Ennis returns from injury woe with impressive runs

Jessica Ennis declared her injury problems over after making an impressive return to action at the Powerade ION4 Great CityGames in Manchester yesterday.

The world and European heptathlon champion, competing for the first time since an ankle tendon problem ruled her out of the European Indoor Championships and left her unable to run for seven weeks, clocked 12.88seconds for the 100m hurdles in rainy and windy conditions on a raised track on Deansgate.

The 25-year-old was awarded third place, ahead of her American-born Great Britain team-mate Tiffany Ofili, who broke her British indoor record earlier this year and was given the same time.

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Sheffielder Ennis finished behind hurdles specialists Ginnie Crawford and fellow American Danielle Carruthers, who won in 12.73secs.

Ennis was less impressed with her 17.40s run in the 150m after a poor start, Abi Oyepitan winning in 17.34, but it was her return to fitness which pleased her most.

“One massive positive to take from the day is that my ankle feels good,” she said.

“It’s a bit of a relief to be back in competition and I’m just excited about the season now.

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“If someone had said two weeks ago that I would be in Manchester running that sort of time (in the hurdles), I would have been very happy with that. So I’m glad I did it and now I can move on.

“To get into this shape so quickly is quite promising.”

Ennis, who is due to compete in the javelin in the Loughborough International on Sunday, now has her sights set on her first heptathlon of the season at the Hypo-Meeting in Gotzis, Austria on May 28 and 29.

Her coach Toni Minichiello, though, warned not to expect too much too soon.

“If you are expecting her to go there and spank people and score huge scores and a personal best, I’d say I don’t think that’s the case,” he said.

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“I think she can go there and be competitive, but she will be up against everybody in Gotzis so she’ll be nervous to see whether she’s on her game.”

Tyson Gay won the 150m in 14.51s, some way off Usain Bolt’s world best of 14.35.

It was, though, the American’s first outing of the season, while he said beforehand he was only 80 per cent fit and the conditions were hardly conducive to fast times.

“I’ve missed a lot of training this year because of a couple of little niggles and injuries so I’m pretty impressed with my performance,” said Gay.

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“I’m feeling okay. I’m a little bit sore, but nothing major. I’m feeling pretty good. I came through the first 100m in 9.91, that’s kind of where everyone else is in the world right now so that’s not bad.

“I’m satisfied with my time, I think it’s pretty fast, but I’ve just got to stay healthy and be ready.”

Elsewhere, European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Andy Turner continued his fine start to the season with a double victory, also winning the 200m hurdles.

The Nottingham athlete, who earlier this month equalled the fastest time in ran last year with a 13.28 run in Jamaica, won the 110m hurdles in 13.41 and clocked 22.10 over the longer distance.

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Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, looking to put an injury-ruined 2010 behind her, was well off the pace as she finished fourth in the 200m in 24.48, American Allyson Felix winning in 22.12.

Other winners included Mark Lewis-Francis and Jeanette Kwakye in the 100m and France’s Martial Mbandjock in the 200m.

Haile Gebrselassie saw off the challenge of Chris Thompson to claim his fourth Bupa Great Manchester Run title yesterday – and then predicted great things for the Briton.

The Ethiopian great only managed to pull away from Thompson in the final two kilometres of the 10km race, winning in 28 minutes 10 seconds as windy conditions put paid to fast times.

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Thompson, the European 10,000m silver medallist behind fellow countryman and good friend Mo Farah last year, finished 11 seconds behind in second, ahead of nine-team European cross-country champion Sergiy Lebid of Ukraine and Australia’s Craig Mottram.

“I didn’t expect that from Chris Thompson,” said Gebrselassie, who is unbeaten in 10km road races going back to 1994.

“In the future he’ll be the one. I tested him, I listened to his breathing when he was behind me.

“I was surprised. If I brought him until the last kick, (there would have been) no chance for me.

“This boy is the one to watch,” he added.

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Leeds City’s James Walsh was sixth in 28.42, a personal best by 31 seconds. Holmfirth’s Mark Buckingham was 20th in 29.50.

In the women’s race, there was an equally impressive run from Preston’s Helen Clitheroe who, in the absence of Paula Radcliffe through illness, led from start to finish to win in 31:45, taking half a minute off her personal best.

Hallamshire’s Lizzie Adams finished 11th in in 34:11, beating her previous best by 42 seconds.

Charlene Thomas (Wakefield) was an easy winner of the 800m at the opening day of the Yorkshire Track and Field Championships at Cudworth. Thomas, who is aiming for World Championship selection at 1500m was untroubled winning in 2:06.83 in what was a time trial.

Thomas then won the 1500m on the second day in 4:19.88.

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Former Leeds athlete Richard Strachan (Trafford), another with World Championship aspirations, was an easy winner of the 400 metres in 48.74. The best field event performance in the men’s events on the first day came from Matt Lambley (City of Sheffield) who retained his hammer title with a throw of 62.65. The women’s hammer was won by Streethouse’s Hannah Evenden, who added the discus title with a throw of 40.93 and also placed second in the shot.

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