Volume XXXIX Number 12 March (5), 2014 EATON GOLD AGAIN 6632 Score Just Shy of World Record

Hello Again….Although he fell a few points shy of his own world record Ashton Eaton was the singular hero of . At the 15th IAAF World T&F Championships in Sopot, POL the 26 year old American repeated as world indoor champion, and earned the respect of a sellout crowd. With no one able to help sustain an adequete 1000m pace in his try for his own WR, Eaton ran on alone, leaving the world’s most versatile athletes in his wake yet fell an agonizingly 1.2 seconds shy of his record goal. Final score: 6632 points with a margin Ashton Eaton’s 5.20m/17- ¾ clearance in Sopot kept him of victory at 300+. Although some may feel on record pace. barrier. Eaton, running tall and and composed letdown when one comes up just short of a caught the flying Canadian at barrier 3 and WR, you have to understand that Eaton is the eased away with clear daylight (daylight, Bolshoi of the CEs. He comes to compete and hmmm, it’s 4 am here!) and clocked a nifty fashions a great performance every night. 7.64, a meet record and his 2nd fastest ever. This was another great performance. Only The time was worth 1074 points and now put Eaton and his coach Harry Marra know how him 9 up on WR/MR pace. A great start. far out he can push the heptathlon record. But Spetacular. don’t feel let down…there’s nothing wrong Behind Eaton the field flew in. Warner with 6632, the 2nd highest score in history. cloocked 7.70, a PR. Only Eaton has ever run

