Jessica Ennis’s Don Valley Stadium to Learn Fate

The stadium where Jessica Ennis trains will learn its fate later today with Sheffield City Council looking to cut costs.

The Don Valley Stadium cost £29m and the council has now said they are looking for cost-saving measures, with the stadium falling into their targets.

In 2012-13 the council invested £700,000 on facilities but the stadium is now operating at a loss.

Olympic heptathlon champion, Ennis said: “It’s a huge shame. To see it demolished would be a massive, massive disappointment.

“We’ve achieved so much as a country in the London Olympics, so to lose some great facilities sends out the wrong message, really.

“I understand budgets and costs, but I think we need to find a way to keep it.”

The council is looking to make £50m worth of cuts in 2013/14 on top of the £140m cuts made over the past two years.

Toni Minichiello, Ennis’s coach told BBC Radio 5 live: “It means athletics in Sheffield won’t have a 400m track to train on.

“There’s some talk about them revamping the Woodburn Road site but, from what I gather, the amount of money that they’re wanting to put in really doesn’t bring it up to scratch or provide any kind of lasting legacy for athletics in the city.

“I think they’re going to do a really simple job on it, just to get it open so people can run round it, but not really set it up for the youngsters that have been inspired by Jessica.”