by Larry Eder
Ashton Eaton, Decathlon gold, photo by PhotoRun.net
Trey Hardee, silver medal, Decathlon, photo by PhotoRun.net
Two tough decathlons within a month of each other. The decathlon is ten events that give you lots of places to screw up. Ashton and Trey did not screw up, that is the short story. Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee went 1,2 in the decathlon. This is first time for US going 1,2 since 1956 when Milton Campbell took the gold and Rafer Johnson took the silver. Leonel Suarez of Cuba, a tremendous athlete, took bronze in the decathlon.
Ashton Eaton had some great performances over the past two days. He ran 10.35 for the 100 meters, long jumped 8.03m, threw the shot put 14.66m, High jumped 2.05m and ran 46.90 for the 400 meters to end day one, in the lead, with a score of 4661. On day two, Ashton did not relax, as he hurdled 13.56 for the 110m hurdles, and threw the discus 42.53m and pole vaulted 5.20m. ” I felt some tightness in my hamstrings, so I did not push the pole vault.” noted Ashton
after the event. In the javelin, Ashton threw 61.96m, for 8,148 points.
Ashton ran 4:33.59 for 721 points, and his gold medal score was 8,869 points.
Trey Hardee, the 2011 World Champion, hit the 100 meters in 10.42, long jumped 7.53m, and threw a shot put 15.28 meters. Trey high jumped 1.99 meters, and ran 48.11 for 400 meters for a score of 4,441, which put him in second for the end of day 1. Trey hurdled the 110m hurdles in 13.54, threw the discus 48.26m, pole vaulted 4.80m, and threw the javelin 66.65m.
In the final event, the 1,500 meters, run in 4:40.94, Trey Hardee took the silver, scoring 8,671.
In third Leonel Suarez of Cuba scored 8523 (11.27 for the 100m, 7.52 for the LJ, 14.50m for the shotput, 2.11m for the high jump, and 49.04 for the 400m (4265 for sixth at end of day1). On day 2, Leonel hurdled 14.45, threw the discus 45.75m, pole vaulted 4.70m, and threw the javelin 76.94m. In the 1,500m, Leonel Suarez ran 4:30.94, to move from sixth on day 1 to third and the bronze.
