Jessica Ennis, the world heptathlon champion, was said to be devastated after pulling out of the Aviva European Trials and UK Championships in Birmingham this weekend.
Ennis has been advised to take three days’ rest after feeling dizzy yesterday. The problem is not serious, but Ennis was nevertheless crestfallen as she had planned to compete in four events to warm up for the European Championships in Barcelona next month.
She has been in a rich vein of form after suffering a minor foot injury in the spring, bouncing back to win the World Indoor pentathlon title in Qatar and then beating the cream of the heptathlon at the Hypo-Meeting in Gotzis, Austria last month. Her progress continued two weeks ago when she set a new personal best in the long jump at the Diamond League meeting in New York.
Ennis’s dizzy spell is unlikely to affect her programme beyond this weekend, but it inevitably raises concern. In her Times column earlier this month, she warned of the dangers of burn-out, while she had previously revealed that her main fear is being unfit or unwell when it comes to the London Olympics.
She had been eying Angie Thorpe’s 14-year-old British record in the 100m hurdles this weekend and was also keen to back up her long jump showing in New York with another leap beyond 6.5 metres. She was also due to compete in the high jump and shot put.