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The real points collector (2)

Chris Vlamynck
Feb 02, 2015

Multievents in the 21th century. Part V

Until before 2014, four 8000+ decathletes completed an Icosathlon. These where first Sven Reintak (1989) and then Indrek Kaseorg (1990, -91, -92) proving again the multi-event high quality in Estonia, followed years later by the two Americans Kip Janvrin (2002) and Joe Detmer (2010).

The Icosathlon 13.000+ club. 1) Joe Detmer. 2) Kip Janvrin. 3) Indrek Kaseorg. 4) Aivar Ojastu. 5) Frederic Xhonneux. 6) Sven Reintak.

In the last four years, after Joe Detmer breaking the Icosathlon record, nobody was added to the all-time top 10 unless at the end of last summer season (2014) when Frederic Xhonneux (pb 8142/2008) from Belgium decided to partake in the twenty events weekend in Delft in the Netherlands. He installed himself immediately as fifth athlete on the all-time list, joining the select group of six athletes  exceeding 13.000 points. A fresh wind in the “Icosathlon world” and time for us to review some facts.

Let’s go back in time to the year 1989. Indrek Kaseorg is 22 years old and there’s no significant decathlon to find on his name. The year before in 1988 the FIN Mika Ruuskanen brought the Icosathlon world record to 12.158 points. Three other Estonians think they can break that record and they are on 9 September 89 at the start of an Icosathlon in Helsinki to do that and all three of them write history. Raivo Magi running the 10.000 in 38 minutes 31.16 seconds breaks the record with 12.725 points but he knows that right behind him Aivar Ojastu is still running and that his points total after 19 events is so high that he will break that record again in a few minutes. And indeed two minutes later at the end of the 10.000 meters Ojastu becomes the new world record holder with 13.332 points. Sven Reintak becomes the second best Icosathlete at that time with 13.059 points and the first 8000+ decathlete to finish an Icosathlon. The top three in the world is Estonian in 1989 and today they are still in the all-time top ten. The special thing about Magi is that he became world record holder in the “other decathlon” or let us call them the 10 “non-decathlon” events, and that record is with 7145 points still not broken in 2015 as we write this article. Second all-time for the non-dec events is Aivar Ojastu with 7058 points the only two people in the world with more than 7000 points (non-dec) in an Icosathlon for 26 years!

A year later Indrek Kaseorg decided to compete in the 1990 Icosathlon in Espoo in Finland. He ends the “double D” with 12.879 and becomes the third Icosathlete ever. The top four is still Estonian. Indrek has a sense of taste in his mouth. The flavor? World record! Next year in 1991 he’s doing a decathlon of 7549 and later goes to Punkalaidun in Finland again. He breaks the Icosathlon world record with 13.763 points meanwhile doing a 6940 decathlon in the same weekend. Same place and almost same time of the year in 1992 (a year later), and the record on his name went to 13.906 points. The record stood for 10 years – the longest ever for the Icosathlon – and since he, already the year before also broke the record, he’s been world record holder for 11 years.

Collecting points

Yes the real points collector is Indrek Kaseorg! Allready more than ten years Indrek has collected the biggest amount of points for the 20 events as well as for the 23 different performances. Respectively an amazing total of 15.803 and 18.556 points. It is not easy to find everyone’s personal bests. The need for correction is possible and very welcome. Here is Indrek Kaseorg’s profile compared to the closest following high results for the 23.

All Time Personal Bests Table 23 Events

 

I. Kaseorg

J. Detmer

K. Janvrin

F. Xhonneux

S. Reintak

100

11.18

10.80

10.61

11.28

11.01

LJ

759

740

739

733

750

200 H

25.01

24.25

25.31

25.52

25.66

SP

14.67

13.18

14.82

14.79

14.82

5.000

17 26.87

18 25.32

18 23.97

18 35.50

18 37.28

800

2 04.84

1 52.25

2 02.46

2 11.29

2 16.89

HJ

212

204

204

204

210

400

48.35

47.03

47.57

48.55

49.24

HT

32.26

31.82

34.27

36.50

30.18

3.000 SC

10 50.14

11 22.47

11 22.96

11 19.07

11 38.43

 

 

 

 

 

 

110 H

14.26

14.54

14.48

14.57

14.0

DT

44.41

40.73

47.44

45.36

48.78

200

23.30

22.58

22.56

22.66

24.10

PV

500

491

533

495

530

3.000

10 07.92

10 25.99

10 13.16

10 18.69

10 35.49

400 H

51.44

52.12

54.40

53.72

57.50

JT

68.37

56.88

62.78

63.56

68.04

1.500

4 09.65

4 04.11

4 09.07

4 13.05

4 20.25

TJ

1446

1367

1318

15.07

1370

10.000

41 05.58

40 27.26

42 37.71

41 27.10

45 35.53

 

 

 

 

 

 

Icosa PB

15.803

15.416

15.478

15.263

14.735

 

 

 

 

 

 

60

7.14

7.08

7.23

7.23

7.28

60 H

7.96

8.29

8.28

8.36

8.26

1.000

2 35.19

2 29.42

2 34.93

2 33.57

2 40.94

 

 

 

 

 

 

23 PB

18.556

18.175

18.124

17.904

17.300

*This table covers all circumstances personal bests.

Heptathlon

6055

5761

5839

5720

5634

Decathlon

8179

8090

w 8462

8142

8232

Icosathlon

13.906

14.571

14.185

13.099

13.059

Comments (2)

bruno life decathlete wrote on Feb 03, 2015
Frankly, I find not interesting the icosathlon.
The decathlon, even if rewards the muscular power, maintains a certain balance in speed, strength, agility, coordination and resistence/endurance, with three events in the jumping area, three in the throwing, and four in the running races (of which two sprints, one resistance to the speed and another cardio-respiratory endurance).
The icosathlon, on the contrary, penalizes both the jumps that the throws, possessing only four events each, while the running races will have twelve.
In addition, the muscular and nervous fatigue that accumulates during the days of icosathlon competition, prevents, in the last events of every day, that the athlete can deliver its real potential.
In conclusion, the icosathlete is more resistant but less complete than the decathlete.
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ChrisB wrote on Mar 10, 2015
Bruno thanks for your candid opinion. Maybe, as some have supposed, a pentadecathlon (15 events) in a three days effort would be welcome. Even if athletes try it only once in a life-time. All the jumps and all the throws (no discussion about that) and every distance under the 1500 (still done at the championships) included. On Friday 200/TJ/400 H/HT/800 followed by a decathlon the next two days. Ashton Eaton would easily become world record holder in that one to!
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