Sprinters through ... Ennis starts well

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Pickering, Devonish and Lewis-Francis should have plenty left in the tank for the evening's quarter-finals, after easing through their respective first-round challenges - while heptathlete Jessica Ennis made a solid start to her campaign at the Nagai Stadium and sits second behind defending champion Carolina Kluft after two events.

Ennis made a brilliant start to her campaign, the 21-year-old from Sheffield posting a personal best time of 12.97seconds to win the 100m hurdles and open up a 27 point lead over Kluft.

The Brit produced precision clearances over each of the 10 hurdles, slicing a healthy 0.07secs from her previous best when finishing well clear of Kluft and her own team-mate Kelly Sotherton.

Sweden's Kluft, who is bidding for a third successive gold medal, equalled her lifetime best of 13.15secs - while Sotherton also achieved her fastest ever mark of 13.21secs.

But the all-conquering Swede, looking to extend her 17-event unbeaten streak in Osaka, responded and posted a personal best 1.95m clearance in the high jump to edge ahead after the morning's action.

Ennis, who earlier this year equalled Diana Davies' 25-year-old British high-jump record of 1.95m, while breaking Denise Lewis' British under-23s record by 63 points after amassing 6,388 points to win in Italy, looked comfortable before failing to clear 1.92m - and could only watch as Kluft claimed the overall lead.

Twenty-four-year-old Kluft tops the table on 2,273 points, with Ennis close behind on 2,222 and Sotherton fourth on 2,147 - before this evening's shot putt and 200m.

In the men's 100m heats, Pickering was the first through to the quarter-finals, with a second place behind Antigua's Brenden Christian in 10.24secs - just a 10th-of-a-second outside his personal best.

Devonish, who produced a personal best 10.06secs in Sheffield in July, eased to victory in 10.13secs - and Lewis-Francis progressed, after finishing second to Pan American Games champion Churandy Martina in 10.21secs.