
747
13.29 m |
1022
23.57 s |
1010
6.51 m |
613
37.19 m |
932
2:12.27 min |
| 4 |
Shelia Burrell (USA) |
6296 (SB) |
1099
13.17 s |
855
1.70 m |
737
13.14 m |
975
24.06 s |
927
6.25 m |
815
47.69 m |
888
2:15.32 min |
| 5 |
 Yelena Prokhorova (RUS) |
6289 |
1001
13.84 s |
966
1.79 m |
772
13.67 m |
914
24.71 s |
915
6.21 m |
775
45.58 m |
946
2:11.31 min |
| 6 |
Sonja Kesselschläger (GER) |
6287 (PB) |
1068
13.38 s |
928
1.76 m |
829
14.53 m |
866
25.23 s |
981
6.42 m |
725
42.29 m |
890
2:15.21 min |
| 7 |
 Marie Collonvillé (FRA) |
6279 (SB) |
1028
13.65 s |
1041
1.85 m |
684
12.35 m |
863
25.26 s |
908
6.19 m |
843
49.14 m |
912
2:13.62 min |
| 8 |
 Nataliya Dobrynska (UKR) |
6255 |
994
13.89 s |
1003
1.82 m |
841
14.70 m |
885
25.02 s |
921
6.23 m |
746
44.08 m |
865
2:17.01 min |
| 9 |
 Margaret Simpson (GHA) |
6253 |
1041
13.56 s |
966
1.79 m |
688
12.41 m |
922
24.62 s |
856
6.02 m |
925
53.32 m |
855
2:17.72 min |
| 10 |
Svetlana Sokolova (RUS) |
6210 |
1021
13.70 s |
855
1.70 m |
835
14.61 m |
961
24.21 s |
801
5.84 m |
819
47.86 m |
918
2:13.23 min |
| 11 |
 Shobha Javur (IND) |
6172 |
1046
13.53 s |
818
1.67 m |
696
12.52 m |
1038
23.41 s |
962
6.36 m |
751
44.36 m |
861
2:17.28 min |
| 12 |
Claudia Tonn (GER) |
6155 |
993
13.90 s |
1003
1.82 m |
656
11.92 m |
902
24.84 s |
959
6.35 m |
689
41.12 m |
953
2:10.77 min |
|
| A battle between the top two of 2003, Klüft and Eunice Barber, was the hoped-for scenario, but the frequently injured Barber missed the outdoor season, leaving Klüft as the prohibitive favourite. The event began with the three Americans Perry (12.74), Lott-Hogan (13.13) and Burrell (13.17) leading the way from Klüft’s lifetime best of 13.21. Then the Swede cleared 1.91, and she was 112 points clear of her nearest rival. From that point on Klüft extended her lead in every event. Skujytė (16.40) and Perry (22.91) led the Shot and 200m, but Klüft produced four seasonal bests and dominated her opposition. The battle for the silver medal was between Sotherton and Skujytė, with the Briton ahead by 176 points after the long jump, but 63 points behind after the javelin. Skujytė managed to hold on to the silver, losing 52 points to Sotherton’s 800m pb of 2:12.27. Defending Champion Lewis won her hurdles heat and placed second in the shot put but withdrew after failing to reach six metres in the long jump. |
| Beijing, 15/16 Aug 2008 |
| (Competitors: 43; Countries: 28) |
Overall results
- Key
The highest mark recorded in each event is highlighted in yellow
|
|
Nataliya Dobrynska (UKR) |
6733 (PB) |
1059
13.44 s |
978
1.80 m |
1015
17.29 m |
944
24.39 s |
1049
6.63 m |
833
48.60 m |
855
2:17.72 min |
|
Hyleas Fountain (USA) |
6619 |
1158
12.78 s |
1093
1.89 m |
751
13.36 m |
1058
23.21 s |
969
6.38 m |
704
41.93 m |
886
2:15.45 min |
|
Tatyana Chernova (RUS) |
6591 |
1028
13.65 s |
1016
1.83 m |
719
12.88 m |
986
23.95 s |
997
6.47 m |
829
48.37 m |
1016
2:06.50 min |
| 4 |
