Carolina Klüft en route to her fifth straight victory at Götzis (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
With the 2010 IAAF Combined Events Challenge kicking off this weekend in Desenzano del Garda, Italy, it’s an appropriate time to take a quick look back at some of the highlights and unforgettable performances from some of the previous editions of the world’s finest multi-events meetings.
Multistars, Desenzano del Garda
This year marking it’s 23rd edition, the Multistars meeting in Desenzano del Garda is traditionally the first combined events-specific meeting on the calendar. In recent years it has proved to be an important stepping stone for rising stars, most notably the reigning World Heptathlon champion, Jessica Ennis of Great Britain. After making her first of five appearances there in 2003, Ennis won in 2007 and 2009, notching a then career best at the latter which set the tone for her World title in Berlin later that summer. Her 6587 performance is the meeting record while the men’s mark of 8339 set by Czech Jiri Ryba, has stood since 2000.
Hypo-Meeting, Gotzis
Since its first edition in 1974, this small town in western Austria has played host to just about every legendary multi-events specialist in modern history, has witnessed some of the multi-events’ finest rivalries, and resulted in barrier-breaking performances.
The first World record to be set in Gotzis came courtesy of British legend Daley Thompson. In 1980, Thompson, then just 21, added six points to 1976 Olympic champion Bruce Jenner’s mark with an 8622-point tally. It was a record though which would stand for less than a month. Two years later and again in Gotzis, Thompson regained the world mark from West German Guido Kratschmer with an 8704-point score, becoming the first man to break through the 8700 barrier.
Nineteen years later, an even more historic barrier would fall. Czech Roman Sebrle broke through the event’s 9000-point barrier with a 9026-point performance, still the only tally beyond that landmark barrier. His victory in 2001 was the start of his five-year win streak at the meeting, the longest in Gotzis.
But not to be outdone, Carolina Kluft, the 2004 Olympic Heptathlon champion, also won in Gotzis a record five straight times, from 2003 to 2007. Past women’s winners included Americans Jane Frederick (another five-time winner) and Jackie Joyner Kersee, and twice World and two-time European champion Sabine Braun of Germany, who set the meeting record of 6985 way back in 1992.
TNT-Fortuna, Kladno
While the TNT-Fortuna Meeting in Kladno, Czech Republic, will only be held for the fourth time this year, it hasn’t taken long for the meeting to set itself among the world’s finest to be included in the Challenge for the time this year. The men’s record stands at a very respectable 8697, set by Roman Sebrle in 2007. The 2009 Heptathlon winner was Natalya Dobrynska of Ukraine, the reigning Olympic champion.
Erdgas Mehrkampf-Meeting, Ratingen
Primarily a domestic meeting until recent years, the erdgas Mehrkampf-Meeting, this year celebrating it’s 14th edition, has also made a splash internationally in recent years since joining the Challenge. Here too Sebrle is the meeting record holder in the Decathlon, courtesy of his 8606 victory in 2003. The Heptathlon record has stood since Sabine Braun’s 6787-point tally in 1997.
Decastar, Talence
While the calendar varies somewhat year-to-year, the traditional mainstay multi-events meeting with which the Challenge closes is the Decastar meeting in Talence, France. Despite its usual late season date, the meeting has not disappointed year after year.
Debuting in 1976, Decastar became an annual event in 1986, but it had already become a World record venue prior to that. In 1984, American Jane Frederick, who missed the Olympic Games in Los Angeles earlier that summer, had her revenge in Talence with a 6803 point tally to break the Heptathlon World record.
The story was a similar one in the Decathlon in 1992. At the US Olympic Trials, World champion Dan O’Brien was on World record pace until disaster struck when he no-heighted in the Pole Vault, thus missing his chance to make the Barcelona squad. His revenge came in Talence when he bounced back with a sensational 8891-point performance to take down a World record which had stood for more than eight years.
O’Brien’s mark remains the meeting record while the women’s record was set in 2000 by Denise Lewis of Great Britain, with a 6831 tally which remains the national record. Just under two months later, Lewis would strike Olympic gold in Sydney.
While not specific combined events meetings, several other competitions will figure prominently in the outcome of this year’s Challenge, most notably the European Championships in Barcelona in July.
