¶2012OT mDec—Ashton Eaton 9039 WR!!!!!

[gibson]

i love the anti-american body type of eaton.

lean and mean.

it is great not to hear on the threads, if ashton put on 15 pounds of muscle, then he'd be great.

you want lean and mean.

[unclezadok]

I have already watched the deca 1500 five times including the live version online. That is a WR for any deca 1500 ! how fitting that the local hero would get a huge pr in the last event in the only middle distance event of the deca in the Mecca of the sport. Anyone still baffled at clay and his coaches. How can they be so mid informed ? If we, just mere fans, are aware of the qualifying rules, how can be professional coaches not be ?

I think they figured that at this point in his career, after his struggles with injuries, Clay only had two 2012 decathlons in him, and that one of them, hopefully, would be the Olympics.

[ralmcg]

How about everybody on this board to ask General Mills, the makers of Wheaties cereal, to put Ashton Eaton on the Wheaties box. The contact page is http://consumercontacts.generalmills.com/ConsolidatedContact.aspx?page=http://www.wheaties.com&js=True. Hopefully his face will be on it, which he so richly deserves.

[Marlow]

i love the anti-american body type of eaton. lean and mean.

Apropos of nuttin', I couldn't help but notice the HUGE difference between sitting in Hayward Field for the OT and sitting at a Jaguars NFL game. About 100 pounds per capita . . .

[jeremyp]

i love the anti-american body type of eaton.

lean and mean.

it is great not to hear on the threads, if ashton put on 15 pounds of muscle, then he'd be great.

you want lean and mean.

Actually I'm more impressed with Hardee's physique. I hear Marlow wants him in Avengers part deux.

[Dave]

Nothing like home cooking and the feel of a familiar bed and toilet.

Perhaps, but he has set 3 heptathlon world records and none of them were in Oregon. This feels like a great champion whose time is now and he is showing us what he has.

It just worked out that home is Eugene. I suspect that an Indy or Des Moines or SoCal crowd would have been nearly as supportive and a couple of his events might have even been better without the cold and rain.

[GDAWG]

I was rooting for him to break the record during the last event.

Too bad for Bryan Clay, he's had a heck of a career.

[jeremyp]

Just for the hey of it, had these guys run an Eaton 1500 in their decathlon here's what I add up what their scores would have been.

Sebrle: 9078
Dvorak: 9146
O'Brien: 9074
Clay: 9069

[Marlow]

Actually I'm more impressed with Hardee's physique. I hear Marlow wants him in Avengers part deux.

Marlow thinks that Hardee and Jesse Williams look like brothers and they're the Hardy Twins!
They both look like they belong in a 50s TV show.

[unclezadok]

i love the anti-american body type of eaton. lean and mean.

Apropos of nuttin', I couldn't help but notice the HUGE difference between sitting in Hayward Field for the OT and sitting at a Jaguars NFL game. About 100 pounds per capita . . .

There are probably some sports crowds out there that would dwarf the Jaguars crowd. Not naming any sports, but...

[Dave]

Just for the hey of it, had these guys run an Eaton 1500 in their decathlon here's what I add up what their scores would have been.

Sebrle: 9078
Dvorak: 9146
O'Brien: 9074
Clay: 9069

Cool analysis. It tells us what a heroic effort Eaton made in the 1500 and that he is a much better runner than thrower.

I would love to see the spreadsheet that lists their respective efforts side by side.

It occurs to me that even as much more potential as we all believe this young man has, he may never exceed this mark and we will consider it a great career.

[lonewolf]

Yep, Hardee looks like what you would come up with if you could design a decathlete from scratch.

[Grasshopper]

Just for the hey of it, had these guys run an Eaton 1500 in their decathlon here's what I add up what their scores would have been.

Sebrle: 9078
Dvorak: 9146
O'Brien: 9074
Clay: 9069

Cool analysis. It tells us what a heroic effort Eaton made in the 1500 and that he is a much better runner than thrower.

I would love to see the spreadsheet that lists their respective efforts side by side.

Here you go...

AE (USA): 10.21 - 8.23 - 14.20 - 2.05 - 46.70 - 13.70 - 42.81 - 5.30 - 58.87 - 4:14.48 = 9039
RS (CZE): 10.64 - 8.11 - 15.33 - 2.12 - 47.79 - 13.92 - 47.92 - 4.80 - 70.16 - 4:21.98 = 9026
TD (CZE): 10.54 - 7.90 - 16.78 - 2.04 - 48.08 - 13.73 - 48.33 - 4.90 - 72.32 - 4:37.20 = 8994
DO (USA): 10.43 - 8.08 - 16.69 - 2.07 - 48.51 - 13.98 - 48.56 - 5.00 - 62.58 - 4:42.10 = 8891
DT (GBR): 10.44 - 8.01 - 15.72 - 2.03 - 46.97 - 14.33 - 46.56 - 5.00 - 65.24 - 4:35.00 = 8847
JH (FRG): 10.70 - 7.76 - 16.42 - 2.07 - 48.05 - 14.07 - 49.36 - 4.90 - 59.86 - 4:19.75 = 8832
BC (USA): 10.39 - 7.39 - 15.17 - 2.08 - 48.41 - 13.75 - 52.74 - 5.00 - 70.55 - 4:50.97 = 8832

