When Eaton posed next to a scoreboard reading WORLD RECORD 9045, he did not smile. He rested his right arm and head on the board, kneeling with an American flag covering his back in apparent emotional and/or physical exhaustion.
Eaton, who first broke the 10-event world record at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and then won the 2012 Olympic title, prevailed in the Bird’s Nest in his first decathlon since he captured the 2013 World title.
Eaton, who first broke the 10-event world record at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and then won the 2012 Olympic title, prevailed in the Bird’s Nest in his first decathlon since he captured the 2013 World title.
Eaton needed to run the final event, the 1500m, in 4:18.25 to break his world record. He clocked 4:17.52, collapsing after lunging through the finish line.
He had taken 2014 off from the decathlon, since there were no World Championships or Olympics that year, and withdrew before his previous decathlon this year with a lower back injury May 30.
NBC and NBC Sports Live Extra will have World Track and Field Championships coverage Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
World Championships: Nike makes Ashton Eaton a ‘cooling hood’
Eaton, 27, joined Great Britain’s Daley Thompson and American Dan O’Brien as the only men to win at least three Olympic or World decathlon titles. Thompson predicted Eaton could score 9,200 points in the future.
In 2016, Eaton can join Thompson and Bob Mathias as the only men to win multiple Olympic decathlons and tie O’Brien for the most combined Olympic and World titles at four.
On Friday, Eaton moved within 25 points of his world-record pace in the final event of the day and fifth overall, when he ran 45.00 in the 400m. That marked the fastest 400m time in a decathlon, breaking the previous mark by a hefty .68 of a second.
Also Friday, top challenger and countryman Trey Hardee, the 2011 World champion and 2012 Olympic silver medalist, withdrew due to a back injury.
Canadian Damian Warner took silver to Eaton with 8,695 points.
On Saturday, Eaton chipped away at his world-record pace deficit in the 110m hurdles and javelin, but lost that momentum in the pole vault before a 63.63-meter javelin throw in the ninth event to put him back ahead of world-record pace. Eaton had thrown 58.87m in his world record at the 2012 trials.
Eaton entered the 1500m with 8,216 points. In the 2012 trials, he entered the 1500m with 8,189 points.
World Championships: Segway cameraman apologizes, gives present to Usain Bolt
NBC
NBC
