DECATHLON HANDBOOK & MEDIA GUIDE 11th IAAF World CHAMPIONSHIPS DECATHLON Osaka, Japan August 31-Sept. 1, 2007 by: Frank Zarnowski The Decathlon Association www.decathlonusa.org
[email protected] Outlook for 2007 Meeting The 11th IAAF world championship returns to the Orient after a 16 year absence. Dan O’Brien won the 3rd IAAF world title in Tokyo in 1991. Defending champion Bryan Clay appears healthy and ready for a big score. He won the 2005 title in Helsinki after garnering a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In fact the 3 Athens’ medalists are all healthy and primed for Osaka. Olympic champion (and world record holder-9026 in 2001) Roman Sebrle, 32, of the Czech Republic has the world’s leading score (8697). Olympic bronze medalist Dmirty Karpov/Kazakstan dnf’d the 1500m at Gotzis but returned with an 8553 effort in Kladno. But all eyes will be on Clay who put up an 8493 effort in Gotzis for 3rd after cruising with a big lead. His snafu in the discus cost him 300+ points. He withdrew after 4 events at the USA nationals in Indianapolis but appears healthy and rare’in to go. A pair of decathletes with dissimilar credentials could throw a monkey wrench into the Big Three. 21 year old Andrei Krauchanka of BelaRussia won the Gotzis affair with a huge PR 8617, then won the Euro under 23 crown. He’s springy and has fresh legs. And Tom Pappas, 5 days shy of his 31st birthday, has returned to elite status. He was injured at the Athens Games in ’04 and a shoulder injury did not allow him to defend his IAAF world title in 05.