[slowjo]

So here it is the next day and Ron and I are still on an emotional high. We were just out working in the garden and the conversaation (of course) meanered on to the Dec yesterday. It was and is such a fairy tale story...local boy who just happens to be charismatic and nice, fighting adverse weather makes the US Olympic team AND breaks the World record.

There was shot on NBC last night...from behind Ashton as he raised his arms to the cheering crowd..that moment still kills us...and then the moment with his mother and Brianne at the finish line...it simply does not get any better. And yeah we are still tearing up-we get each other going with our dramatic retelling of the day!

For us the greatest sporting event/moments we have ever seen.


So hoping a few of our favourite Candian athletes experience something almost as magical next weekend.

Obviously I can't stop talking about it.

[Dave]

Just for the hey of it, had these guys run an Eaton 1500 in their decathlon here's what I add up what their scores would have been.

Sebrle: 9078
Dvorak: 9146
O'Brien: 9074
Clay: 9069

Cool analysis. It tells us what a heroic effort Eaton made in the 1500 and that he is a much better runner than thrower.

I would love to see the spreadsheet that lists their respective efforts side by side.

Here you go...

AE (USA): 10.21 - 8.23 - 14.20 - 2.05 - 46.70 - 13.70 - 42.81 - 5.30 - 58.87 - 4:14.48 = 9039
RS (CZE): 10.64 - 8.11 - 15.33 - 2.12 - 47.79 - 13.92 - 47.92 - 4.80 - 70.16 - 4:21.98 = 9026
TD (CZE): 10.54 - 7.90 - 16.78 - 2.04 - 48.08 - 13.73 - 48.33 - 4.90 - 72.32 - 4:37.20 = 8994
DO (USA): 10.43 - 8.08 - 16.69 - 2.07 - 48.51 - 13.98 - 48.56 - 5.00 - 62.58 - 4:42.10 = 8891
DT (GBR): 10.44 - 8.01 - 15.72 - 2.03 - 46.97 - 14.33 - 46.56 - 5.00 - 65.24 - 4:35.00 = 8847
JH (FRG): 10.70 - 7.76 - 16.42 - 2.07 - 48.05 - 14.07 - 49.36 - 4.90 - 59.86 - 4:19.75 = 8832
BC (USA): 10.39 - 7.39 - 15.17 - 2.08 - 48.41 - 13.75 - 52.74 - 5.00 - 70.55 - 4:50.97 = 8832

This is great. Thank you.

[RubyNoon]

They need to change the scoring system for the decath. It should be points alloted in relation to existing world records in each event. That way there is always a ceiling. It's foolproof too because as records are broken the progression for the decathlon will always stay a step ahead.

[user4]

Yep, Hardee looks like what you would come up with if you could design a decathlete from scratch.

Hard to understand how a guy of his raw athleticism can not long jump 25+ ft and run a 47.X second 400. Perhaps he was training too much for the endurance demands of the 1500m.

[dbirds]

Hardee is the defending world
Champ coming off elbow surgery - lay off him!

[bambam]

They need to change the scoring system for the decath. It should be points alloted in relation to existing world records in each event. That way there is always a ceiling. It's foolproof too because as records are broken the progression for the decathlon will always stay a step ahead.

They've done it that way. That was how the 1912 (1912A) and 1920 (1912B) scoring tables were calculated. I think they've moved on.

[RubyNoon]

They need to change the scoring system for the decath. It should be points alloted in relation to existing world records in each event. That way there is always a ceiling. It's foolproof too because as records are broken the progression for the decathlon will always stay a step ahead.

They've done it that way. That was how the 1912 (1912A) and 1920 (1912B) scoring tables were calculated. I think they've moved on.

And now is the time they should go back. This record is a great achievement by Eaton, but the system really doesn't make any sense.

[AS]

OK, it's time to start dreaming about Eaton's London WR.

Here's my version
10.20 (1047pts)
8.25 (1125)
14.75 (774)
2.11 (906)
45.70 (1024)
4876 First Day

13.40 (1053)
47m (808)
5.30 (1004)
59m (723)
4.14 (853)
4441 Second Day

= 9317!!!

