Denise Lewis has described the competition in British heptathlon as "red hot" ahead of next year's World Championships in Beijing.

Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill and rising star Katarina Johnson-Thompson were both absent from the Commonwealth Games this summer, but Jessica Taylor stepped up to win a shock bronze medal in Glasgow.

World Junior champion Morgan Lake is also expected to make the step up to senior competition sooner rather than later, and Lewis is particularly excited to see how the 17-year-old adapts.

"That event is red hot at the moment. Morgan Lake is 17, World Junior champion and also vying to get into the championships, to make that transition from juniors to seniors," she told Sports Mole.

"So there is a lot to contend with, a lot of new names for people to get used to, but I think British athletics at the moment is in a good place."

Lewis, who won heptathlon gold at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, also tipped Taylor to kick on from her Commonwealth success and clinch a spot at the Worlds next year.

"She just seized the opportunity. No-one would have predicted that Jessica could win a medal at the Commonwealths, but she competed really well and that's the essence of it," she added.

"You can't look at times, you can't look at points or distances, you've got to be in the mix on the day and be ready to react when the opportunity arises.

"She'll savour that medal and obviously it will make her stronger, more committed and more focused during the winter because the next step for her is getting to the World Championships, getting the qualifying mark to go to the World Championships and enjoying that experience as well."

Click here to read our full interview with former Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis.