Volume XXXIV Number 25 June (1), 2009 FIRST DAY at GöTZIS Hardee 2nd, Arnold 15th; Terek 4th at NACAC Hello Again…. Recent injuries and political Atkady Vasilyev, the 2007 Russian champion. considerations cost the Hypo-Bank field dearly in recent weeks. Nonetheless, 23 35th Hypo-Bank Meeting started in the 35th edition of the world’s elite Mosle Stadium invitational decathlon hosted by this small Götzis, Austria hamlet in the Western Austrian Alps annual May 30-31, 2009 After confirmation the list of cancellations read like a who’s who in the Day One multi-event world: Olympic medalists Andrei Krauchanka/BLR (hip), Anatoliy Karpov/ KAZ (back), Leonel Suarez/CUB (politics). Then, after being confimed for Gotzis Yunior Diaz/CUB and Yodani Garcia/CUB were lost to the NACAC affair in their home country. Also conspicuous by their absence were Olympic Gold medalist Bryan Clay (short on training), 2006 world indoor champ Andrei Nicklaus/GER (toe) and a host of the other annual entrants, like last year’s runner- up Alex Sosoyev/RUS and Canadian Massimo Bertocchi. Yet the field (from 14 nations) was American Trey Hardee stood 2nd after day one at the still terrific. 34 year old (and 5x winner here) Hypo-Bank meeting in Götzis with 4391 points. Roman Sebrle/CZE was in top shape, as was By the time the athletes went to the start line Jamaica’s Maurice Smith and Americans Trey 2000 spectators were already in their seats or Hardee and Jake Arnold who won the Italian camped on the grassy knolls surrounding the MultiStars meeting three weeks earlier. 6 lane oval. Although a bit coolish, by race- And the 2009 Götzis meeting was also time conditions were optimal, temp 70 an opportunity to evaluate a host of young degrees F and comfortable trailing breezes. European stars of the future like Germany’s th As with very few Götzis meetings in recent 21 year old, Michael Schrader (10 in years, there was no clear favorite, but most Beijing), 23 year old Ukrainen Oleksiy eyes were on the popular Serble, Smith and Kasyanov (7th in Beijing), and 22 year old Hardee. 100 meters: [11:40-11.56 am] speedster Oleksey Kasyanov. A year ago in Sunny skies and trailing breezes Beijing they had run 10.52 and 10.53 greeted the initial event, divided in to 4 respectively. Former NCAA indoor champ sections, all seeded from slowest to fastest. Maurice Smith/JAM-ex Auburn was in lane 6. The women’s hurdles races, run earlier, all Hardee reacted best of all to the had slight headwinds, but here in Deca consistently speedy gun (in 4 races not a Mecca, the winds turned around and were single false start) and was clear of the field at favorable for the men. 30m. He gunned it with erect posture and arms pumping. The flying Kasyanov inched closer in the final 20 meters but Trey held on for a significant 10.48 win (wind +0.8mps). The young Ukrainian posted a PR 10.51 for 2nd and Smith was caught in 10.77 for 4th. The most amazingly consistent set of figures belonged to 2nd year starter Michael Tuppen whose set-to-gun times clocked 0.80, 0,79, 0.95 and 0.85) for the 4 decathlon races. For those really into statistics, his 4 100m 3 strides out in section #4 of the 100 meters finds, left-to hurdles races for heptathletes measured 0.80, right, (lanes 6 to 1) Marurice Smith/JAM, Michael Schrader/GER, Oleksiy Kasyanov/UKR, Trey 0.89, 0.85 and 0.81. Worldwide there is no hardee/USA (orange singlet), Jacob Minah/GER, and starter more consistent that Tuppen and he Eelco Sintnicolaas/NED. Hardee won in 10.48 seconds. adds a good deal of quality to this meeting. After One: Hard 980, Kasy 973, Schr 942, Smit 912 In the first race (which had a trio of runners ….Arno 20th 847 with sub-11 second PRs) Jake Arnold, in lane Long Jump: [12:40-1:35 pm] 3, was caught napping and had to play catch- Conditions were excellent for jumping up. He collared all but Simon Walter/SUI as (warm, sunny, little wind). Jumping west to both leaned at the finish: Walter 11.04, Jake east on the infield (seeded) pit, German talent nd 11.06. For the latter it was his 2 best deca Pascal Behrenbruch opened with a 7.03m/23- sprint ever. (wind: +0.4mps) ¾ leap. In round one 4 notables produced The second section saw ’08 Thorpe fouls, while Trey Hardee managed 7.37m/24- Cup winner Norman Müller