By Emily Goddard

Jessica Ennis-Hill has announced she is pregnant with her first child ©Getty ImagesJanuary 10 - Jessica Ennis-Hill, the Briton who took heptathlon gold at London 2012, has announced that she will miss the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games as she is pregnant with her first child.

The 27-year-old Olympic champion, who is a Glasgow 2014 ambassador, spoke last year of how she wanted to claim her first Commonwealth gold to complete "the full set" and today admitted she is sorry to miss the Games.

"I am sorry I won't be in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, but know it will be an amazing occasion," Ennis-Hill, who married husband Andy Hill last year, said.

"I will be at home awaiting the arrival of a little Ennis-Hill.

"We are completely overwhelmed, with excitement and a degree of anxiety that I am sure all first-time parents will relate to."

The former world champion and bronze medallist at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games missed last year's World Athletics Championships due to injury but had been hoping to return to competitive action for Glasgow 2014.

Jessica Ennis-Hill had been hoping to claim Commonwealth gold at Glasgow 2014 to complete "the full set" ©Getty ImagesJessica Ennis-Hill had been hoping to claim Commonwealth gold at Glasgow 2014 to complete "the full set" ©Getty Images


She has claimed, however, that she will return to training following the birth of her child as she aims to defend her Olympic title at Rio 2016.

"My plans for 2014 have been completely turned upside down, but having had a couple of weeks to think about things from a career point of view I am 100 per cent set on returning to full-time athletics once our baby is born and go for a second gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 - that challenge really excites me," said Ennis-Hill.

"But in the short term I will make our baby a priority and enjoy the whole experience as much as possible."

Glasgow 2014 chief executive David Grevemberg wished Ennis-Hill well.

"I would like to warmly congratulate both Jessica and her husband Andy on the news that they are expecting their first child," he said.

"Glasgow 2014 is proud to have Jessica as an inspiring Ambassador for the Games and appreciate her continued support for the world-class festival of sport which Glasgow and Scotland will host this summer."

Ennis-Hill is the first of possibly two British athletics Olympic champions to miss Glasgow 2014 after London 2012 double gold medallist Mo Farah admitted last year that the Commonwealth Games was "not on my list".

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
September 2013: My goal is to add Commonwealth gold to my collection, says Ennis-Hill
August 2013: Olympic champions Ennis-Hill and Adams unveiled among five new Glasgow 2014 ambassadors