Six years on from taking the world title in Berlin, Ennis-Hill, the Olympic heptathlon champion, showed that motherhood has only made her stronger as she won gold in style by sealing it with victory in the final event, the 800m.
Great Britain's Ennis-Hill proved what a competitor she is during the whole weekend, reaching the top of the podium just 13 months after her son Reggie was born.
She had led overnight with 4005 points from teammate Katarina Johnson-Thompson with 3925 but the opening event on Sunday, the long jump, changed everything.
As Germany’s Claudia Rath won overall with 6.61m, Ennis was fourth with 6.43m but Johnson-Thompson had three fouls. The latter she appealed against, but the decision stayed, with her jump over the take-off area.
Yet it meant she was out of contention.
With two events left, Ennis-Hill led (4990) from Canada’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton (4888) and Ukraine’s Anastasiya Mokhnyuk (4847).
Greece’s Sofia Yfantidou had the best javelin (56.19m), beating Latvian Laura Ikauniece-Admidina (53.67m) as Ennis-Hill (42.51) was back in 20th.
But the Briton remained in command as she led (5706) from Netherlands’ Nadine Broersen (5620) and Theisen-Eaton (5612).
It meant that Ennis-Hill had to lose by six seconds in the 800m, the final discipline, with it being one of the British star’s best events.
And just as she did in London, Ennis-Hill came through to triumph in the final heat, taking the 800m in 2:10:13 to win gold (6669) from Theisen-Eaton (6554) and Admidina (6516).
“I can’t believe I am here in the Bird’s Nest,” said Ennis-Hill, who missed the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with injury. “This time last year I had just had my son and it’s an incredible feeling. It was just a massive surprise to even be here to be honest.'
Fajdek has too much power
Poland’s Fajdek arrived at these IAAF World Championships as the defending hammer champion and he was outstanding once more.
He triumphed with 80.88m from Dilshod Nazarov, of Tajikistan, with 78.55m, beating another Pole, Wojciech Nowicki, who took bronze on countback.
It has been a fine summer of consistency for Fajdek, but he was not leading after the first round, as he threw 76.40m from Nazarov’s 76.83m.
After a second round foul, Fajdek then threw 80.64m before 80.88m in the next round and the competition was all over. He completed his routine with 79.34m and 78.29m but the champion had kept his crown.
Hungary’s Olympic champion Krisztian Pars produced a fluent final throw but it went 77.05m and he finished fourth (77.32m) from the third round.
Silver for Storl
The men’s shot put saw a dramatic fifth round and one that pulled Germany’s David Storl from fourth and into a silver medal spot.
American Joe Kovacs produced 21.93m to confirm his lead and in response Storl, the 2011 and 2013 champion, showed his brilliant qualities with 21.74m to take second as Jamaica’s O’Dayne Richards won bronze (21.69m).
He might have lost his title but Storl makes the podium again as he heads into an Olympic year where he will be one of the favourites for the title.
Dafne Schippers, the European 100m and 200m champion, reached the semi-finals of the 100m by winning her heat in 11.01.
This week will be an important guide for the Dutchwoman ahead of Rio next year as to whether she stays in the sprints or goes back to the heptathlon as she faces the likes of Jamaica’s Olympic and defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who went through in 10.88.
A champion does not lose their golden touch, even if they have been forced to miss a season with injury, and that is very much the case for Zuzana Hejnova, of the Czech Republic, who won her 400m hurdles heat (54.55) to progress in the first step in the defence of her crown after her dismal 2014.
Rooney delivers captain’s performance
Britain’s captain Martyn Rooney, the European champion, was not initially selected for individual 400m but he proved that his decision to appeal was the right one as he qualified for the semi-finals with a personal best (44.45) from heats which also saw Belgium’s Borlée brothers progress with Jonathan running 44.67 and Kevin timed at 45.01 while Liermarvin Bonevacia (44.72) went through with a Dutch record.
Russian Denis Kudryavstev (48.23) broke his personal best for the second day in a row, lowering it by 0.28, as he reached the 400m hurdles final with the quickest time from the three semi-finals. He is joined in Wednesday’s final by fellow Europeans Patryk Dobek (48.40) and Türkiye’s Ysamani Copello (48.46) who broke the national record.
European 800m champion Adam Kszczot moved into the final in a thrilling, blanket finish, as he won his semi-final in 1:44.97 from Kenya’s Alfred Kipketer in 1:44.99 with France’s Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, who was fourth in that race (1:45.02) making it through as one of the fastest losers, while Britain’s Laura Muir (4:07.95) was the quickest European to reach the 1500m final.