Who will fall next to the athletics ‘cover curse’?

A conspiracy theory is doing the rounds here in Daegu.

The twittersphere has dubbed it the “#covercurse”. Every day, the athlete featured on the daily programme cover has spectacularly crashed out.

Day one: pole vaulter Steve Hooker, the Australian team captain, current Olympic and (then) defending world champion, did not even manage to qualify.

Day two: Usain Bolt, the 100m world record holder, current Olympic and (then) defending world champion, managed to make it to the final, only to sensationally false start.

Day three: Dayron Robles, the 110m hurdles world record holder and current Olympic champion not only made it to the final, but won – only to be disqualified for interfering with the adjacent runner.

So what portents would the #covercurse bring for day four?

With defending heptathlon world champion Jessica Ennis holding the overnight lead, no doubt the Brits were waiting on tenterhooks… but breathed a sigh of relief on filing to the stadium this morning. Today’s programme features Russian pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva.

Isinbayeva, as it happens, was knocked out of her event today when she failed to clear 4.80m. The hand of the curse at work again?

Not that Jessica Ennis – or “Jennis”, as she is now affectionately known – appears to have avoided the hex either. She did well in the morning’s long jump but badly in the javelin and won silver after the final event the 800m, ceding the world championship crown to Russia’s Tatyana Chernova.

Jessica is not too downcast, though, saying she knew today was going to be “very, very difficult” and that she had to give it everything: “I came here to win the gold medal, it started off poor and unfortunately the javelin was a big disaster for me.

“Next year’s where I want the gold. I’ll come back really strong next year.”