NSA Roundtable Combined Events
OVERVIEW VIEWPOINT© by IAAF NSA Roundtable 28:3/4; 7-18, 2013 Combined Events he combined events are currently ex- their views on the developments and trends periencing a golden age in the pub- we are seeing. T lic eye and, in the men’s events, the highest performance levels ever seen. First is Toni Minichello, who has worked with Ennis’s from the age of 11; guiding her to Euro- In 2012, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, Brit- pean and world titles and personal best scores ain’s poster girl for the Olympics in London, every year except one from 2004 to 2012. overcame media and public pressure to win her country’s first athletics gold medal of the Then we have Harry Marra, the American Games, the whole process attracting unprec- coach of both Ashton Eaton and Brianne edented attention to the event for both her per- Theisen-Eaton who previously worked with formance and her star quality. Also in London, 1996 Olympic Champion and four-time World Ashton Eaton of the USA capped what was ar- Champion (three outdoors, one indoors) Dan guably the best year ever by a male combined O’Brien (USA) and the 1992 Olympic bronze events athlete by following up his earlier world medallists Dave Johnson (USA). records and world championships in both the decathlon and the indoor heptathon with a hard Jitka Vinduskova, PaedDr, CSc, is a Vice fought victory over countryman Trey Hardee. Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University in Prague and Chair Eaton won the decathlon again at the of the Methodology Committee of the Czech 2013 IAAF World Championships in Athlet- athletics federation.
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