TALENCE, FRANCE, June 22-23—Nafi Thiam produced a thrilling first day at the annual DécaStar meet, moved from its normal September staging because of the World Champs conflict, setting a heptathlon record in the high jump at 6-7½ (2.02). She opened up with a 13.49 in the hurdles, and after the high jump hit a PR 50-6¾ (15.41) in the shot and a 24.55 in the 200—her second-best ever in a multi. That helped her to 4133 points, ahead of her pace of her 7013 PR from 2 years ago.
The second day started just as auspiciously, as she spanned a national record in the long jump at 21-10¼ (6.67). Her luck changed drastically on the javelin runway, however. She injured her elbow on her first attempt, then hit 155-0 (47.25) on her second before leaving the field in tears. A similar injury had hit her a month prior to winning the Olympics. Elbow heavily taped, she returned for a 2:20.46 to finish off a world-leading 6819. Xénia Krizsán of Hungary finished 2nd with an NR 6629.
“I’m sad,” said the World champion, who had missed the indoor season with a leg injury, “because I had imagined something different this weekend. But that’s sport. “I try to remember the good things. I have set 3 PRs here and delivered a world leader despite a worthless attempt at javelin. “But it’s hard to be enthusiastic about what happened afterwards. I’m having a hard time, because I’ve had a difficult winter and I struggled to get back here. I don’t know what my program looks like now. I cannot move my elbow.”
Canada’s Pierce LePage won the decathlon at 8453, as runner-up Zach Ziemek put together a U.S.-leading 8344 that featured a PR 6-11¾ (2.13) high jump. LePage’s win gave the Canucks the titles in both of the big early-season invitationals, Damian Warner having won at Götzis at the end of May.
Local fans had to be content with Kevin Mayer’s 6-event performance. Contesting only selected events, he ran 10.66, jumped 24-9¼ (7.55) and put 51-¾ (15.56) on Day 1, then hurdled 13.90, threw the discus 164-6 (50.15) and vaulted 16-6¾ (5.05) on the second. “I feel good,” the WR holder told the crowd at the end of the first day. “But unfortunately I’m 3 months away from the World Championships. I’m in the middle of preparation and training and I can’t go 100% without pain. It would be stupid to hurt yourself here and not do the World Championships.”
TALENCE MULTIS RESULTS
DécaStar; Talence, France, June 22-23—
Decathlon
1. Pierce LePage (Can) 8453 PR
(10.31, 25-10/7.87w, 46-7½/14.21, 6-9½/2.07, 48.14 [4558—1],
14.40, 145-10/44.46, 17-2¾/5.25, 181-2/55.22, 4:59.76 [3895]);
2. Zach Ziemek (US) 8344 (AL)
(10.89, 25-0/7.62, 46-¾/14.04, 6-11¾/2.13, 50.34,
14.96, 161-11/49.36, 17-2¾/5.25, 188-7/57.49, 4:46.55);
3. Thomas Van Der Plaetsen (Bel) 8214
(11.35, 24-7¼/7.50, 44-1½/13.45, 6-8¼/2.04, 49.95,
14.95, 151-8/46.23, 17-10½/5.45, 199-7/60.85, 4:37.99);
4. Leonel Suárez (Cub) 7965; 5. Jérémy Lelièvre (Fra) 7778; 6. Bastien Auzeil (Fra) 7671; 7. Benjamin Hougardy (Bel) 7561 PR; 8. Maxime Maugein (Fra) 7398; 9. Vitali Zhuk (Blr) 7144;… dnf—Romain Martin (Fra).
Heptathlon
1. Nafi Thiam (Bel) 6819 (WL)
(13.49, 6-7½/2.02 HeptWR [old record 6-7/2.01 Thiam ’18], 50-6¾/15.41, 24.55 [4133—1], 21-10¾/6.67, 155-0/47.25, 2:20.46 [2686]);
2. Xénia Krizsán (Hun) 6619 NR
(13.36, 5-10/1.78, 46-10¾/14.29, 24.38, 20-5¼/6.23, 174-9/53.27, 2:08.16);
3. Laura Ikauniece (Lat) 6518
(13.50, 6-½/1.84, 44-2½/13.47, 24.28, 20-7¾/6.29, 165-4/50.39, 2:13.21);
4. Solène Ndama (Fra) 6290 PR
(12.91, 5-8¾/1.75, 44-0/13.41, 24.21, 20-11¼/6.38, 122-4/37.29, 2:11.97);
5. Marthe Yasmine Koala (BF) 6235 NR
(13.10, 5-8¾/1.75, 41-9¾/12.74, 23.79, 21-3½/6.49, 131-7/40.11, 2:19.78);
6. Odile Ahouanwanou (Ben) 6200 NR
(13.27, 5-8¾/1.75, 48-10¼/14.89, 24.01, 19-6/5.94, 146-10/44.75, 2:23.51);
7. Grit Šadeiko (Est) 6162
(13.25, 5-6½/1.69, 43-2½/13.17, 24.69, 20-1½/6.13, 158-7/48.34, 2:17.26);
8. Lecabela Quaresma (Por) 5932; 9. Riley Cooks (US) 5902; 10. Esther Turpin (Fra) 5808; 11. Yuki Yamasaki (Jpn) 5680; 12. Antoinette Nana Djimou (Fra) 5679;… dnf—Anouk Vetter (Neth). ◻︎
