GÖTZIS, AUSTRIA, May 27–28 — In a dazzling display of multi-event excellence, 22-year-old Anna Hall served notice at the Götzis Hypo Meeting that she is the ascendant star of the 7-eventer. This possibly even could be the beginning of the Age Of Hall, but that question won’t be settled until the evening of August 20, when we see whether the upstart Gator alum can dethrone 2-time World and Olympic champion Nafi Thiam, who has ruled this event since the week she turned 22 herself.
With Thiam absent — the Belgian has pledged to do no multis until Budapest — Hall faced a solid international field that included ’19 World champ Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Britain, Olympic/World silver medalist Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands and Worlds 4th-placer Adrianna Sułek of Poland.
Immediately, Hall called dibs on the win with a PR 12.75 meet record hurdle run; with a negligible 0.7 breeze, she cut 0.15 off her best set three weeks earlier. Only fellow American Taliyah Brooks came close at 12.85. Starting out in a hole on points were Sułek (13.18), Vetter (13.29) and KJT (13.88).
In the high jump, Hall cleared 6-3½ (1.92), matching the highest leap of the day. That gave her the lead at 2294 points. Her nearest pursuer was Croatian teen Jana Koščak, 76 points back. Sułek was 3rd at 2113, KJT 4th at 2088, with Vetter struggling at 1948 for 13th.
The shot saw Hall hit 45-7¼ (13.90), good for 787. Only 4cm off her best but it gave the field a chance to cut her margin. Not that it helped them much. Hall remained in the lead with 3081. Sułek moved into 2nd at 2936, 145 back. KJT slipped to 5th with 2877 and Vetter improved to 7th at 2801.
Day 1 concluded with Hall blistering the 200 in a 22.88 PR (wind 0.1) to tally a stunning 4172. It’s a number that only Jackie Joyner-Kersee has ever topped. “This is crazy. I have no words,” she said.
KJT was next-fastest with her 23.26 moving her to 3rd at 3930. Between them was Sułek at 3936 after a 23.80. Vetter produced a 23.71 to stay in 7th at 3810.
As Day 2 dawned, Vetter decided to drop out because of Achilles pain. Despite problems hitting the board, Hall produced the second-best jump of her life, a 21-5½ (6.54) that led the field and gave her a total of 5192. Johnson-Thompson reached 20-9 (6.32), good enough to stay 2nd with 4879. Sułek, with a 20-7¾ (6.29), was just 3 points behind.
The javelin is not a strong event for Hall, and her best throw landed more than 2-meters from PR territory at 141-4 (43.08). Nine women did better, but anyone with a calculator knew that it was over for them anyway. Hall’s modest 726 points put her at 5918 for 6 events, a lead of 292 over KJT.
That left the 800, an event where Hall is unmatched. Knowing that a 2:02.22 would make her the fifth woman to surpass 7000 points, she went after it, her PR of 2:03.11 not far off. She bravely fought through a tough final 200 to clock a lifetime best 2:02.97. Not what she wanted in the moment, but after catching her breath she could see there was much to celebrate.
Hall’s total of 6988 made her the No. 5 multi-eventer ever, and No. 2 in U.S. history behind JJK. It also validated the notion that she is a legitimate gold medal threat. Thiam, the 5-time World No. 1, has a best that is only 25 points better, and she hasn’t scored as high as 6988 in 6 years.
Said the winner, “I’m really happy with where I’m at in training as I had no idea I could score this high. I’m excited to get back to work, to clean things up and get ready for Worlds. The crowd was amazing as I could feel I was hitting the wall.
“I’m only 22 and have a long time to chase big scores. I’m progressing and I guess things are improving quicker than I thought.”
Behind her, KJT scored 6556 and Sułek 6480. Among Americans, Annie Kunz impressed with a 6th-place finish in 6330. Brooks, 10th going into the long jump, dropped out after no-marking.
Koščak, just a week past her 17th birthday, took 9th in a World Youth (U18) Record 6293.
The decathletes took a back seat to the heptathletes this year, but the competition produced a world leading 8700 from Canadian Pierce LePage, as the World Champs silver medalist missed his best from Eugene by a mere point. After his 10.28 PR led the 100, the 27-year-old LePage slipped behind countryman Damian Warner until a 3-meter edge in the discus throw put him ahead again after event 7.
LePage padded the margin with better pole vault and javelin performances, leading by 206 at the start of the 1500. The long run, though, is a Warner strength, and his 4:26.16 was worth 125 points more than LePage’s 4:45.74. That cut the margin to 81, as Warner finished 2nd with 8619; that ended his streak of 6-straight wins. Norway’s Sander Aae Skotheim, on the day before he would turn 21, scored 8590 in 3rd.
Said LePage, “A lot of my events didn’t go exactly as I had wanted; there’s a lot of extra points there. At the Worlds, I’ll be more fit. It will be really good.”
