Emotional Jessica Ennis-Hill ponders retirement after being beaten to gold in Rio
London 2012 golden girl Jessica Ennis-Hill has dropped a major hint that her silver medal-winning heptathlon performance at the Rio Olympics will mark the end of her athletics career.
Ennis-Hill fell agonisingly short of defending her title on Saturday night as Belgian Nafi Thiam produced five personal bests from seven events to claim gold, aged just 21.
The 30-year-old Briton, who became a mother in 2014, now faces a dilemma over whether to bow out immediately or seek a third world title in London next summer.
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“I’m really emotional and now I’ve got to go away and make a big decision not as to what I do,” she said.
Asked directly whether Rio was her last competition, she replied: “Possibly, yeah. [I need] to go away and have time with my family and make a decision. It’s just been incredible. I’ve had an amazing few years and achieved so much in the sport. I’m really proud.”
Ennis-Hill’s silver came on a night in which the other British track and field winners from 2012’s Super Saturday, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford, claimed gold and bronze respectively.
Farah overcame a mid-race tumble and a tense duel with Kenyan Paul Tanui to retain his 10,000m title.
The 33-year-old could become only the second man to win two Olympic golds in both that event and the 5,000m next weekend.
Rutherford had to settle for third place in a captivating men’s long jump final which was won by American Jeff Henderson with his final leap.
Laura Trott became the first British woman to win three Olympic gold medals as she, Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald won the team pursuit in world record time.
Trott, 24, could win a fourth when she defends her omnium title on Tuesday.