Jessica Ennis-Hill closing in on gold at World Championships
Last Updated: 23/08/15 5:16pm
Jessica Ennis-Hill is on course for World Championship gold after Katarina Johnson-Thompson's challenge collapsed in agonising fashion.
It proved a fascinating battle between master and apprentice, resulting in the British pair occupying the top two spots on Saturday night in Beijing.
The victor was only expected to become clear in the final heptathlon event on Sunday evening, yet Johnson-Thompson's disastrous long jump ruled her out of contention.
Ennis-Hill's season best effort of 6.43m gave her a comfortable cushion at the top of the overall standings, which remained solid after throwing 42.51m in the javelin.
It puts the London 2012 Olympic champion on the cusp of gold with just the 800m to go, boasting an 86-point cushion – the equivalent to approximately six seconds – over Holland's Nadine Broesen in second.
Johnson-Thompson, by contrast, ended a galling morning session in 29th place overall.
The 22-year-old started the day 80 points behind Ennis-Hill and was expected to wrestle away the heptathlon lead given her prowess in the long jump.
However, she ended the session 1,123 behind her compatriot after failing to record a distance, with the third red flag particularly exasperating.
It would have been the event's biggest distance was it not chalked off, with officials deeming Johnson-Thompson to have left the slightest imprint on the plasticine.
After several minutes of discussions, and despite her remonstrations, it was ruled an illegal effort – a decision British Athletics appealed, only to later withdraw it after accepting it was a foul.
It left Johnson-Thompson visibly shell-shocked, although she continued in the javelin and produced a best of 39.52m.
