The 25-year-old from Sheffield is one of Britain's most recognisable athletes and arguably the team's greatest gold medal prospect, having dominated the sport of heptathlon for the past three years.

Ennis admits there is huge pressure on her specifically to achieve Olympic gold - but claims there is pressure on everyone competing in the British team at London 2012 and they all must be able to cope with it if they want to achieve glory in front of a home crowd.

"It's a tremendous real honour to be called the golden girl of the London 2012 Olympics and to have my face on posters all over the place," Ennis said at a lunch in central London, organised by Sheffield City Council's Major Sports Events branch.

"It does bring a huge amount of expectation having things like that hanging over you but that pressure will affect the whole of Team GB, not just me.

"To have the opportunity to be part of a home Olympics really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you have to take advantage of it and if you didn't feel pressure or didn't feel nervous then there would be something wrong with you.

"The key is to embrace that pressure and use it to help your performance."

The big goal for Ennis this season is the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, which get under way in August and Ennis said the event will be an important stepping stone ahead of London 2012.

"I'm really looking forward to Daegu and to defending my world title," she said.

"Obviously most people will have one eye on London 2012 but all of the best athletes will be there and looking to show they are the best in the world heading in the Olympics so I'll have to be in top form if I want to compete for gold."

Ennis added she will pass up any opportunity to train at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford ahead of the Games as she does not want to become too familiar with the surroundings.

"When I compete at London 2012, I want everything to be really exciting and really new," she said.

"Some athletes want everything to be very familiar and to know exactly where everything is, but I want it to all be fresh to me to add extra nervousness because that fires me up and makes me perform at my best.

"I am 25 years old now and heptathletes don't usually peak until their late 20s so I still feel like I'll have another Olympics left in me after London.

"But there will never be an opportunity to win Olympic gold in front of a home crowd again.

"Every British athlete competing at London 2012 is in a hugely privileged position and it is an amazing feeling."

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