WITH NO SCORE THIS year and a PR ranking No. 14 among the entries, Markus Rooth wasn’t anywhere to be found on T&FN’s formchart.
Even a solid Day 1 that had him almost 100 points up on his 8606 PR pace put him just marginally in medal contention.
That all changed on Day 2, specifically in the vault, where no-heights by defending champ Damian Warner and Euro silver medalist Sander Skotheim — the latter like Rooth a 22-year-old Norwegian — effected major effects on the order as Rooth soared over multiple PRs.
Here’s an event-by-event look at the event that had its field reduced to 22 with the day-before withdrawal of French hero Kevin Mayer, the WR holder, due to a hamstring injury.
100: As expected, Warner and Ayden Owens-Delerme were fastest, running 10.25 and 10.35. Pre-meet favorite Leo Neugebauer was solid at 10.67, just off the 10.64 he clocked in his 8961 CR at the NCAA. Little noticed down at 10.71 was a PR by Rooth (old best 10.81).
Long Jump: Skotheim had the best jump with a PR 26-4¼ (8.03) as Neugebauer was next with a yearly best (and his second-best all-time) of 26-2¼ (7.98) that had him flirting with a 9000-point score compared to his 8961 PR. Rooth (25-7¼/7.80) and Warner (25-6¾/7.79) were next — for Rooth his second-longest ever but just modest for Warner, who set the Olympic deca best of 27-½ (8.24) while winning Tokyo gold.
Sad news came from Zach Ziemek, just the second 3-time U.S. Olympic decathlete in Games history. His 22-6¼ (6.86) being more than 2 feet off his PR was explained later by NBC analyst Trey Hardee, who revealed Double-Z was competing with a torn lateral collateral ligament in his left knee.
Shot: The crowd got a lot to cheer about as France’s Makenson Gletty threw farthest at 54-7¼ (16.64). Neugebauer moved into the overall lead but not nearly as demonstrably as many assessed. His 54-3¾ (16.55) was 57 points shy of the deca Collegiate Record 57-3½ (17.46) in his 8961 at the NCAA. American Harrison Williams hit a PR 51-4½ (15.66) just ahead of Rooth, who moved into 4th overall after a solid 50-½ (15.25). Warner threw 47-5 (14.45), dropping to 2nd overall.
High Jump: American champ Heath Baldwin PRed at 7-1½ (2.17) to lead the way. Neugebauer continued his overall lead, still projecting over 8900 points with his clearance of 6-8¾ (2.05). Warner matched the 6-7½ (2.02) from his Tokyo score of 9018 and was in 3rd, and Rooth equaled his yearly best of 6-6¼ (1.99) but dropped to 7th overall.
400: Owens-Delerme was fastest at 46.17 and moved into 2nd overall as the Netherlands’ Sven Roosen (46.40) and Williams (46.71) also went-sub-47. For Roosen it was his third PR of the day. Neugebauer ran 47.70, his best this year, and held onto the lead with 4650 points, just 35 off pace from his 8961 CR at the NCAA. Warner dropped to 4th, though projecting to a score (8857) that only Neugebauer had surpassed among those in this field.
110H: No one PRed and the top 2 overall weren’t even close to such performances as Warner reclaimed the lead, running a modest-for-him 13.62. Owens-Delerme remained in 2nd, also subpar at 14.09. Neugebauer dropped to 3rd with a 14.51 run that kept his projection over 8900. Rooth ran a yearly best of 14.25 and now projected to 8725.
Discus: The competition tightened up. Lindon Victor broke the Olympic deca best at 176-10 (53.91), surprisingly ahead of Neugebauer, who had set the deca WR of 189-4 (57.70) in his NCAA score. Here, Neugebauer managed “just” 174-11 (53.33) — good enough to regain the lead, but not nearly by as much as possible as he lost 92 points to his PR score and now projected to 8815. Warner dropped to 2nd overall after a yearly best 159-8 (48.68) but projected slightly higher at 8836. A handful of others in bronze medal contention now seemed within reach of a higher medal, led by Rooth (163-5/49.80 PR), Johannes Erm (yearly best 151-10/46.29) and Victor.
Pole Vault: Craziness began with disheartening no-heights by Skotheim and Warner. Erm only cleared his opener of 15-1 (4.60). At the other end of the spectrum, Rooth scaled multiple PRs — first tying his 16-8¾ (5.10) best before going over 17-¾ (5.20) and 17-4½ (5.30). Although he moved into just 2nd overall, he gained immense momentum. Neugebauer topped out nearly a foot below the PR 17-4½ he cleared just 2 weeks earlier. The German continued to lead, but Rooth was in striking distance — not to mention Victor, who got over a yearly best 16-¾ (4.90).
Javelin: Niklas Kaul, gold medalist at the ’19 Worlds, led the way with an Olympic deca best 255-2 (77.78) as rain began and strengthened steadily. PRing in his fifth event of the meet, Rooth effectively sealed the gold, taking the overall lead with a best of 219-4 (66.87). Victor and Neugebauer both threw down on their PRs.
1500: Rooth had the better PR of the three in medal contention and cruised 4:39.56 to wrap up his overall PR 8796 in becoming the first Norwegian winner of this event since Helge Løvland in 1920.
“I just won gold, I did not expect this,” said Rooth. “I woke up this morning feeling great after an amazing first day. I just kept adding on to that.”
