Ashton Eaton in the heptathlon long jump 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot (© Getty Images)
The men’s heptathlon continued with an overall disappointing long jump competition that just didn’t seem to go well for any of the competitors.
Ashton Eaton is still a clear leader and is looking at a certain renewal of his world indoor title, but lost about 100 points in the long jump in comparison to his Istanbul world record series from 2012.
After aborting his first attempt mid-air, Eaton then continued with a reassuring 7.78m a long way behind the board to add 20 centimetres to his season’s best. His third jump was perfect on the board, but still only 7.77m.
This means he is now 48 points behind the pace compared to his 6645. It is still possible for him to break that mark, but Eaton will have to be near his bests in the remaining events.
The fight for the silver and bronze seems extremely tight at the moment with at least five athletes reaching for those two medals.
Ukrainian Oleksiy Kasyanov, silver medallist in Istanbul two years ago, is in second place after two events having scored 1870 after a 7.54m long jump.
Damian Warner is in third place with 1861 points and one of the athletes who can be content with his 7.31m in the long jump. The Canadian is competing in his first indoor heptathlon, but looks to have a good chance of winning the silver medal right now.
Belgian record-holder Thomas Van Der Plaetsen is in fourth with 1814 points after jumping 7.67m in the long jump with his third and final attempt.
Kai Kazmirek of Germany has scored 1795 for fifth place after 7.44m in the long jump and Belarussian Andrei Krauchanka is in sixth with 1765 points and a decent 7.46m long jump. The 28-year-old, who won the silver at the 2008 World Indoor Championships, is strong in the last two events of the day and should rise closer to the medal positions later.
World leader Eelco Sintnicolaas is in seventh place and has to do better later today in order to be able to reach for the medals tomorrow. The Dutchman only jumped 7.14m in the long jump, well below the 7.59m in his world-leading series.
Pascal Behrenbruch of Germany is in eighth place with 1630 points after a 7.06m season’s best in the long jump.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
