Jessica Ennis's back and looking to rule the world

For Ennis, the event could not be more local than the English Institute of Sport facility where she trains most days during the winter months.

The heptathlete opted to miss her trademark season opener at the Aviva International Match in Glasgow two weekends ago on what was her 25th birthday in a bid to prolong her winter training with coach Toni Minichiello.

And this weekend will give the pair an indication of her form and fitness going into Olympic year.

Tomorrow, the world championship silver medallist will compete in the shot put and high jump before lining up for the 60metres hurdles and long jump the following day.

The winter has been a period of reflection after the disappointment of losing her world title to Tatyana Chernova in Daegu. It has also involved plenty of hard training and sponsorship responsibilities, including helping David Beckham launch his underwear range in London last week, an event she described as "very surreal but fun".

Looking ahead to the weekend's action, Ennis said: "It's really important at the start of a new season to get a good feel for the competitive shape you are in. It's only at these meets that you can gauge how successful your training has been."

Ennis will also line up at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham the following weekend ahead of a potential showdown with Chernova at the World Indoors in Istanbul on March 9-11, the pair's first meeting since the Russian ousted her as world champion.

"Every competition is important in the build-up to the Championships in March," said Ennis. "I don't want to focus on the Olympics too soon. I'm feeling in good shape after the winter, everything has gone well and I feel strong and ready to get out there. I'd love to repeat the success I had in Doha and defend my World Indoor title."

Britain's only other world champion from Doha is Dwain Chambers, who will also be in action in Sheffield in the 60m. Chambers ran in Moscow last weekend but has kept a low profile in the media, preferring not to do interviews until the Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling on the British Olympic Association's lifetime ban on past doping offenders, due by the end of April.

On paper at least, the 33-year-old should eclipse his on-track rivals on home soil this weekend.

Ennis's fellow World Championship silver medallist in Daegu, Hannah England, will also be competing although not over her usual distance of the 1500m but the 3,000m following winter training with Mo Farah and Paula Radcliffe in Kenya.

"It will take me out of my comfort zone," said England at the prospect of running double her normal distance. "I am doing more endurance training at this time anyway, especially with the work I did in Kenya so I may be more suited to this distance at the moment. It's just good to refresh your memory of what competing is about."

Perhaps the most in-form British athlete competing at the sold-out event in Sheffield is pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale, who cleared 4.87m in France last month with plenty of room to spare - a height that would have won her gold at the World Championships. Bleasdale was only edged out on countback by world indoor record holder Yelena Isinbayeva in Poland on Thursday night.