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The is a real titanic set-back.

She picked up the injury in - a small town in Austria which has become known as the home of multi-events competition.

Ennis was up against a field almost identical to the one she would have faced in Beijing, bar the absence of . She carried the injury through three of the four events on the first day and was still placed second. Having stamped herself as a serious medal contender, .

I went down to the physio's room after that first day and found her lying on the physio's table with an ice pack on her right ankle. At that stage Ennis and her coach, Tony Minichiello, were positive about what the outcome would be. She was saying that had this been the Olympics, she'd have carried on and competed on the second day.

They said they would see what Monday's scan produced, and this news will have been not just a great setback, but a bit of a surprise.

It's not quite clear whether this injury occurred on Saturday, during the competition, or happened earlier during training. I saw her two weeks earlier in Loughborough and she looked to be in terrific form, relishing the competition and the prospect of the Olympics. She has the mental and physical strength to match the very best in the world and that's why this will be so disappointing.

The first weekend of the Olympic Games was such a great chance for Sotherton and Ennis to win medals and give the British team a great lift. And there may be more bad news to come relating to that first weekend if for the women's marathon. It's a real blow.

Mike Costello was speaking on 大象传媒 Radio 5 Live