London 2012 Olympics: Jessica Ennis's heptathlon team-mate Louise Hazel also told she was overweight

Toni Minichiello, Ennis’s long-term coach, disclosed in an interview this week that a “high-ranking person” within UK Athletics had said of Ennis: “She’s fat and she’s got too much weight.” Ennis, who is 5ft 5in, weighs 8st 13lb.

UK Athletics has refused to comment on the matter but Hazel, who along with Ennis has already qualified to compete in the heptathlon at the Olympics, has added to the controversy by claiming that she, too, received negative comments about her weight from people in positions of authority within the sport.

Hazel, who is 5ft 6in and weighs 8st 11lb, said: “I have experienced it first hand, also from people within the organisation that was supposed to be supporting us, and I just think to a certain extent it is very disgraceful.

“When you are lady in your twenties, or even a girl in your teens, when it comes to issues of weight there are certain ways to deal with it and there are certain ways not to deal with it.”              More Read