On this day in 2016: Jessica Ennis-Hill announces retirement from athletics

Jessica Ennis-Hill announced her retirement from athletics on this day in 2016 with her place in the pantheon of all-time great British Olympians already assured.

Tributes poured in from across the sporting world for the London 2012 gold medallist and three-time world champion, as Ennis-Hill admitted the decision to call time on her glittering heptathlon career was “one of the toughest” she had had to make.

A poster girl for the London Games, Ennis-Hill powered to gold on what became known as ‘Super Saturday’, and later battled back from time out through injury and the birth of her first child to reach the top of the world once more.

Jessica Ennis-Hill
Jessica Ennis-Hill won world championship gold in Beijing in 2015, 13 months after the birth of son Reggie (Martin Rickett/PA)

“But I know that retiring now is right. I’ve always said I want to leave my sport on a high and have no regrets and I can truly say that.

“I want to thank my family and incredible team who have spent so much of their time supporting me and enabling me to achieve my dreams. Also a huge thank you to all those people who have supported and followed my career over the years x.”

Ennis-Hill contributed to one of the greatest days in British sporting history when she won gold in London, finishing 306 points ahead of Germany’s Lilli Schwarzkopf with a total of 6,955 points on the same night Mo Farah won the 10,000 metres and Greg Rutherford took the long jump crown at the Olympic Stadium.

Rio Olympic Games 2016 – Day Eight
Ennis-Hill waved goodbye at the top of her sport (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Toni Minichiello, who coached Ennis-Hill throughout her career, felt she made her decision at the right time.

He said: “Many sports people hold on too long. Jess has managed to avoid walking out of the stadium after failing a qualifying round. She’s walking out of the stadium by stepping off the podium. She’s one of our sporting greats. It seems fitting this way.”

Ennis-Hill was made a dame in the 2017 New Year Honours list and gave birth to daughter Olivia later that year.

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