JJK is 'a role model' for Barber

During Eunice Barber’s career, there have always been ups and downs. Following a 2002 season without competing, the French all-round talent won the 2003 World title at the Long Jump and Silver at the Heptathlon. Similarly, after the 2004 Olympic summer was tainted by recurrent health problems, 2005 has been her first full season of competition in many years. Holding the world season’s leading mark at Heptathlon, Barber took silver at the World Championships in Helsinki and Bronze at the Long Jump, and is currently placed second in the event in the IAAF World Ranking.

An injury free season at last

Barber prepared for the Arles Heptathlon on 4 - 5 June, part of the IAAF World Combined Events Challenge, by competing in various individual events in the USA and France in April and May. However, the level of her results in no way foretold the staggering performance that would unfold in Arles. A 12.62 run in the 100m Hurdles (wind+2.9m/s), was followed by a 1.91 High Jump, a deceiving 12.61m in the Shot Put and 24.12 at 200m. The second day, disturbed by the wind, she long jumped 6.78m, then threw the Javelin further than she had ever done before, 53.07m, and raqn a 2:14.66 for 800m which topped out a 6889 points total, a new National Record, which pulled her up to the 8th in the all-time lists.

Heading to the World Championships in August, Barber’s strong but fragile body let her compete in several hurdle races, and take second place at the National Championships at the Javelin Throw with 53.10m, a personal best.

Helsinki duel

In Helsinki, of course, Barber still wasn’t seen as the favourite for the Heptathlon. Carolina Klüft from Sweden, who had won all 12 of her Heptathlons since 2001, including the World gold medal in 2003 - beating Barber in the process - and the Olympic title in 2004, held that honour. But Klüft made a difficult start to her World Championship defence, 13.19 in the hurdles, and a catastrophic 1.82 at High Jump. In the meantime, Barber clearly led with 12.94 and 1.91.  However, as was to be expected the 22-year-old Swede came back, setting a personal best at the Shot Put (15.02), which is Barber’s weakest event (13.20). The 200m reduced the gap between Klüft (23.70) and Barber (24.01), so that the French woman only led the standings by 2 points after the first day.

The Long Jump turned out to be the decisive event. Barber had a best of 6.75, while her rival jumped 6.87. The French athlete underperformed again in the Javelin Throw with 48.24 (47.20 for Klüft). Barber needed to beat Klüft by a little more than one second at 800m in order to regain her 1999 title. Shoulder to shoulder in the last curve, Klüft produced a personal best of 2:08.89 to Barber’s 2:11.94, scoring a total of 6887, 2 points off the world leading mark of Barber, who took silver with 6824.

Only two days later, a tired Barber entered in the individual Long Jump qualification (in the absence of Klüft) and qualified for the final (6.60). The defending 30-year-old World champion had an erratic final with a series which gave her the bronze in her last two attempts (6.44, x, 6.31, 6.70, x, 6.76), behind Tianna Madison (6.89) and Tatyana Kotova (6.79).

”Two years ago,” explains coach Claude Monot, “Eunice had four days rest between the Heptathlon and the Long Jump qualification. This shows how great her medal was in Helsinki.”

The World Record

Helsinki was the latest round in the dual between Barber and Klüft. Their domination is underlined by the fact that they are the only heptathletes to have bettered 6600 in the last four years.

In 2003, the Swede became the third athlete to break 7000, approaching the European record held by Larisa Nikitina by 6 points. This was still far from the World record of Jackie Joyner-Kersee (JJK). Barber has always seen the 7291 as a realistic goal, and her collaboration from 2001 with Bob Kersee was motivated toward this objective.

“She can do it,” says the Californian coach, “and the fact that the World record is held by my wife isn’t a problem for me, records are made to be broken anyway.”

The simple addition of Barber’s personal bests for each event making up her best ‘virtual’ Heptathlon shows she is capable of coming close to JJK’s mark. Barber’s score would be 7212 (100mH 12.62w, High Jump 1.93, Shot Put 13.99, 200m 23.53, Long Jump 7.05, Javelin Throw 53.10, 800m 2:10.55). Klüft’s best is nearly identical (7211). But neither athlete still has enough to match JJK’s own ‘virtual’ best, as the American’s PBs gave her a potential as high as 7656! However, both Barber and Klüft by this measure are still better than anyone else in history, ahead the Germans Sabine John (7201p), Ramona Neubert (7191p), Sabine Braun (7188p) and Heïke Drechsler (7176p).

Unusual trans-Atlantic coaching balance

The 2005 season ended on a sad note for Barber with an injury on the last day of Talence Heptathlon (18 September), which she still won in 6675.

However, Claude Monot finds that this competition was important: “She managed to find pleasure during the Shot Put. The psychological injury she has carried ever since she fouled out three times in 2001 Edmonton World Championships seems to be over. She has thrown 14.50m at training. I wouldn’t be surprised if she threw 15m one day.” This is necessary in her quest for the 7000 and, ultimately, for the World record.

“Jackie is more than a motivation for Eunice, she is a role model,” confirmed Monot. Her major help in 2003 made Eunice to be the best Long Jumper in the World.”

Concerning the coming 2006 season, Barber will share her preparation between USA and France. “Kersee makes the training plans,” explains her French coach, “but when she comes here, I need to adjust the training, since conditions are different, climate, training partners... Eunice has had a lot of coaching, since her arrival in France in 1992 from Sierra Leone, but I’m the common point between all her lives, like a stable anchor.”

“I just want to be injury free”

About the possibility of challenging Klüft at the European Championships next year in Gothenburg, Sweden, Barber can’t reply. “I’m not thinking about that, I plan to compete indoors, especially in short sprints. But I’m telling you this today, things can change tomorrow, we never know what can happen, I just want to be injury free.”
 
Pierre-Jean Vazel for the IAAF