Rio Olympics 2016: Katarina Johnson-Thompson breaks British high jump record as Jessica Ennis-Hill starts strongly in the heptathlon
KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON broke a British record in the high jump with a stunning height of 1.98m.
The 23-year-old sent a real statement in Rio by winning the high jump and climbing up the rankings to first place after two events.
Jessica Ennis-Hill also boosted her chances of retaining a gold medal in the Olympic heptathlon by clearing 1.89m in the high jump.
The defending gold medallist hadn't cleared the height this year but pulled it out of the bag when it mattered most much to her delight.
It was good news for the fellow Brits with closest rival Brianne Theisen-Eaton failing to clear 1.89m.
After two events, Johnson-Thompson is winning the event with 2264 points followed by Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam with 2252 and Ennis-Hill in third with 2242.
Ennis-Hill began her defence in fine fashion by running quickest in the 100m hurdles.
The Brit, 30, ran a time of 12.84sec to lead after the 100m hurdles – the first event of the competition – with a faster time than she recorded in her 2015 World Championships triumph.
Johnson-Thompson ran a time of 13.48sec on the wet track at Rio which left her in 11th place after the first event.
The hurdles is one of Ennis-Hill's strongest events and she will be delighted to get off to the perfect start.
Her run was slower than the 12.54sec she ran four years ago in London but Ennis-Hill remains in control after the first event.
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Ennis-Hill is bidding to become the first British female athlete to win back-to-back Olympic titles.
The heptathlon continues this evening with the shot put and the 200m.
The event will be concluded tomorrow night with the long jump, javelin and finally the 800m.