Kelly Sotherton (GBR) |
6517 |
1097
13.18 s |
1016
1.83 m |
785
13.87 m |
1040
23.39 s |
953
6.33 m |
622
37.66 m |
1004
2:07.34 min |
| 5 |
 Jessica Zelinka (CAN) |
6490 (NR) |
1129
12.97 s |
941
1.77 m |
780
13.79 m |
1016
23.64 s |
887
6.12 m |
742
43.91 m |
995
2:07.95 min |
| 6 |
Anna Bogdanova (RUS) |
6465 (PB) |
1111
13.09 s |
1054
1.86 m |
799
14.08 m |
958
24.24 s |
991
6.45 m |
579
35.41 m |
973
2:09.45 min |
| 7 |
Karolina Tyminska (POL) |
6428 (PB) |
1033
13.62 s |
941
1.77 m |
799
14.08 m |
1040
23.39 s |
1017
6.53 m |
590
35.97 m |
1008
2:07.08 min |
| 8 |
Lilli Schwarzkopf (GER) |
6379 |
1017
13.73 s |
978
1.80 m |
835
14.61 m |
885
25.02 s |
837
5.96 m |
897
51.88 m |
951
2:10.91 min |
| 9 |
Jolanda Keizer (NED) |
6370 (PB) |
993
13.90 s |
1016
1.83 m |
871
15.15 m |
984
23.97 s |
896
6.15 m |
720
42.76 m |
890
2:15.21 min |
| 10 |
Kylie Wheeler (AUS) |
6369 (PB) |
1024
13.68 s |
1093
1.89 m |
731
13.06 m |
954
24.28 s |
883
6.11 m |
741
43.81 m |
943
2:11.49 min |
| 11 |
Jennifer Oeser (GER) |
6360 |
1040
13.57 s |
978
1.80 m |
769
13.62 m |
917
24.67 s |
899
6.16 m |
812
47.53 m |
945
2:11.33 min |
| 12 |
Marie Collonvillé (FRA) |
6302 (SB) |
1040
13.57 s |
1054
1.86 m |
689
12.42 m |
881
25.06 s |
915
6.21 m |
785
46.14 m |
938
2:11.81 min |
|
| Klüft effectively retired from combined events in 2007, leaving this event without a firm favourite in Beijing. Fountain – with 6667 in the US Trials had the world’s best pre-Olympic mark – and she led through the first two events having taken the hurdles in 12.78, followed by 1.89 in the high jump. Her lead was 86 points over Bogdanova with Lyudmila Blonska (UKR) third. The other top Ukrainian, Dobrynska produced a superb 17.29 in the shot, a Heptathlon world best, to move from 10th to first. Fountain then ran 23.21 in the 200m to regain the lead with 4060, with Dobrynska (3996) and Sotherton (3938) her nearest rivals overnight. Dobrynska surprisingly stretched away on the second day. First, versus four athletes with personal bests of 6.78 or better, she jumped 6.63 to win the long jump, and then a javelin throw of 48.60 took her lead to 145 over Fountain (5733) and Blonska (5727). Dobrynska ran 2:17.72 to finish with 6733, while Blonska totalled 6700. Fountain beat Chernova by 28 points for the bronze, despite the Russian winning the 800m with an excellent 2:06.50. Four days after the event it was announced that Blonska had failed a doping test for testosterone, and – having had a previous drugs suspension in 2003-2005 – was banned for life. So Fountain and Chernova were upgraded to silver and bronze. Dobrynska had entered the competition ranked 13th among contenders, but five lifetime bests meant that she beat her previous best by 346 points. |
| London, 3/4 Aug 2012 |
| (Competitors: 38; Countries: 26; Finishers: 32) |
Overall results
- Key
♦ The highest mark recorded in each event is highlighted in yellow with a diamond symbol.
