Zelinka finishes seventh in Olympic heptathlon
London Community News
Jessica Zelinka didn’t finish on the Summer Olympics’ podium after completing the heptathlon Saturday (Aug. 4), but she has plenty to smile about after completing more than half of the seven events with season bests.
The London, Ont. born athlete ended the heptathlon in seventh place with 6,480 points after finishing her 800-metre heat in second with a time of 2:09:15.
Great Britain’s Jessica Ennis dominated the other competitors, winning the gold medal with a score of 6,955.
Zelinka went into the final event sitting in eighth place after dropping quite a few spots from the opening day of the heptathlon on Friday (Aug. 3) where she came out holding third-place after four events.
Zelinka started Saturday’s Day Two by going down to 11th place after hitting a mark of 5.91 metres in the long jump, but recovered in the javelin event after posting a 45.75 metres throw— a personal best for the 30 year old and just one of many for her at the Summer Olympics.
The fifth-placed finisher at the Beijing Games four years ago opened the London Olympic heptathlon with a PB in the 100-metre hurdles with a time of 12.65 seconds that would have stood as a new Olympic record if Ennis hadn’t won the heat.
Zelinka spiraled down the standings to 19th place in her next event in the high jump after only completing a 1.68 metre attempt and failing three tries at 1.71—well off her season best of 1.73 metres.
She then threw herself back in the mix of the top standings after a season-best of 14.81 metres in the shot put, before blazing another PB in the 200-metre event with a time 23.23 seconds to give her a first-day total of 3,903 points.
Teammate Brianne Theisen of Humboldt, Sask., is in 10th with 6,383 points.