faster undercover. He moved up one place (to 15th IAAF World 4th) overall. Okleksiy Kasyanov was 3rd in Championships 7.85, another PR and he moved to within 4 Ergo Arena, Sopot, points of 2nd place. Eelco Sintinicolaas and March 7-8, 2014 Andrei Krauchankla (who remained in 2nd 60 m Hurdles: (10:00am local/4:00 am EST) overall) posted seasonal bests. A subdiued crowd greetd the athletes on the Ironically (or maybe not!) the places for morning of day 2. Eaton had drawen lane 3, this event were exactly the same as those of flanked by the two tallest opponents: Thomas the 60m dash. The medals (and there color) Van der Plaetsen and . His were virtually assured at this point-Eaton, start was sfine but the start of Damian Warner Krauchanka-Van der Plaetsen. in lane 6 was astonishing (reaction 0.111 seconds!!) and Warner led until the 2nd 4.80m/15-9. Ashton opened successfully at 4.90m/16-¾ . He then skied 5.00m/16-4¾ and elected to pass the next bar. In the meantime Krauchanka surprisingly could muster only 5.00m/16-4¾. With the bar at 5.20m/17-¾ Sintinicolaas started with a succesful attempt. But Kazmirek and Eaton both missed on initial trys and second attempts. Heart attack Eaton began day two in Sopot with a terrific 7.64 win in city….but Ashton was succssful on his 3rd the 60 meter hurdles. try, matching his Istanbul clearance and back to 9 points up on record pace. He raised his Whew! And its 4:10 am! hand in celebration as soon as he returned to Results: firm ground and gave a sigh of relief. Van der lane Time reaction points Plaetsen had also cleared and Kazmirek 1…Eaton, Ashton /USA-OreTCe(3) 7.64 0.168 1074 2…Warner, Damain/CAN (6) 7.70 0.111 1059 followed with a PR here. The trio along with 3. Kasyanov, Oleksiy/UKR (1) 7.85 0.144 1020 Sintnicilaas went to 5.30m/17-4½ 4. Sintinicolaas,Eelco/NED (5) 8.05 0.175 969 Sintnicolaas elected to skip this bar 5. Kazmirek, Kaii/GER (8) 8.07 0.139 964 6. Krauchanka, Andrei/BLR (7) 8.10 0.199 957 and the remaining three all failed here. The 7. Van der Plaetsen, Thomas/NED(2) 8.16 0.166 942 Dutchman handled 5.40m/17-8½ moving into 8. Behrenbruch, Pascal/GER (4) 8.19 0.150 935 4th, 78 points out of 3rd. After Six: Eato 5699, Krau 5450, Van d 5389, Sint After Five:Eato 4727, Krau 4540, Kasy 4536 Warn 5313. 4443 1000 Meters: (7:20 pm local/1:20 pm EST) : (11:00am local/5:00 am EST) The 1000m was scheduled for the Kasyanov was the first eliminated evening session, a 6½ hour break. The medals here, having cleared 4.50m/14-5¼ and were set and only the question of a possible Warner was the next to go having cleared world record remained. Eaton would need a 4.60m/15-1. Medal chances were gone for 2:33.54 clocking to break his own meet and both. Behrenbruch used three 3rd desperation world record, about one second off his career attemps eventually getting best. He understands pace and liklely would have to go it alone since no one in the field was remotely close to that level. Yet this would not be the first time he had to run his level best for a record. The Ergo Arena was packed for the evening session. He took an immediate lead and only during the 2nd lap did he relinquish the lead to Sintinicolaas. But he quickly regained it and push on alone…splits 30.4 62.3 1:32.7 Dutchman Eelco Sintinicolaas predictably won the vault in Sopot with a 5.40m/17-8 ½ clearance. 2:06.2 He gave it his ultimate during the frenzied last lap (28 seconds), won by a straigthaway, but fell a second short, clocking 2:34.72. For Ashton it represented a 7th consecutive win in this event dating to 2009. The field was significantly improved over that of Istanbul when only two surpassed 6000 points. Here 7 did so and the race behind Eaton was terrific. The entire field had to run to protect their places….and run they did…7th was 2:41+. Yet, when the dust cleared, not a single place had changed and Krauchanka and Van der Plaetsen were the other medalists. With no one to set the pace Eaton went it alone in the 1000 meters. Race results: 1…Ashton Eaton/USA 2:34.72 2.. Damian Warner/CAN 2:37.98 World and Meet Record Pace 3.. Eelco Sintnicolaas/NED 2:38.98 3/9-10 Ashton Eaton Istanbul 6645 4.. Oleksiy Kasyanov/UKR 2:39.44 mark 6.79 8.16 14.56 2.03 7.68 5.20 2:32.77 pts 958 1102 763 831 1064 972 955 5.. Kai Kazmirek/GER 2:39.51 cum pts 958 2060 2823 3654 4718 5690 6645 6.. Thomas Van der Plaetsen/BEL 2:40.50 7.. /BLR 2:41.88 3/7-8 Ashton Eaton Sopot dnf Pascal Behrenbruch/GER dnf mark 6.66 7.78 14.88 2.06 7.64 5.20 2:34.72 pts 1007 1005 782 859 1074 972 933 After Seven: Eato 6632, Krau 6303, Van d 6259, Sint cum pts 1007 2012 2794 3653 4727 5699 6632 6198. +/- + 42 - 48 -29 -1 +9 +9 -13

RESULTS: 3/7-8 15th IAAF World Champs, Sopot, POL 6632 Eaton, Ashton /USA-OreeTC 6.66 778 1488 206 7.64 520 2:34.72 6303 Krauchanka, Andrei/BLR 7.12 746 1542 221 8.10 500 2:41.88 6259 Van der Plaetsen, Thomas/NED 7.13 767 1432 212 8.16 520 2:40.50 6198 Sintinicolaas,Eelco/NED 7.01 714 1439 203 8.05 540 2:38.98 6176 Kasyanov, Oleksiy/UKR 6.88 754 1541 203 7.85 450 2:39.44 6173 Kazmirek, Kaii/GER 7.02 744 1406 203 8.07 520 2:39.51 6129 Warner, Damain/CAN 6.75 731 1386 200 7.70 460 2:37.98 4983 Behrenbruch, Pascal/GER 7.23 706 1550 184 8.19 480 dnf