LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Jessica Ennis-Hill has history in her sights as the Olympic heptathlon champion heads to the Rio Games unburdened by stress after the pressure of carrying the hopes of a nation four years ago.

Ennis-Hill will attempt to become just the third athlete to win Olympic gold, have a baby and then return to successfully defend their crown.

If the 30-year-old triumphs in the heptathlon she will also be the first British female athlete ever to retain an Olympic title.

At the 2012 Games in London, Ennis-Hill knew the success-starved British sporting public were counting on her to win gold on home soil and she responded in spectacular fashion with a British record score of 6,955 points.

Having survived that emotional roller coaster, Ennis-Hill knows nothing else in her career can match the pressure and expectation of her two days of competition at London’s Olympic Stadium.

“It feels completely different this year. I don’t feel that stress and pressure I had in 2012 and last year as well when I decided to go to Beijing,” she said.

“I kind of feel I’ve come back from injuries and having my son and got back to the top of my sport.

“I felt more stressed in 2012 than any year I’ve experienced. Last year was a really unknown year. I didn’t plan to go to the Beijing World Championships, it was kind of a last-minute thing.

“I always had it in my mind that I wanted to come back and get back to my best. I always thought that would be this year and not last year.”

After giving birth to son Reggie, Ennis-Hill won the world title in Beijing and has battled back from an Achilles injury to head to Brazil as one of the favourites for gold.

She racked up 6,733 points, her best score since London 2012 and only 32 off Canadian Brianne Theisen-Eaton’s world-leading score, in the heptathlon in Ratingen recently.

It was a significant statement of intent, but Ennis-Hill insists she doesn’t feel under pressure to retain the Olympic title.

“I don’t feel I’m a strong favourite,” she said. “I’m really happy with the way Ratingen went. I’m feeling good and training’s going well.

“I’m feeling positive and hoping I can maintain that over the next few weeks and push on.”

Ennis-Hill readily admits her priorities as a mother are vastly different to what they were four years ago.

She is treading a path unfamiliar to most as Australian sprint hurdler Shirley Strickland in 1956 and Cameroon triple-jumper Francoise Mbango Etone in 2008 are the only two athletes who have won consecutive Olympic titles and had a baby in between.

It is for that reason Ennis-Hill has opted to skip the Team GB holding camp in Belo Horizonte and will instead head to a 10-day training camp in Europe with husband Andy and Reggie before flying on to Rio just before the Games get underway.

“Where in previous years I’d always go to the holding camp, this year that’s not going to work for me,” she said.

“I have Reggie, I’m a mum and my priorities are totally different now.

“To be confident going out and performing I need to be with my son for as long as possible, then I know I’m happy and he’s happy and I can go out and put all my energy into performing.”