having an easy 2¼, while just managing to reach the toe- time of it winning in 10.93 over Sweden’s board. Nicklas Wiberg. One of the meet favorites, Round #2 was an eye-opener as Russian Aleksey Dozdov claimed a sluggish Michael Schrader posted a 7.59m/24-11 leap th 11.20 for 6 . and Hardee, jumping immediately thereafter rd The 3 race found a fit looking and took the lead with a 7.74m/25-4¾ effort. It world record holder Roman Sebrle in lane 7 was short lived as Kasyanov lumbered down with a pair of former SEC decathletes the runway and popped a 7.88m/25-10¼ (William Fullani/ITA-former Tennessee, and pushing him ahead of Hardee and into the Claston Bernard/JAM-ex LSU. The winner overall lead. Winds were generally favorable. was young Andres Raja/EST in 10.81 over But in round #3 they began to shift. The first th Bernard (10.88). Frullani placed 4 in 10.91 victim was Maurice Smith who produced his as the entire field pulled away from Sebrle 3rd foul at the toe-board. Then Sebrle hit the (11.14). board perfectly and his leap covered Seeded in the fastest section, Trey 7.86m/25-9 ½ of Voralberg real estate. He Hardee drew lane3, next to Ukrainian still has the pop! But this event belonged to the young Schrader whose perfect approach, board. The judges got together after the take-off and landing netted an 8.05m/26-5 !!! event, reviewed their decision, could not qualifying him for, among other things, the verify that the throw was a foul and gave Trey IAAF World champs in Berlin in the long another chance, which was no better than his jump! It also pushed him to the overall lead. clutch 13.93m/45-8½ in round 3. Smith Steaming, Hardee, next in the order, improved to 16.24m/53-3½ on the last effort hot-footed it the runway but a faulty landing but, with a zero in the long jump, it was netted just 7.72m/25-4. 10 fouls in Group A. academic. Arnold was the leadoff jumper in Russian Vasiliy Kharlamov won Group B and he recorded a 6.87m/22-6½ Group B in 15.25m/50-½ while Schrader got mark. The jumping was universally good in a 14.33m/47-¼ PR for 3rd. Group B (lower seeded athletes as 4 produced Aleksey Drozdov withdrew with a leg 7.50m/24-7¼ efforts. Speedy Eelco injury. So the meet settled into whether any of Sintnicollas (St Nicholas and hereafter Santa the youngsters could handle Sebrle’s by the Claus)/NED managed 7.76m/ 25-5½. Smooth end of day 2. South African Willem Coertzen was 2nd at After Three:Kasy 2790, Schr 2764, Hard 2699, th 7.58m/24-10½. Arnold’s best was 6.92m/22- Sebr2670….19 2383. 8½, not far off his best. Perhaps the most High Jump: [3:20-5:00 pm] impressive, but misunderstood, efforts were those of Russian Arkady Vasilyev (2006 World Junior champion) who, after Achilles surgery last fall, switched takeoff legs and got a 6.49m/21 jump. Only 2 fouls in Group B. After Two:Schr 2015, Kasy 2003, Hard 1975, Sint 1885…Arno 20th 1642 Shot Put: [2:11- 2:55 pm] Trey Hardee managed a 2.00m/6-6 ¾ jump in Götzis, but struggled here at 2.03m/6-8. Most of the crowd mustered at the east end of Mosle stadium, and sat or stood behind the railings. A modest estimate is that the crowd size peaked here at @ 3,400. Winds gusted on the high jump apron. The event was not particularly fast (Group A- 100 minutes, 94 In the Gotzis Kugelstossen, Hardee (left) posted a attempts, 39 clearances; B 83 minutes, 100 13.93m/45-8½ while 5 x winner, 34 year old Roman Sebrle attempts, 48 clearances) the winner was 24 tossed 15.41m/50-6¾. year old Swede Nicklas Wiberg at 2.12m/6- 11½. The Americans jumped reasonably well, Hardee opened the kugelstossen with a foul both managing 2.00m/6-6¾. Arnold’s 3rd (outside right sector) and Smith also fouled. attempt at 2.03m/6-8 was very close. The Behrenbruch led easily with a 16.37m/53-8½ major story here was the early height pass of toss that he nor anyone else bettered. managed Sebrle, who, after clearing 1.94m/6- The event’s only drama came in round 4¼, then passed 1.97m /6-5½ and then missed two where Hardee pumped a 13.47m/44-2½ thrice at 2.00m/6-6¾. toss but was called for a foot fault at the toe- In Group B Dutchman Ingmar Vos Hardee finished the day 70 points th PR’d to win at 2.06m/6-9. It was his 4 out of the lead but with a great chance for the consecutive individual lifetime best.