As the athletics begins in Paris, the 2012 Olympic champion reflects on the French pressure and backs British gold hopes

The pressure of competing for an Olympic gold medal is challenging enough, but doing so in front of a home crowd adds an entirely different level of intensity.

To heighten the nerves even further, heptathletes and decathletes face the additional stress of performing across multiple events, where there is so much room for mistakes.

It is an insane amount of pressure, says Jessica Ennis-Hill as she reflects on her London 2012 win. Never before has a British athlete faced such pressure going into an Olympic Games. She was the poster girl of London 2012 with her image plastered all over the city.

But she did not let this pressure get to her. Instead she absorbed it and used it as her weapon during the two days of heptathlon. It wasnt a case of settling into things as she came out guns blazing on the opening day of the Games with a blistering 12.54 in the 100m hurdles the fastest sprint hurdles ever during a heptathlon at the time. But how did she handle that pressure?

Youve just got to use that pressure and that energy to help you perform at your best, Ennis-Hill tells AW. I had to drown out some of the noise in the stadium as much as I possibly could because there are lots of thoughts that creep into your mind when you are out there performing.

There can also be such a benefit when you are the home athlete because you get such a boost.

It was all about focusing on the mental side for Ennis-Hill, no matter how fit and strong you are its difficult to strive to the top without the mental preparation. You can be the best physical athlete you can possibly be, but if your head is not in the right place and your mindset isnt, then you are not going to perform where you need to be, says Ennis-Hill. There is a disconnect.

Numerous French athletes will face the challenge of competing under the intense pressure of their home crowd in Paris, including Cyrena Samba-Mayela.

Her remarkable performance in the womens 100m hurdles which secured her a European gold medal this summer has given the home crowd a lot to be excited about.

She powered to victory in a championship record and world lead of 12.31 (0.8).

Another gold medal that went to France during the European Championships was claimed by Gabriel Tual in the 800m. He recently shaved two seconds off his PB in Paris, running a national record of 1:41.61.

Thibaut Collet will hope to win a medal in the pole vault as Alice Finot will hope to follow up her European win in the 3000m steeplechase with a French record in Paris.

Another nations favourite would have been decathlon world record-holder, Kevin Mayer. However it hasnt been an easy ride for the two-time world champion after pulling up with an injury during the 110m hurdles at the Paris Diamond League.

His Olympic appearance is still unknown as he wrote on his Instagram account: Every day, the progress is surprising. There is no certainty of being at the start but I find myself imagining a miracle, he said.

In that heptathlon, keep an eye on rising star Auriana Lazraq-Khlass. She stunned the nation at the European Championships by earning a silver medal and setting a personal best by 400 points. With the backing of the home crowd, she is poised to mount a significant challenge.

The spotlight on the heptathlon is even brighter with recent stellar performances from two-time Olympic champion Belgiums Nafi Thiam and world silver medallist Anna Hall. Hall recently showcased her talent at the US Olympic Team Trials as she solidified the win with 6614 points.

All eyes will be on this fiercely competitive event.

They will all be feeling the pressure. I absolutely think KJT is capable of a gold medal, says Ennis-Hill. She has the fire in her belly that this will be her fourth Olympic games and shes had disappointments in the past so this time she will want to put it right.

Nafi Thiam is going for her third consecutive Olympic gold medal in an event which is so gruelling and throws so many injuries along the way which is incredible. She will always rise to the occasion if she can stay in one piece.

Anna Hall has had her injuries but seeing her score 6614 gives us a good indication of where she is at. There is also another heptathlete who will sneak in out of nowhere just below those top three.

Johnson-Thompson will be joined by Team GB team-mate, Jade ODowda, who is making her Olympic debut. The 24-year-old climbed to sixth on the UK all-time list after finishing with 6314 points at the European Championships in Rome finishing seventh overall. She also secured a bronze medal for Team England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

She had such a great performance at the Europeans, and she deserves to be on the team. You dont often get the chance to compete at an Olympic Games when youre in great shape and ready to compete but ODowda has to take the opportunity and relish it. She is most definitely capable of doing that.

However, ODowdas rise in elite sport is hardly surprising as it quite literally is in her blood. Her brother, Callum plays football for Cardiff City and Republic of Ireland and will no doubt be watching next week.

One out of the seven events that holds a special spot in Ennis-Hills heart is the 800m. She only had to jog around those final two laps in London but instead blasted through the first lap in 61 seconds to take the win in 2:08.65 resulting in an emotional finish as the gold medal began to sink in.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Ennis-Hill is keeping her eyes on Keely Hodgkinson this year. She is a fierce competitor and she doesnt want to take the easy route.

Some things are out of your control and she cant control if Athing Mu is there or not. She just needs to focus on her plan and go out there and deliver.

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She has a fantastic setup with Trevor and Jenny. I remember being on teams with Jenny and she has all that wisdom and experience to impart on Keely as well.

Ennis-Hill is clearly sharing the nations excitement for Paris, as she will be at the Team GB House on July 30-31. She will take to the stage for an in-depth Q&A to complement two jam-packed evenings of live sport.

Its where all the athletes can go to relax and be reunited with friends and family after competing, says Ennis-Hill. I have such great memories from being there at the Rio and London Olympics, but this year is their first time they are opening it to the public.