GÖTZIS HEPTATHLON RESULTS
1. Anna Hall (US) 6988 PR (WL, AL) (5, 11 W; 2, 7 A; non-JJK: 4, 5 W; 1, 1 A
(12.75, 6-3½/1.92, 45-7¼/13.90, 22.88 [4172–1], 21-5½/6.54, 141-4/43.08, 2:02.97 [2816]);
2. Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GB) 6556
(13.88, 6-2¼/1.89, 45-8/13.92, 23.26 [3930–3], 20-9/6.32, 144-10/44.14, 2:12.40 [2626]);
3. Adrianna Sułek (Pol) 6480
(13.18, 6-0/1.83, 47-4½/14.44, 23.80 [3936–2], 20-7¾/6.29, 137-3/41.83, 2:14.33 [2544]);
4. Saga Vanninen (Fin) 6391 PR
(13.48, 5-10¾/1.80, 49-1¾/14.98, 24.35 [3838–6], 21-1¼/6.43, 139-6/42.53, 2:17.91 [2553]);
5. Sophie Weißenberg (Ger) 6375 PR
(13.46, 6-0/1.83, 43-5¾/13.25, 23.49 [3846–5], 19-10¼/6.05, 156-7/47.73, 2:18.22 [2529]);
6. Annie Kunz (US) 6330
(13.19, 5-7¼/1.71, 45-10½/13.98, 23.82 [3754–11], 20-5¼/6.23, 152-5/ 46.47, 2:17.13 [2576]);
7. Sofie Dokter (Neth) 6321 PR
(13.51, 5-10¾/1.80, 43-10¾/13.38, 23.68, 20-5¾/6.24, 141-8/43.18, 2:16.12);
8. Carolin Schäfer (Ger) 6312
(13.39, 5-7¼/1.71, 47-4½/14.44, 23.84, 19-11/6.07, 157-6/48.02, 2:16.82);
9. Jana Koščak (Cro) 6293 WYR (old WYR 6148 Morgan Lake [GB] ’14
(13.26, 6-3½/1.92, 40-9/12.42, 24.13 [3875–4], 20-5¾/6.24, 134-7/41.03, 2:21.20 [2418]);
10. Jade O’Dowda (GB) 6255 PR; 11. Marijke Esselink (Neth) 6222 PR; 12. Celine Albisser (Swi) 6096 PR; 13. Yuliya Loban (Ukr) 6065 PR; 14. Vanessa Grimm (Ger) 6035; 15. Isabel Posch (Aut) 6021 PR; 16. Paulina Ligarska (Pol) 6013; 17. Georgia Ellenwood (Can) 5988; 18. Taneille Crase (Aus) 5925; 19. Chiara-Belinda Schuler (Aut) 5916 PR;
20. Sandra Röthlin (Swi) 5720;
… dnf—Taliyah Brooks (US) (12.85, 5-8½/1.74, 42-6¾/12.97, 23.66, nm, 117-3/35.75, dns), Anouk Vetter (Neth) 3810 (13.29, 5-7¼/1.71, 48-10/14.88, 23.71, dns).
GÖTZIS DECATHLON RESULTS
1. Pierce LePage (Can) 8700 (WL)
(10.28, 24-10/7.57, 49-4½/15.05, 6-8/2.03, 48.01 [4513–2], 13.87, 161-10/49.34, 16-4¾/5.00, 207-0/63.09, 4:45.74 [4187]);
2. Damian Warner (Can) 8619
(10.29, 25-5¼/7.75, 48-11½/14.92, 6-6¾/2.00, 47.76 [4531–1], 13.60, 152-0/46.32, 14-9/ 4.50, 196-7/ 59.92, 4:26.16 [4088]);
3. Sander Aae Skotheim (Nor) 8590 NR
(10.76, 24-11¼/7.60, 45-1/13.74, 7-½/ 2.15, 47.64 [4458–4], 14.16, 141-2/43.01, 16-¾/ 4.90, 200-10/61.22, 4:19.38 [4132]);
4. Karel Tilga (Est) 8403
(10.91, 24-9¼/7.55, 51-11/15.82, 6-6¾/2.00, 48.49 [4357–6], 14.65, 156-9/47.78, 15-5/4.70, 191-9/58.45, 4:22.30 [4046]);
5. Manuel Eitel (Ger) 8351 PR
(10.41, 24-¼/7.32, 50-1¾/15.28, 6-4¼/1.94, 48.21 [4342–7], 14.29, 143-4/43.69, 16-¾/4.90, 204-5/62.32, 4:40.17 [4009]);
6. Dan Golubovic (Aus) 8301 (10.98, 23-4½/7.12, 49-¼/14.94, 6-5½/1.97, 48.63 [4148–17], 14.10, 155-0/47.25, 16-8¾/5.10, 187-4/57.11, 4:30.23 [4153]);
7. Lindon Victor (Grn) 8293; 8. Makenson Gletty (Fra) 8211 PR; 9. Kendrick Thompson (Bah) 8182 NR; 10. Fredrik Samuelsson (Swe) 8178 PR; 11. Sven Roosen (Neth) 8157 PR; 12. Jente Hauttekeete (Bel) 8075 PR; 13. Finley Gaio (Swi) 8022 PR; 14. Cedric Dubler (Aus) 8009;
… dnf— Ashley Moloney (Aus) (10.39, 24-11¼/7.60, 49-10½/15.20, 6-4¼/1.94, 46.46 [4407–3], 14.48, 134-4/40.94, 14-5¼/ 4.40, 136-1/41.49, dnc [food poisoning]), Devon Williams (US) (10.77, 24-6¼/7.47, 47-8½/14.54, 6-¾/1.85, 48.88, 14.59, 145-7/44.37, 14-5¼/4.40, 177-4/54.06, dnc), Simon Ehammer (Swi) (10.49, nm).