Neugebauer (8748) and Victor (8711) collected the silver and bronze medals, with Neugebauer becoming the first collegian to medal in this event since UCLA’s C.K. Yang of Taiwan in ’60.
MEN’S DECATHLON RESULTS
1. Markus Rooth (Nor) 8796 NR
(10.71, 25-7¼/7.80, 50-½/15.25, 6-6¼/1.99, 47.69 [4459-7],
14.25, 163-5/49.80, 17-4½/5.30, 219-4/66.87, 4:39.56 [4337]);
2. Leo Neugebauer (Ger) 8748
(10.67, 26-2¼/7.98, 54-3¾/16.55, 6-8¾/2.05, 47.70 [4650-1],
14.51, 174-11/53.33, 16-4¾/5.00, 185-10/56.64, 4:44.67 [4098]);
3. Lindon Victor (Grn) 8711
(10.56, 24-6½/7.48, 51-6½/15.71, 6-7½/2.02, 47.84 [4463-6],
14.62, 176-10/53.91, 16-¾/4.90, 223-10/68.22, 4:43.53 [4248]);
4. Sven Roosen (Neth) 8607 NR
(10.52, 24-9¾/7.56, 49-6½/15.10, 6-1½/1.87, 46.40 [4391-9],
13.99, 153-10/46.88, 15-5/4.70, 209-1/63.72, 4:18.55 [4216]);
5. Janek Õiglane (Est) 8572 PR
(10.89, 23-9½/7.25, 47-10/14.58, 6-6¼/1.99, 48.02 [4225-15],
14.45, 142-4/43.39, 17-4½/5.30, 235-10/71.89, 4:25.59 [4347]);
6. Johannes Erm (Est) 8569
(10.64, 25-1¾/7.66, 47-11¼/14.61, 6-9¾/2.08, 47.19 [4510-5],
14.35, 151-10/46.29, 15-1/4.60, 195-6/59.58, 4:19.71 [4059]);
7. Harrison Williams (US) 8538
(10.62, 24-4¼/7.42, 51-4½/15.66, 6-5/1.96, 46.71 [4432-8],
14.28, 153-11/46.91, 16-8¾/5.10, 167-10/51.17, 4:19.58 [4106]);
8. Niklas Kaul (Ger) 8445
(11.34, 23-3¼/7.09, 46-8¾/14.24, 6-7½/2.02, 49.13 [4041-20],
14.53, 151-10/46.28, 15-9/4.80, 255-2/77.78, 4:15.00 [4404]);
9. Ayden Owens-Delerme (PR) 8437
(10.35, 25-1¾/7.66, 49-9¼/15.17, 6-7½/2.02, 46.17 [4608-2], 14.09, 142-3/43.36, 15-9/4.80, 167-10/51.17, 4:40.39 [3829]);
10. Heath Baldwin (US) 8422; 11. Karel Tilga (Est) 8377; 12. Makenson Gletty (Fra) 8309; 13. Ken Mullings (Bah) 8226 NR; 14. José Fernando Santana (Bra) 8213 PR; 15. Till Steinforth (Ger) 8170; 16. Rik Taam (Neth) 8046; 17. Zach Ziemek (US) 7983; 18. Sander Aae Skotheim (Nor) 7757; 19. Dan Golubovic (Aus) 7566; 20. Jorge Ureña (Spa) 7096;
… dnfs—
Damian Warner (Can) 6428
(10.25, 25-6¾/7.79, 47-5/14.45, 6-7½/2.02, 47.34 [4561-4], 13.62, 159-8/48.68, nh, dns [1867]);
Ash Moloney (Aus) 2479
(10.56, 23-1¾/7.05, 43-11¾/13.40, dns).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 6–7, 10–11)
Decathlon Top 5 Leaders By Event
100: 1. Warner 1035; 2. Owens-Delerme 1011; 3. Steinforth & Roosen 970; 5. Victor & Moloney 961;… 13. Neugebauer 935; 14. Rooth 926
LJ: 1. Warner 2042; 2. Neugebauer 1991; 3. Owens-Delerme 1986; 4. Skotheim 1978; 5. Rooth 1936;… 9. Victor 1891
SP: 1. Neugebauer 2876; 2. Warner 2798; 3. Owens-Delerme 2786; 4. Rooth 2741; 5. Skotheim 2725; 6. Victor 2724
HJ: 1. Neugebauer 3726; 2. Skotheim 3631; 3. Warner 3620; 4. Owens-Delerme 3608; 5. Erm 3561; 6. Victor 3546; 7. Rooth 3535
400: 1. Neugebauer 4650; 2. Owens-Delerme 4608; 3. Skotheim 4588; 4. Warner 4561; 5. Erm 4510; 6. Victor 4463; 7. Rooth 4459
110H: 1. Warner 5585; 2. Owens-Delerme 5571; 3. Neugebauer 5560; 4. Skotheim 5543; 5. Erm 5440; 6. Rooth 5401;… 10. Victor 5359.
DT: 1. Neugebauer 6500; 2. Warner 6428; 3. Skotheim 6326; 4. Victor 6311; 5. Owens-Delerme 6304; 6. Rooth 6267.
PV: 1. Neugebauer 7410; 2. Rooth 7271; 3. Victor 7191; 4. Owens-Delerme 7153; 5. Williams 7118
JT: 1. Rooth 8113; 2. Neugebauer 8097; 3. Victor 8053; 4. Õiglane 7798; 5. Roosen 7786