by Alfonz Juck
Damian Warner takes WL in Gotzis with 8,711 pts! photo by PhotoRun.net
Katerina Johnson-Thompson won in Gotzis with lifetime best, and WL of 6,813! photo by PhotoRun.net
World leads: Warner 8711 and KJT 6813
GOTZIS (AUT, May 26): Katarina Johnson-Thompson won the heptathlon at the Gotzis Hypo-Meeting (IAAF CE Challenge) with a lifetime best and world leading score of 6813 points, winning by nearly 350 points from Latvia’s Laura Ikauniece (6476) and Hungary’s Xenia Krizsan who also set a PB of 6469 points. Johnson-Thompson was excellent in her last three events, topping the long jump with 6.68m before setting a 42.92m PB in the javelin and concluding her two days with 2:08.28 in the 800m to exceed the 6800 points barrier. Ikauniece also had a standout second day which included 54.13m in the javelin. World silver medallist Carolin Schaefer (6426) and USA’s Kendell Williams (6412) also surpassed the 6400 points-barrier. In total, 17 athletes went over the 6000 points-barrier. Damian Warner won his fourth successive decathlon title in Gotzis also with a world-leading score of 8711 points, winning by a clear margin ahead of Grenada’s Lindon Victor (8473) and Estonia’s Maicel Uibo (8353). Germany’s 2016 world U20 champion Niklas Kaul continues to improve with a 8336 PB in fourth while current world U20 champion Ashley Moloney (still an U20) was 13th with a 8038 PB. A total of 15 athletes surpassed 8000 points.
