Decathlon 2000 › News › Ashton Eaton the best Decathlon-heptathlon runner in the World
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Ashton Eaton the best Decathlon-heptathlon runner in the World (8)

Recently Ivan Tchechankov wrote an interesting article 1) about Tyson Gay being the first and only man in history to dip under 10.00 in the 100m, under 20.00 in the 200m and under 45.00 in the 400m!

Based upon the the IAAF Scoring Tables for Combined Events 2), Gay ranks third behind Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson when their personal bests are combined:

Name

100m

200m

400m

Total
Bolt 9,58 1202p 19,19 1183p 45,28 1045p 3430p
Johnson 10,09 1074p 19,32 1168p 43,18 1156p 3398p
Gay 9,69 1174p 19,58 1139p 44,89 1065p 3378p

Neither Bolt nor Johnson nor Gay tried the hurdles and they avoid(ed) long distances. Decathletes run occasionally a 200m in a pentathlon or on invitation meetings and they do not all have a personal best for this distance because it is not included in the decathlon. Let’s have a look at the top for decathlon and heptathlon running events.

Based on their personal bests total, for a long time Podebradsky and Doucouré were the world record holders for decathlon, whereas Dan O’Brien toke the honor for the heptathlon but there is a new kid on the block called Ashton Eaton. Look for yourself:

Decathlon

Name

Total points

100m 400m 110m H 1500m
Ashton Eaton

3834

10,34 46,34 13,63 4.20,56
Jan Podebradsky

3827

10,66 45,92 13,99 4.07,20
Ladji Doucoure

3827

10,48 46,82 12,97 4.26,53

As for Heptathlon

Name

Total points

60m 60m H 1000m
Ashton Eaton

2985

6,71 7,77 2.32,67
Dan O'Brien

2939

6,67 7,68 2.40,12
Jan Podebradsky

2914

6,88 7,88 2.30,90

So how does it look if we combine all running events and give this guy the title of best runner for combined events?

Decathlon and heptathlon running events:

Name Total points 100m 400m 110m H 1500m 60m 60m H 1000m
Eaton 6819 10,34 46,34 13,64 4.20,56 6,71 7,77 2.32,67
Podebradsky 6741 10,66 45,92 13,99 4.07,20 6,88 7,88 2.30,90
O’Brien 6729 10,23 46,53 13,47 4.33,19 6,67 7,68 2.40,12
Doucoure 6665 10,48 46,82 12,97 4.26,53 6,78 7,42 2.52,13


Wind assisted marks from Eaton are indeed included, but the man hasn’t finished yet! How will this table look at the end of the season?

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1 Sunday, 28 February 2010
2 This scoring tables are different to the IAAF Outdoor Scoring Tables!
3 According to Frank Zarnowsky

Comments (8)

decadecadeca wrote on Sep 22, 2010
Interesting post!
Eaton will be the next WR holder (prediction!)
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B.J. Parish wrote on Sep 23, 2010
i agree completely but it will take him a few years but the thing is he has time.
at first i always thought it would be clay but he has missed his time i think and but maybe next year he could surprise.
here is why i think eaton could be the next record holder!
1) he has something seblre said you need and that is the ability to do 3 decathlons a year for 3 years and stay healthy then he said someone would then be ready to break it with the right potential
Eaton has proven so far he can stay healthy and be very durable
2) he has something no one else has and it is above... all of the running events no one else runs 10.3 and 4:20 since daley thompson a former world record holder or close anyways
3) time... as for now time is on his side as a decathlete he is only gonna get stronger in the throws with more time and reps he will better his throws and he is only 22. also clay just pred in the 100 and he is 30! i think he still has more in the tank as far as his running goes
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eierluke wrote on July 05, 2012
Still an interesting topic.
1st place: Eaton has set the ceiling higher and higher since.
2 nd place: Since wind assisted marks are included: Ladji DOUCOURE
100m 10.45 +4.3 Montgeron (FRA) 12.05.2007 (http://www.all-athletics.com/node/30875)
But where are his 1500m 4:26,53 min from? (various sources have him with a PB of 4:33,43, Arles, 2001)
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Daniel Urien wrote on July 05, 2012
For Doucouré :

PB on 1500m with 4.26.53 made during a nonathlon U18 (6707 8-9/7/2000 Saint-Etienne)
PB on 1000m with 2.46.09 made during a pentathlon indoor U18 (4145 13/02/2000)
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eierluke wrote on July 06, 2012
Thanks Daniel Urien!

Interesting, that decadeca.... in 2010 already knew what happened recently (WR Ashton Eaton).
I've to give, that I haven't been convinced until last spring.
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Thomas wrote on July 06, 2012
Interesting to note that Doucouré basically gave up combined events in 2002 at age 19 so (except hurdles), all of his PB's were established as a 17y/18y old. I haven't got data to support this assumption but I think he would be a runaway leader of the U19 list:
10.48 (18) 46.82 (18) 13.58 (18) 6.78 (17) 7.68 (18) 4.26.53 (17)
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eierluke wrote on July 07, 2012
Having lost the highly talented Doucoure to the specialists (in USA it probably would have been to american football) is another frustrating statement that the dosage form of decathlon does not fit anymore in an era where sports offers the most talented athletes to financially solve lifetime problems in a few years for the rest of their life.
It is funny that athletes appreciate a lot what decathletes do accomplish (other athletes in germany recently gave Pascal Behenbruch athlete of the month honors) while some ordonary people still say "yes decathlon that is the thing with riding, swimming, ... .
Ordonary people do want entertainment - and that is OK. They are the ones who should pay the money (directly or indirectly) to enable top talented decathletes to become/ remain decathletes. People like stories whether it is news, cinema or what else.
We need to find a way to present decathlon in an entertaining way where nothing is taken away from the accompishment including the preparation for and the endurance of a decathlon without compelling ordonary people to invest 2 days to follow a story where from their point of view very little happens. I'm sure that there is an unbelievable amount of talented athletes who'd in priciple would be interested in the challenge of the decathlon, but who simply go in another direction with an economical perspective.
The only positive thing is that due to current "non profit" circumstances it is no random accident that the best decathlete of the world does not act as the clown the best overall earning track and field athlete acts.
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Thomas wrote on July 09, 2012
Speaking of Doucouré, he gave up combined events because of recurring tendinitis in his left knee, nothing else. He chose to focus on hurdling because he was afraid his body would not be able to sustain the high volume training of a decathlete. The run of injuries he suffered post-2006 proved him right in that regard.
But you are right that a lot of great athletes have been lost to other sports due to financial considerations.
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