Jubilant Sheffield to honour its golden wonder

Ennis fulfilled her destiny to bring home the heptathlon gold after winning the 800m on Saturday night with a sprint finish, a night when the top spot on the winners’ podium was also taken by 10,000m runner Mo Farah and long jumper Greg Rutherford.

Lord Coe said the gold medal feats of Farah, Rutherford, and his fellow Sheffielder Ennis made Saturday the defining moment of the Games and surpassed the “Cathy Freeman night” of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Lord Coe said: “It was the greatest day of sport I have ever witnessed.

“I dreamt that we would have a night like that but not in my wildest dreams did I think that it would actually unfold in the way that it did.

“There was a narrative of infectious success and it is a day none of us will ever forget.”

More than 17 million people tuned in to watch Farah clinch gold in the 10,000m – the biggest television audience for the Games so far – while overnight ratings showed 16.3 million viewers watched as Ennis powered to victory in the 800m and claimed the gold medal.

BBC Olympics boss Roger Mosey described the viewing figures, which also included an audience of 15.6 million for Greg Rutherford’s long jump gold and 9.2 million for the women’s team pursuit win, as “stunning.”

And after the high drama of Saturday night, dignitaries in Sheffield were yesterday clamouring to come up with the perfect tribute to recognise Ennis’s gold medal glory.

Calling for her to be granted the freedom of the city, Deputy Prime Minister and Sheffield Hallam MP Nick Clegg said: “Seeing local girl Jess win gold has been the highlight of the Olympics so far.

“Her truly inspirational victory has done our country and Sheffield proud.

“I can’t think of any better way to mark this outstanding achievement than granting Jess freedom of the city.”

By lunchtime, crowds were gathering near to Sheffield City Hall to celebrate the successes of the 26-year-old who was born, went to school, trained and still lives in the city.

Former Sheffield Council leader Paul Scriven has also started a Twitter campaign to rename 
Tudor Square, outside the Crucible and Lyceum theatres, in her honour and erect a statue there.Others have taken to social media to suggest the Don Valley Stadium, where the heptathlete has trained and competed since childhood, should be renamed the Jessica Ennis Stadium.

The stadium, which was built for the 1991 World Student Games, is where the heptathlete was first spotted, aged 10.

On Saturday night, 2,000 people screamed their jubilation at
Don Valley as they watched her historic victory unfold on a big screen.

Sheffield Council has also promised a full civic welcome for 
Ennis. Council leader Julie Dore said: “A homegrown gold medal winner being born and bred in the city, Jessica is truly made in Sheffield and we are bursting with 
joy to see her take Olympic
gold.”

The star of the hour, meanwhile, took to Twitter yesterday morning to thank her thousands of fans for their support.

Ennis tweeted: “I can’t thank everyone enough for the support they have given me over the past few weeks!

“I’m blown away! Can’t believe I’m Olympic Champion!”

In interviews yesterday morning, she said her fiancé Andy Hill “got the worst of it” in the run-up to the Games.

“I think obviously I was really aware of all the pressure and what people were expecting me to do,” she said.

“Everyone was just expecting me to win so I have had a few moments at home with my fiance worrying a bit and wondering if it was all going to go right – the way I wanted it to – or whether something would happen and it would fall apart.”

She added: “I wanted to make the most of that opportunity – just make sure I trained as hard as I could and delivered on those two days.

“Thankfully I can sit here and say that I did.”