Big future for little gem cheated out of a medal

Who says so?

Well, apart from me, you and lots of others round here, so does the woman who actually did end up with bronze. That’s Kelly Sotherton.

Not because Ennis beat her in five of the events. But because she classed the woman who took silver, Lyudmila Blonska, as “a cheat”.

Blonska was banned for two years in 2003 after testing positive for the steroid, stanozolol (which is what Ben Johnson was caught over).

But here she was, back competing and beating her previous best by 200 points. Sotherton couldn’t hold her tongue ... “She’s cheated once - who says she is not cheating again?”

Ennis was magnificent, setting so many personal bests, including overall score. But for a bad day on her traditionally weak event, the shot putt, she would have been in the medals herself.

But South Yorkshire is proud of her. British athletics chiefs will be delighted they have a pleasant, attractive, up and coming role model who is imposing herself on so many events within this toughest of all disciplines.

And, at just 5ft 5in, she’s showing that a good little ’un can beat good big ’uns.

According to her British teammate, it’s a bit harder beating cheats!

n It appears that Sheffield boxing promoter (and Sheffield Wednesday director if he could) Dennis Hobson has backed another winner.

It seems a pity, though, that he didn’t actually back his man last weekend. He would have been a bit better off.

Hobson’s Fight Academy have just signed a promotional deal with a talented young super-bantamweight called Kiko Martinez.

Last Saturday, Martinez stepped into a pretty hot cauldron in Dublin’s Point to fight local idol Bernard Dunne for the European title.

A tough enough task in itself, it seemed, but handlers and associates of Spaniard Martinez struck a pretty brave bet.

They slapped 10,000 Euros (around 6,800) on him at 66-1 to beat the unbeaten Dunne in the FIRST round.

By the time the ref stopped the fight inside 90 seconds, Dunne had already been down twice - and Martinez’s brave backers were getting ready to cash in to the tune of around 450,000.

Martinez now has 14 knockouts in 17 wins and earned this Hobson homile ... “He’s the best natural puncher I’ve ever seen.”

Now then, when does he fight again - and where did I put that spare 50p?

n It may well be that Kasper Schmeichel will go on and have a good goalkeeping career.

The up and coming son of the great Peter certainly has much to do to emulate his father but it’s been a fair old start and he’s certainly been getting the favourable publicity.

Well done to him and three successive Premiership clean sheets before last Saturday was not bad at all.

But, like me, do you just think that he’s somehow got away with it? That he’s not been as good as that record and all the publicity has made out?

Sorry to seem churlish, but he doesn’t somehow look ready for a permanent place just yet.

Still, if you’re not being punished and you keep on keeping clean sheets, then you’re doing your job okay, I suppose.