|
|
Learning curve |
|
|
by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
After every competition there is time to reflect and assess what happened. Last week Jessica performed at the European Cup Combined Events in Poland. We travelled out there and as a team won the women's competition.
The fact that this was a team competition means we assess Jessica's performance differently. The nature of the competition means you have to set up different due to the team element. However, we both learn't a lot, we learn't more about the individual events and what specifically she needs to work on. And I think we were both happy with the new personal best of 6399... though one more point would have been nice.
Next is the European Under 23 Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. Having arrived a few days ago, we've had time to do a few light sessions and refocus for the competition. Life as a full-time athlete is being experienced to the full now and as a coach its a case of planning ahead and making things work for us and keep improving.
A result of this busy schedule has meant a late change in plans. Jessica will now only compete in the 100m Hurdles at the U23 European Championships. We've decided to drop the High Jump for reasons I'll expand on another time!
Toni
Send in your questions?
If you'd like some expert advice on coaching, send your questions to Toni by clicking here and marking the subject as 'Toni'.
We'll even publish the others so you can read them too!
|
|
|
Jessica Ennis - The Season so far |
|
|
by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
Jessica has opened her season in spectacular fashion, truthfully much better than I expected. In Italy a personal best in the heptathlon of 6388 points which also broke Denise Lewis’s British best for an under 23. An equal British Record in the High Jump of 1.95m, both being the highlights for most people.
For me the highlights were the personal bests in the 100m Hurdles (13.12 secs) and Long Jump (6.40m) and the confident performance in the 800m.
The long jump is the key to Jessica’s long term success in heptathlon. With her speed and jumping ability in the high Jump, she has under achieved in this event. This is by no means a finished article and a consistent performance in the 6.50m region is required to really challenge for medals in Heptathlon.
Jessica’s throws are considered her main weakness. They are weak, but throws take a long time to develop in someone who isn’t a natural thrower. Yet year on year Jessica’s throws have moved on, all be it very slowly.
With performances at the Yorkshire County Championships of 12.70m in the Shot Putt, and at the Loughborough International a personal best of 37.05m in the Javelin, both continue to show the steady progression needed to perform at the next level.
Jessicas next competition will be the UK Women’s League in Manchester where she will be competing in the Long Jump, 100m Hurdles and Shot Putt.
|
|
|
Jessica competes in Desenzano |
|
|
by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
Desenzano a small town in Italy situated on the edge of Lake Garda. It plays host to the first Combined Events competition of the IAAF Combined Events Challenge 2007.
This is where Jessica will start her season and where she will hopefully achieve the qualifying standard for the World Championships in Japan.
The opposition is lead by the return of the World Championships Bronze Medallist Margaret Simpson - Ghana. With a personal best of 6423 she is the best heptathlete in the field, though having missed last year giving birth she is an unknown quantity. However she has won this event twice before in 2003 and 2005.
Another previous winner is Marie Collonville of France with a best of 6170 last year, at 34 years of age she is the eldest in the field but still an excellent competitor.
At the other end of the scale in age are 2 athletes who finished 3rd and 4th in the World Junior Championships last year, Yana Panteleyeva – Russia with a best of 5985 and Iriyna Llkevych – Ukraine, with a best of 5952. While Panteleyeva is still a junior this year, Llkevych enters the senior ranks this year.
Both achieved better scores than Jessica at the same age, and I am sure the highly talented pair will be looking to break the 6000 point barrier for the first time at this meeting.
The main focus for Jessica is on qualifying and a quality field like this it should provide just the sort of competitive opening to the season. Either way we'll find out in a matter of days.
The IAAF Combined Events Challenge 2007 takes place on the 5th and 6th May. You can see more information at the competitions website: www.multistars.org
For other athletics news and information visit the IAAF website: www.iaaf.org
|
|
|
160 days to Osaka - World Championships |
|
|
by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
Or to be precise 43 days to Jessica’s one and hopefully only qualifying competition. In real terms, that is 35 training days left to the start of the season and the most important competition this season other than the World Championships itself.
Jessica has to achieve the UK qualifying standard of 6000 points and with at least 4 British women capable of achieving the score; it is not a fore gone conclusion that Jessica will gain automatic selection.
Jessica started back into full training on the Tuesday after the European Indoor Championships, straight into working on her weaker events (Javelin & Long Jump).
What the Indoors has shown is that the standard of performances in heptathlon is on the increase. This is not unusual 2 years before an Olympics (508 Days), the year after an Olympics sees a decline in standards then slowly as the Olympics get closer the standard of performances rises as everyone starts to get that little more serious, focused and motivated.
A score of 6424 was good enough to get a medal at the Olympics this may not be the case in Beijing. In order to produce this type of score an athletes personal best performances need to add up to at least 6600 - 6700 points. Jessica’s bests add up to 6403, so it’s back to 7 training sessions a week, which includes weight training twice a week, track running 3 times a week as well as technical sessions covering all events, and just for good measure balance all this with University final exams.
No Pressure!!
|
|
|
European Indoors - Coach's Review |
|
|
by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
Jessica´s performance was a personal best by some 315 points and a
National Under 23 record.
The 60m hurdles were good but we did expect her to go faster, she hit
her knee on one of the hurdles, not enough to stop her but enough to
slow her down that fraction.
The High Jump was an Indoor personal best and although in places it
wasn’t tidy, her inside arm pulling her down and not giving her as
much lift as you want. For me the pleasing thing was the 3rd attempt
at 1.94m it was really close so we could see more this season. Certainly an exciting prospect!
Shot Putt a Personal best at 13.28, so no complaints from me, the 3rd round
looked further but Jessica just couldn’t stay in the circle.
Long Jump distance equalled a seasons best and is good, but the frustration of
being short of the board and inconsistent continues to haunt me.
However, we worked on Jessica not backing off when running into the
board and she didn’t. So that is encouraging.
800m - an indoor personal best but Jessica found it difficult to run
indoors as she got bumped at the beginning and had to slow as she
couldn´t get past people. A learning experience if nothing else.
Overall 4716 points 6th a superb score... that is the 28th best all time in the
world and would have won the World Indoors last year and would have
ranked number 1 in the world last year. This just goes to show how
good a standard the competition was.
Jessica performed at the top of her game and produced a personal best
as she has in every championship she has ever been to over the last 5
years producing a personal best each time.
What next?
I will sit down with Jessica in the next few days and we will go
through each event and look at what can be learnt and taken forward
to the World Championships in Japan later this year.
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
| Results 10 - 17 of 17 |
