Sunny Days: Youtube! Jessica Ennis’s famous six-pack of female heptathlete Athlete

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Youtube! Jessica Ennis’s famous six-pack of female heptathlete Athlete

One of her rivals nicknamed her the Tadpole – because she’s so petite. Another called Jessica Ennis the Flea because she’s so good at the long jump.

Certainly, her lithe form has attracted more than her fair share of male admirers.

But yesterday a senior UK Athletics official asserted that the 2012 heptathlon hopeful was ‘fat’ and carrying ‘too much weight’.

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Scrutiny: Jessica Ennis was called overweight in spite of the heptathlete's famous six-pack

The comments came as it emerged Miss Ennis's teammate, Louise Hazel, has also been told she's too heavy.

Miss Ennis, a 26-year-old Sheffield-born athlete who has been described as the Poster Girl of the London Olympics, weighs nine stone and is 5ft5in tall.

Focused: Jessica's angry coach said she did not need be distracted by this sort of 'background noise' ahead of her medal bid this summer

However, her 45-year-old coach Toni Minichiello, who has trained her since she was 11, revealed a ‘high ranking person’ within UK Athletics had made the deeply disparaging remarks about Miss Ennis.

He would not reveal exactly who had labelled Miss Ennis fat but admitted such comments were a ‘distraction’ in the weeks leading up to the start of the Games on July 27.

Yesterday she said of the remarks about her being fat: ‘It’s definitely a funny one, but it’s not an issue.

‘It’s not something I worry about. It’s not something that’s stressing me at the moment so I can just brush it off and ignore it really.’

Miss Ennis's teammate Louise Hazel (pictured) said she was also told she was too heavy and said the comments are 'disgraceful' and warned coaches to choose their words carefully

Meanwhile, Miss Hazel told the Guardian: 'I have experienced it first hand, also from people within the organisation that was supposed to be supporting us and I just think to a certain extent it is very disgraceful.

'My warning is that coaches, people in positions of authority, need to choose their words very carefully when they are bringing up a subject like that.'

She said young girls could take the comments as a 'real critique of their physical wellness.'

Jessica Ennis competes during the high jump competition at the women's heptathlon at the Hypo Meeting in Goetzis, Austria

Mr Minichiello spoke of the pressures of dealing with interference from people in ‘fairly high positions, who should know better’ thinking they were ‘trying to be helpful.’

He said: ‘I get emails, phone calls, text messages and voicemails giving me advice on what I should be doing with Jessica that’s going to make a difference.

Beauty queen: Athletics pin-up Jessica recently became the face of Olay's Essentials range

Image conscious: Jess has admitted she never leaves the house without eyeliner and mascara and wears full make-up to compete

‘It’s a lot of background noise that you can get easily distracted by. I’ve never had any issue with her weight or shape. There are times I’ve wished she was taller – but that’s it.’

Miss Ennis is the current European and former world heptathlon champion and has also previously won the world indoor pentathlon championship.

This weekend she is competing in Austria at the Hypo Meeting in Gotzis, which will be her only heptathlon event before the Olympics.

Behind the scenes on the Olay ad: 'I love getting my hair and make up done professionally, Jessica admits

In the spotlight: Jessica's coach said she already had enough 'expectations and pressures to deal with'

In the past her former heptathlon rival Kelly Sotherton nicknamed her Tadpole because of her tiny frame. Miss Ennis will compete in her Olympic event over two days in early August.

She is engaged to long-term boyfriend Andy Hill who works as a construction site manager.

UK Athletics said yesterday that it would not comment.