Monday 24 August 2015 13:02, UK
Jessica Ennis-Hill claimed heptathlon gold at the World Championships after winning her 800m heat in Beijing on Sunday.
It was still unclear just four weeks ago whether the Olympic champion would compete in China, having only returned to action in May following the birth of her son Reggie last summer.
However, a promising performance at the Anniversary Games saw Ennis-Hill put herself forward for selection – a decision she justified in some style at the Bird's Nest Stadium.
The 29-year-old edged a fascinating battle with compatriot Katarina Johnson-Thompson on Saturday to take the overnight lead, which she pushed on from with solid displays in the long jump and javelin.
It put Ennis-Hill on the cusp of gold – an opportunity she did not let slip, winning her 800m heat in 2 minutes 10.13 seconds to add another world crown to the one she won in Berlin six years ago.
Ennis-Hill finished on 6669 points – 115 points in front of silver medallist Brianne Theisen Eaton of Canada and 153 points ahead of bronze medallist Laura Ikauniece-Admidina of Latvia.
"Well I came into today, knowing that it was going to be a tough day. This is a slightly weaker day for me and I thought I may lose some points, but I can't believe I have come away with a gold medal. Incredible," Ennis-Hill told Sky Sports HQ.
"I knew I was making good progress. Me and Toni (trainer Antonio Minichiello) knew I was heading in the right direction, but we didn't really ever talk about a gold medal. We were all about coming here and medalling and a bronze medal would have been an amazing achievement.
"My long jump I was really happy with that, I thought that was a really good jump. I think I am making good progress with that event which is good, the javelin was ok, everything has been solid or good performances. So hopefully I can go away, work on everything and comeback even stronger."
When asked about the difficulties of balancing life as a mother and training as an athlete, Ennis-Hill added to the BBC: "This has definitely been the hardest year ever, going into London (2012) was incredibly hard but there were different pressures.
"This year, juggling all my mummy duties and training, it has been so hard. But it has been the most amazing year as well as I have my son and I am back here on the global stage with a global title."
Ennis-Hill also reserved some words for British team-mate Johnson-Thompson, who saw her hopes of a medal dashed on Sunday morning after failing to register a legal jump in the long jump.
"When she did that foul, my heart just went out to her," she said.
"She's got time on her hands. She'll come back in the long jump here and I hope she gets a medal."