Other meetings included in the challenge are the three European Cup Combined Events meetings, the African Championships, the US Championships, the Open Oceania Championships, the Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games.
Click here for the full calendar.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Multistars, Desenzano del Garda
This year marking it’s 23rd edition, the Multistars meeting in Desenzano del Garda is traditionally the first combined events-specific meeting on the calendar. In recent years it has proved to be an important stepping stone for rising stars, most notably the reigning World Heptathlon champion, Jessica Ennis of Great Britain. After making her first of five appearances there in 2003, Ennis won in 2007 and 2009, notching a then career best at the latter which set the tone for her World title in Berlin later that summer. Her 6587 performance is the meeting record while the men’s mark of 8339 set by Czech Jiri Ryba, has stood since 2000.
Hypo-Meeting, Gotzis
Since its first edition in 1974, this small town in western Austria has played host to just about every legendary multi-events specialist in modern history, has witnessed some of the multi-events’ finest rivalries, and resulted in barrier-breaking performances.
The first World record to be set in Gotzis came courtesy of British legend Daley Thompson. In 1980, Thompson, then just 21, added six points to 1976 Olympic champion Bruce Jenner’s mark with an 8622-point tally. It was a record though which would stand for less than a month. Two years later and again in Gotzis, Thompson regained the world mark from West German Guido Kratschmer with an 8704-point score, becoming the first man to break through the 8700 barrier.
Nineteen years later, an even more historic barrier would fall. Czech Roman Sebrle broke through the event’s 9000-point barrier with a 9026-point performance, still the only tally beyond that landmark barrier. His victory in 2001 was the start of his five-year win streak at the meeting, the longest in Gotzis.
But not to be outdone, Carolina Kluft, the 2004 Olympic Heptathlon champion, also won in Gotzis a record five straight times, from 2003 to 2007. Past women’s winners included Americans Jane Frederick (another five-time winner) and Jackie Joyner Kersee, and twice World and two-time European champion Sabine Braun of Germany, who set the meeting record of 6985 way back in 1992.
TNT-Fortuna, Kladno
While the TNT-Fortuna Meeting in Kladno, Czech Republic, will only be held for the fourth time this year, it hasn’t taken long for the meeting to set itself among the world’s finest to be included in the Challenge for the time this year. The men’s record stands at a very respectable 8697, set by Roman Sebrle in 2007. The 2009 Heptathlon winner was Natalya Dobrynska of Ukraine, the reigning Olympic champion.
Erdgas Mehrkampf-Meeting, Ratingen
Primarily a domestic meeting until recent years, the erdgas Mehrkampf-Meeting, this year celebrating it’s 14th edition, has also made a splash internationally in recent years since joining the Challenge. Here too Sebrle is the meeting record holder in the Decathlon, courtesy of his 8606 victory in 2003. The Heptathlon record has stood since Sabine Braun’s 6787-point tally in 1997.
Decastar, Talence
While the calendar varies somewhat year-to-year, the traditional mainstay multi-events meeting with which the Challenge closes is the Decastar meeting in Talence, France. Despite its usual late season date, the meeting has not disappointed year after year.
Debuting in 1976, Decastar became an annual event in 1986, but it had already become a World record venue prior to that. In 1984, American Jane Frederick, who missed the Olympic Games in Los Angeles earlier that summer, had her revenge in Talence with a 6803 point tally to break the Heptathlon World record.
The story was a similar one in the Decathlon in 1992. At the US Olympic Trials, World champion Dan O’Brien was on World record pace until disaster struck when he no-heighted in the Pole Vault, thus missing his chance to make the Barcelona squad. His revenge came in Talence when he bounced back with a sensational 8891-point performance to take down a World record which had stood for more than eight years.
O’Brien’s mark remains the meeting record while the women’s record was set in 2000 by Denise Lewis of Great Britain, with a 6831 tally which remains the national record. Just under two months later, Lewis would strike Olympic gold in Sydney.
While not specific combined events meetings, several other competitions will figure prominently in the outcome of this year’s Challenge, most notably the European Championships in Barcelona in July.
Other meetings included in the challenge are the three European Cup Combined Events meetings, the African Championships, the US Championships, the Open Oceania Championships, the Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games.
Click here for the full calendar.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
