Ashton Eaton leads Day 1 of US Trials Decathlon in 4728, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder

Ashton Eaton, 2011 US Outdoors, 100 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net

Ashton Eaton, 2011 US Outdoor, Long Jump, photo by PhotoRun.net

Ashton Eaton showed the world today, at the first day of the US Olympic Trials decathlon, that he is the best decathlete in the world. Running in the rain, Eaton ran a personal best in the 100 meters, running 10.21, which also was a World Record performance for the decathlon. As the rain increased, Eaton then long jumped 8.32m, or 27-00-0, another personal best, and a new World Decathlon record for the Long Jump. He then threw the shot put, 14.50m, high jumped 2.05 and ran the second fastest 400 meters ever in the decathlon (that record, 46.4, hand timed, dates back to 1968, Mexico, and one Bill Toomey, who was present), in 46.69. His score of 4728 is the second best performance in US Decathlon history. He only ranks behind Dan O’Brien, who we hear, was a pretty darn good athlete.

And in this rain, buckets of it, stood Eaton’s coach, Harry Marra. Marra is the consumate coach, and a decathlon coach at that. He was beaming, beaming….

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Eaton top first day score 4728

EUGENE (USA, Jun 22): Rain and 20 936 spectators, that was the first day of track action at Hayward Field with 10 000 m races. Galen Rupp won the menÂ´s competition with 27:25.33 ahead of Matt Tegenkamp 27:33.94 and Dathan Ritzenhein 27:36.09. For all three second games after Beijing where all three competed in different events. Fast non-qualifiers Chris Derrick 27:40.23 and life-time best by Aaron Braun 27:41.54. Record number of 11 runners broke 28 minutes. Amy Hastings was the best woman in the 10 000 m in 31:58.36. But then it started to be more complicated. Second Natosha Rogers despite PB 31:59.21 will not go because no A-standard (31:45), third Shalane Flanagan wants to run only marathon in London (31:59.69). So Lisa Uhl as fourth (32:03:46) and Janet Cherobon-Bawcom as 7th (32:17.06) are the only other remaining with A-standard and will travel to London.

Ashton Eaton started superb decathlon with 4728 overnight score. It is fourth best ever first day score, only Dan OÂ´Brien has three better (4747, 4738 and 4736). That includes 10.21 (+0.4) and 823 (+0.8), the best ever 100 m and long jump results within a decathlon. He also had 14.20, 205 and 46.70. Second is Trey Hardee 4406 (10.50-755-15.72-199-49.11) ahead of Bryan Clay 4252 (10.45-740-15.63-196-51.21), way back fourth Gray Horn (4084). MenÂ´s 400 m heats had LaShawn Merritt as fastest 45.36 (also junior Aldrich Bailey advanced), not continuing from interesting names world indoor relay champion Greg Nixon (46.25) and Beijing bronze medalist David Neville (46.70).

Tyler Mulder was the best in 800 m heats (1:46.81) and Will Claye in long jump qualification (798, where 768 was enough to qualify). Tianna Madison was the fastest in 100 m heats (11.10, +0.5) and Kellie Wells in 100 m hurdles heats (12.68, +0.3) with no major casualties. Molly Beckwith posted the best time in 800 m first round 2:00.61 and oly winner Stephanie Brown Trafton won the discus qualification (62.83).

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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