Jessica Ennis goes for Olympic gold – in pictures

The main Olympic stadium is chocka on the first day of competition ... and the Olympic flame has found a new home at the foot of the track Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Just look at the heat from the torch. Stick a few coals on it and call it a BBQ Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

The poster girl of British athletics, Jessica Ennis, is ready to start her first Olympics. She's competing in the women's heptathlon Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

First up is the 100m hurdles. Ennis surges to victory in her heat in the fastest time ever by a heptathlete (12.54secs) - a time which would have tied for the gold medal in the individual 100m hurdles in Beijing Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

She can hardly believe it. That is a fabulous start to her quest for gold - she's already 142 points clear of the reigning Olympic champion Natalyia Dobrynska Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Fellow Team GB athlete Louise Hazel crosses the line in a time of 13.48 secs Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Ennis can't stop smiling Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Another Brit, Dai Greene, makes a solid start to his Olympic Games while running in the 400m hurdles Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Despite getting the inside lane, he qualifies for the next round with ease Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Rain comes pouring down during the heptathlon high jump. It's a brief but heavy shower, making conditions rather tricky for a while Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

It's not stopping this fan from waggling the Union Jack Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Ennis talks to her coach Tony Minichiello as she looks to outjump her leggy rivals Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

She cleared 1.86m in the high jump - a huge effort - to reach a total of 2,249 points Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

That's given her a 25-point lead over the American Hyleas Fountain and a 103-point lead over her British team-mate Katarina Johnson-Thompson (pictured right) after two events Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Jessica Ennis competes in the shot put as an official keeps a close eye on her foot positioning Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

The photography pack keeping an eye on Britain's athletics golden girl. She threw 14.28m with her second attempt. Photograph: Ben Curtis/AP

Ennis takes the bend in her 200m heat... Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

..and finishes with a personal best of 22.83s to end the first day of the heptathlon in gold medal position. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images