Few British sporting nights shine brighter than Super Saturday, and at its heart stood a Sheffield heptathlete. Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill was the face of London 2012, and she delivered under almost unbearable pressure, winning Olympic gold with a British record that still stands.
World titles, a heartbreaking injury and a comeback as a new mum make her one of Britain's finest all-rounders. Browse our athletics collection to celebrate her and the sport's other greats.
Jessica Ennis-Hill Fact File
| Full name | Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill DBE (née Ennis) |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 28 January 1986 (age 40) |
| Place of birth | Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England |
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Event | Heptathlon (pentathlon indoors) |
| Nationality | British |
| Current status | Retired (October 2016); entrepreneur and BBC athletics pundit |
| Club | City of Sheffield and Dearne AC |
| Personal best | 6,955 points (London, 4 August 2012) |
Career History
| Year | Championship | Event | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Commonwealth Games, Melbourne | Heptathlon | Bronze | 6,269 |
| 2007 | World Championships, Osaka | Heptathlon | 4th | 6,469 |
| 2009 | World Championships, Berlin | Heptathlon | Gold | 6,731 |
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships, Doha | Pentathlon | Gold | 4,937 |
| 2010 | European Championships, Barcelona | Heptathlon | Gold | 6,823 |
| 2011 | World Championships, Daegu | Heptathlon | Gold (upgraded from silver in 2016) | 6,751 |
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships, Istanbul | Pentathlon | Silver | 4,965 |
| 2012 | Olympic Games, London | Heptathlon | Gold | 6,955 |
| 2015 | World Championships, Beijing | Heptathlon | Gold | 6,669 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro | Heptathlon | Silver | 6,775 |
Points are combined totals across seven heptathlon or five pentathlon events. Her 6,955 at London 2012 remains the British record. The 2011 world title was reallocated to her after the original winner was disqualified for doping.
Sheffield Beginnings
Jessica Ennis was born in Sheffield on 28 January 1986. Her talent across the board showed early: European junior heptathlon champion in 2005, then a Commonwealth bronze in Melbourne a year later, aged just 20.
Fourth place at the 2007 World Championships suggested she was ready for the very top. Then, in 2008, came a cruel blow. Stress fractures in her right foot ruled her out of the Beijing Olympics and the rest of that season.
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World Champion
She came back stronger. To protect her injured foot she switched her take-off leg for the long jump and high jump, and in Berlin in 2009 she won the world heptathlon title with 6,731 points. A golden 2010 followed, with the world indoor pentathlon crown in Doha and European gold in Barcelona.
In Daegu in 2011 she finished second to Russia's Tatyana Chernova. Years later, in November 2016, Chernova was stripped of the title for doping, and Jessica was finally presented with that gold at the London World Championships in August 2017.
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Super Saturday and London 2012
Everything built towards a home Olympics. She opened the heptathlon with a blistering 12.54 seconds in the 100m hurdles and never looked back. On 4 August 2012, with the stadium roaring, she won the 800m to seal gold on 6,955 points, a British record. That evening (Super Saturday) also brought golds for Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah.
After the birth of her son Reggie in 2014, she returned to win the 2015 world title in Beijing. At Rio 2016 she scored 6,775 points for silver, just 35 points behind Nafissatou Thiam, and announced her retirement that October.
Relive it with our Jessica Ennis-Hill Men's Hoodie.
Honours
Olympic Games
- Gold: Heptathlon, London 2012
- Silver: Heptathlon, Rio 2016
World Championships
- Gold: Heptathlon, 2009, 2011 (reallocated) and 2015
- World Indoor gold: Pentathlon, 2010
- World Indoor silver: Pentathlon, 2012
European and Commonwealth
- European gold: Heptathlon, 2010
- Commonwealth bronze: Heptathlon, 2006
National honours and awards
- MBE (2011), CBE (2013), DBE (2017) for services to athletics
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)
Away From the Track
In 2019 she co-founded Jennis, an app-based training programme, which later added CycleMapping to help women train in tune with their menstrual cycle. She is also a familiar face on the BBC as an athletics analyst, including Olympic coverage in 2020 and 2024. She married Andy Hill in 2013; they have two children.
FAQs
How old is Jessica Ennis-Hill?
Jessica Ennis-Hill was born on 28 January 1986, so she is 40 years old.
Where was Jessica Ennis-Hill born?
She was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
How tall is Jessica Ennis-Hill?
She stands 1.65 m, or about 5 ft 5 in.
How many world titles did Jessica Ennis-Hill win?
Three outdoor heptathlon world titles (2009, 2011 and 2015) plus the 2010 world indoor pentathlon title.
What is Jessica Ennis-Hill's heptathlon record?
Her best is 6,955 points, set when winning Olympic gold in London on 4 August 2012, still the British record.
What was Super Saturday?
Super Saturday was 4 August 2012, when Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all won Olympic gold in the London Olympic Stadium.
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Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Mo Farah Career Story and Daley Thompson Career Story.
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