Replace the LJ with 8m, HJ with 2m, PV with 5m and he still goes 9056

Reinstate the jump marks and blow his 100m out to 10.35, 400m 46.20 and he's 9255

Reinstate sprint marks and claw back his throws to 14m, 45m & 55m and he's 9170

Fun and games!

Calculator: http://www.decathlon2000.com/eng/884/

[slowjo]

Y'all know what a big Eaton fan I am but he is by no means a shoe in for Gold. Hardee is still coming back from his elbow injury and if it continues to heal he will be a force to be reckoned with.

I have my doubts whether Ashton can repeat this performance in London. Not that he can not win but that the pressure of the Olympics plus the fact that he will need time to refocus and get re-motivated may mean his marks are the same or lower.

I hope I am wrong and if anyone can do it it is him...I do think he can score higher just not sure it will be this summer.

[bruce3404]

Nice to see a little spot on Ashton on tonight's ABC national newscast.

[vip]

I noticed after the competition Ashton was hugged by his mother and girlfriend.

Father???

[FranklinS]

I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank all the decathlon fans for their visit either in person or via broadcast to Eugene. I hope that you found us gracious and welcoming. We love ALL the decathlon athletes and I hope it showed.
Sorry about the rain. It usually doesn't happen too much in the summer but it is Oregon and green. Besides, our summers are not very hot (usually).
Thanks!

[user4]

Hardee is the defending world
Champ coming off elbow surgery - lay off him!

Im not sure how elbow surgery would lead to lesser performances in the LJ/400/1500 (and even the HJ for that matter). The recovery time from elbow surgery could have been a great opportunity to get to par with his talent level in these 3 events. Conventional wisdom would have predicted that we would have seen this week a Hardee with exceptional performances in these conditioning and non-throwing events. Some are wondering why that was not the case.

[Bruce Kritzler]

I suspect that an Indy or Des Moines or SoCal crowd would have been nearly as supportive

Not.

[j-a-m]

It tells us what a heroic effort Eaton made in the 1500 and that he is a much better runner than thrower.

What was also impressive is the poise with which he ran the 1500. He always made the impression that he knew exactly what he was doing, and there wasn't really any doubt that he'd get the WR.

[j-a-m]

Out of curiosity, does any of you decathlon/statistics experts have the number for the hypothetical decathlon score consisting of the WRs in the ten events?

[Grasshopper]

Out of curiosity, does any of you decathlon/statistics experts have the number for the hypothetical decathlon score consisting of the WRs in the ten events?

Here's a link to one (of many) online multi-event calculators: http://cheshireaa.com/statistics/CEscoring.htm. Sorry, I don't have the time to punch in all the marks myself. Good question, though.

[Dave]

I suspect that an Indy or Des Moines or SoCal crowd would have been nearly as supportive

Not.

I was at Pre when Webb beat Ryun's HS record. Was it louder than that? The crowd must have been phenomenal.

[j-a-m]

Out of curiosity, does any of you decathlon/statistics experts have the number for the hypothetical decathlon score consisting of the WRs in the ten events?

Here's a link to one (of many) online multi-event calculators: http://cheshireaa.com/statistics/CEscoring.htm. Sorry, I don't have the time to punch in all the marks myself. Good question, though.

Thanks for the link, I'll try that tomorrow.

Not sure if this has been done before, but wouldn't it be an interesting marketing idea for a meet to calculate the hypothetical score consisting of the winning marks in the 10 events. Then you could give a bonus to those ten winners if they exceed a certain score. Or a sponsor could give a certain amount to charity for every point by which that hypothetical score exceeds 10,000.

[bruce3404]

I suspect that an Indy or Des Moines or SoCal crowd would have been nearly as supportive

Not.

Agreed. While I'm sure Eaton would have received good support anywhere, in Eugene you're talking about his hometown and lots of folks who have been watching him progress over the past four or five years and we root for him like he's a favored son (which he is).

[bruce3404]

I was at Pre when Webb beat Ryun's HS record. Was it louder than that? The crowd must have been phenomenal.

So was I and that's a very good question. Given that we had about 7000 more fans yesterday, it was probably louder, but no less intense. I do believe it was both louder and more intense yesterday than in the men's 800m final in '08, but we're probably splitting hairs.

[hc10003]

Out of curiosity, does any of you decathlon/statistics experts have the number for the hypothetical decathlon score consisting of the WRs in the ten events?

One more question for the multi-experts: in HJ/PV, do misses figure in the score assignments? For example, in the open HJ if athlete A misses 3x at 7' but cleared 6'10" with no misses, he is awarded the win ahead of athlete B who also misses 3x at 7" but cleared 6'10" after two misses. In the same situation in the decathlon, do the athletes earn the same score for 6'10", or does athlete A gain a point advantage for what in an open contest would be considered superior performance? Thx to anyone who can clarify!