|
|
Jessica Ennis (GBR) |
6955
(WL, NR) |
1195
12.54 s♦ |
1054
1.86 m |
813
14.28 m |
1096
22.83 s♦ |
1001
6.48 m |
812
47.49 m |
984
2:08.65♦ |
|
Lilli Schwarzkopf (GER) |
6649
(PB) |
1086
13.26 s |
1016
1.83 m |
845
14.77 m |
908
24.77 s |
943
6.30 m |
894
51.73 m |
957
2:10.50 |
|
Tatyana Chernova (RUS) |
6628 |
1053
13.48 s |
978
1.80 m |
805
14.17 m |
1013
23.67 s |
1020
6.54 m♦ |
788
46.29 m |
971
2:09.56 |
| 4 |
 Austra Skujytė (LTU) |
6599
(PB) |
978
14.00 s |
1132
1.92 m♦ |
1016
17.31 m♦ |
848
25.43 s |
927
6.25 m |
882
51.13 m |
816
2:20.59 |
| 5 |
Antoinette Nana Djimou Ida (FRA) |
6576
(PB) |
1130
12.96 s |
978
1.80 m |
811
14.26 m |
913
24.72 s |
890
6.13 m |
974
55.87 m |
912
2:13.62 |
| 6 |
Jessica Zelinka (CAN) |
6480 |
1178
12.65 s |
830
1.68 m |
848
14.81 m |
1047
23.32 s |
822
5.91 m |
778
45.75 m |
977
2:09.15 |
| 7 |
Kristina Savitskaya (RUS) |
6452 |
1069
13.37 s |
1016
1.83 m |
845
14.77 m |
937
24.46 s |
915
6.21 m |
738
43.70 m |
932
2:12.27 |
| 8 |
 Laura Ikauniece (LAT) |
6414
(=NR) |
1020
13.71 s |
1016
1.83 m |
704
12.64 m |
965
24.16 s |
890
6.13 m |
885
51.27 m |
934
2:12.13 |
| 9 |
Hanna Melnychenko (UKR) |
6392 |
1077
13.32 s |
978
1.80 m |
725
12.96 m |
972
24.09 s |
975
6.40 m |
742
43.86 m |
923
2:12.90 |
| 10 |
Brianne Theisen (CAN) |
6383 |
1080
13.30 s |
1016
1.83 m |
720
12.89 m |
947
24.35 s |
853
6.01 m |
792
46.47 m |
975
2:09.27 |
| 11 |
Dafne Schippers (NED) |
6324 |
1053
13.48 s |
978
1.80 m |
772
13.67 m |
1096
22.83 s♦ |
937
6.28 m |
603
36.63 m |
885
2:15.52 |
| 12 |
Nadine Broersen (NED) |
6319
(PB) |
1030
13.64 s |
1054
1.86 m |
765
13.57 m |
875
25.13 s |
831
5.94 m |
899
51.98 m |
865
2:16.98 |
|
The two principals were the past two World Champions, Ennis and Chernova. Tantalisingly, their personal bests sums were respectively 7076 and 7079. There could hardly have been more pressure on Ennis, Britain’s most successful woman athlete since 2009. She was scheduled
to compete on the first morning of Olympic athletics in front a capacity crowd of 80,000. Her response could not have been qualitative, for she thrillingly won her hurdles heat in 12.54. Not only a world heptathlon record, but also a British record for that individual event. Ennis’s high jump of 1.86 was not so impressive (her best being 1.95), but she still placed third in that event to maintain her lead. The high jump winner was Athens silver medallist Skujyte, and the Lithuanian did even better in the next event with her own world heptathlon best of 17.31. After three events, Skujyte led from Ennis, 3126 to 3062. The rest were 100 points behind. Ennis went back into the lead with another dazzling track performance, a 22.83 200m just behind Schippers in the final heat. The Briton led with 4158 overnight from Skujyte (3974) and Zelinka (3903). Chernova was ninth on 3849.
At the 2011 World Championships Chernova overcame a 151 point first-day deficit to defeat Ennis, but in London the gap was 309. It was
clear that the Russian could only win if Ennis faltered, but that never happened. The British athlete long jumped 6.48 and threw the javelin a
personal best of 47.29. Ennis led by 188 before the 800m, which represented the unbreachable margin of around 13 seconds. Yet she still
won the final event in style, leading after the first lap, succumbing to Chernova, then surging again in the finishing straight. Skujyte was
more vulnerable and despite running hard, was overtaken by three women on points.
