Jessica Ennis-Hill claims a second world championship gold in Beijing

At that point, it was all or nothing for me.

“I’ve a feeling of slight disappointment because I’m always comparing myself to my best but I’m pleased with that score at the end of the day”.

But a British one-two, which appeared a genuine possibility after the first day, will now not happen after Johnson-Thompson’s disastrous morning. In an instant, the contest turned.

Runner-up Brianne Theisen-Eaton needed to make up about six seconds in the 800 to win and went out fast to pressure Ennis-Hill with an early burst of speed.

The Sheffield athlete won the heptathlon gold after her nearest British rival, Katarina Johnson-Thompson dramatically fouled in the long jump. Bronze to Latvia’s Laura Ikauniece-Admidina.

She had put herself into a commanding position after the long jump and javelin, jumping for a season’s best of 6.43m, throwing 42.51m.

A first heptathlon for three years blew away the cobwebs in May, but she still did not know whether she should bother leaving her young family to fly out to Beijing.

The 29-year-old is still basking in the afterglow of that surprise gold medal, although a solitary beer was all her celebrations amounted to after returning to the team hotel.

Three years after the 2012 London Games, and now a mother, Jessica Ennis-Hill remains the standout she once was.

She only returned to training last autumn following the birth of her son Reggie and she only decided to compete in Beijing within the last month. Jessica said she hoped it would be an inspiration to other working mums. In the molten heat of competition her method disintegrated.

A red flag was raised and she was ruled to have committed a third foul by a couple of millimetres.

“At that point, it was all-or-nothing for me and I had to give it my all”. Ennis-Hill was beaten by Tatyana Chernova in South Korea, but in January the Russian received a two-year ban, backdated to 2013, after the retesting of an anti-doping sample from the 2009 championships revealed an anabolic steroid.

“I am lost for words, coming back here to the Bird’s Nest”.

Among those watching at home was David Beckham who sent his good wishes to the golden girl, telling her on Instagram: “Your little man will be very proud of his mummy”.

“It’s been definitely the hardest year ever”.

“Everything has been so hard. I still want to be world champion for the third time, but I hope to get that medal at some time, whether that’s next year or 10 years down the line”.

“I had to complete the 800m if I wanted to go to the long jump”. I couldn’t compete without knowing.