One of those, Schwarzkopf, thought she had taken overall silver but was dismayed when her name did not appear in the standings initially
shown on the scoreboard. She had been wrongly disqualified for a lane violation in the 800m. Happily this mistake was rectified in time for the medal ceremony. Chernova took bronze just ahead of Lyudmyla Yosypenko (6618), though the Ukrainian was eventually disqualified when abnormalities, dating back to 2011, were detected in her Athlete Biological Passport. A further retrospective doping case concerning Chernova is ongoing as at June 10, 2016. |
|
|
Day one
In the first event Ennis-Hill was the expected top finisher with 12.84 seconds (her best in a championship since the London Olympics). Theisen-Eaton was off her best at 13.18 and Johnson-Thompson was a tenth off her own. The top three performers were rounded out by Barbadian Akela Jones (13.00) and Dutchwoman Nadine Visser (13.02).
World heptathlon bests came in the high jump, courtesy of Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam and Johnson-Thompson's clearances of 1.98 m (the latter setting an outright British record). The pair led the rankings after the second event. Jones was short of her best but still cleared 1.89 m to place fourth. Ennis-Hill and Theisen-Eaton performed close to their best and remained in the top five overall.
Despite an elbow injury, Thiam topped the shot put with 14.91 m to take the lead in the third round. Solid marks from Ennis-Hill, Theisen-Eaton and Jones saw them remain in the top five. Her weakest event, Johnson-Thompson slid to out of the lead and into sixth place after a poor 11.68 m. Germany's Carolin Schafer moved into the top five with a personal best. Barbara Nwaba and Visser placed in the top three of this event but remained outside the top eight.
In the last event of the day, Johnson-Thompson was best in the 200 m, winning in 23.26 seconds to lift herself back to fourth. Ennis-Hill was the next best, moving into the lead as a result, and Thiam was in second after delivering her best first-day performance. Jones and Schafer made up the top five, while a slow run from Theisen-Eaton saw her drop to sixth.
Day two
Thiam regained the lead as a result of a 6.58 m personal best in the long jump. Britain's Ennis-Hill and Johnson-Thompson both were a little short of their best with 6.34 m and 6.51 m, respectively, but remained in the top three. Akela Jones stayed in fourth place. Theisen-Eaton scored over 1000 points in the event, but remained nearly 150 points off the lead in fifth. Claudia Rath was the second best performer of the round with 6.55 m but was down the order in 14th.
Despite carrying an elbow injury, Thiam excelled in the javelin with a personal best of 53.13 m. Ennis-Hill remained in second through her throw of 46.06 m, while Theisen-Eaton's 47.36 m put her ahead of fourth-placed Schäfer. A poor throw of 36.36 m pushed Johnson-Thompson out of medal contention. Latvia's Laura Ikauniece-Admidina was the best of the round with 55.93 m, moving into fifth before the final event. Sofía Yfantídou of Greece was the other strong performer of the event with 54.57 m, moving her out of last place.
At the start of the seventh event, Thiam had a 142-point lead worth nearly ten seconds for the 800 m. In the final race, Ennis-Hill took to the front and was on for a personal best at the halfway point, trailed by Theisen-Eaton, Johnson-Thompson and Ikauniece-Admidina. The Briton finished the race in first with 2:09.07 minutes (a season's best). Latvia's Ikauniece-Admidina had a personal best to finish second, but with Theisen-Eaton, close behind, she retained her bronze medal spot. Thiam ran her fifth lifetime best of the competition ended with 2:16.54 minutes. She remained 35 points clear at the top of the leaderboard and won the gold medal in a Belgian national record of 6810 points. Ennis-Hill relinquished her title with a 6775-point silver medal performance while Theisen-Eaton made her first Olympic podium in 6653 points. The standard of the performances in the field was high, with six women going beyond 6500 points in a heptathlon for the first time and best ever score for placings across the field from sixth onwards (bar ninth and twelfth). The event would ultimately prove to be Ennis-Hill's final major competition, as she announced her retirement from athletics two months later.
The medals were presented by Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant, IOC member, Belgium and Sylvia Barlag, Council Member of the IAAF.
|
|
Glynis Nunn
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (3 medals) 
Great Britain (5 medals)
Nafissatou Thiam 
East Germany
Unified Team
Syria
Belarus
Sweden
Lithuania
Ukraine
Lithuania
Belgium
Canada
Belarus 
