World Champs Men’s Decathlon — The King Is Back

WR holder Kevin Mayer danced a jig after winning his first big gold since ’17. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

AS THE DECATHLON’S START approached, the puzzling absence of world leader Garrett Scantling (8867 to win the U.S. title) was explained — he had been provisionally suspended by USADA for whereabouts violations.

That still left a hoped-for matchup between WR holder Kevin Mayer and Tokyo gold medalist Damian Warner, two of history’s four 9000-pointers. And Niklaus Kaul’s presence made this the first World Championships with the WR holder and reigning Olympic and World champs since ’15 when Ashton Eaton held all three.

Mayer — who dropped out of Doha and earned silver at Tokyo despite injury issues — competed with his left ankle wrapped. While he evaded injury here, Warner wasn’t as fortunate.

100 Meters

The coolest morning of the meet (low 60s and cloudy) wasn’t ideal. As expected, Warner took the immediate lead, although his 10.27 was disappointingly off his 10.14 from Götzis in May. Fellow Canadian Pierce LePage
(10.39) was next fastest, while Mayer was solid at 10.62. Americans Zach Ziemek (10.57) and Kyle Garland
(10.69) were close to their PRs.


Long Jump

Warner was again the best, his 25-10 (7.87), increasing his lead to 111 points over LePage. Two others joined Warner over 25ft — Ziemek at 25-3¼ (7.70) and NCAA champ Ayden Owens-Delerme with a PR 25-¾ (7.64). Ziemek, shy of his PR by an inch and a quarter, trailed LePage (1946) by 2 points, with Owens-Delerme at 1940. Mayer was again solid at 24-9 (7.54), sitting in 6th at 1892 and the only one projecting over 9000.


Shot

Ziemek joined the 50-foot club with a pair of PRs, the best 50-5¼ (15.37) to move into 2nd overall at 2756. Owens-Delerme (2728) also moved ahead of LePage, who dropped to 4th at 2725. Warner’s lead was now 90 points after a good 49-2¼ (14.99), and Mayer moved into 5th despite a 49-1¾ (14.98) — he’d gone as far as 51-2¾ (15.61) last month.


High Jump

Garland moved up to 3rd at 3582 after clearing 7-¼ (2.14) — still, he was down 200 points from his 8720 CR at the USATF Championships. Ziemek closed Warner’s lead to 62 points, while Owens-Delerme was in 4th and Mayer 5th overall. Warner and Mayer had matching heights of 6-8¾ (2.05) — not PRs, but both ahead of the marks in their PR scores.


400 Meters

Disaster struck Warner, who grabbed his left hamstring at the top of the backstretch and went down. Attention on the remaining runners was on Owens-Delerme, who went out blazing to finish in a scintillating 45.07, just off Eaton’s magnificent 45.00 decWR. It was a PR by over a second and gave the Puerto Rican a 121-point lead at 4606.

PRing behind him was LePage (46.84) to move back into 2nd (4485) while Ziemek dropped to 3rd (4469) and Garland to 4th (4413). Tokyo bronze medalist Ash Moloney was in 5th, 6 points ahead of Mayer.


110 Hurdles

LePage PRed at 13.78, his first sub-14 time, to surprisingly beat Owens-Delerme’s 13.88 as he narrowed the 1-2 margin to 108 points. Ziemek’s 14.47 was better than in his PR score and kept him 3rd at 5384, 104 points behind LePage. Mayer’s 13.92 moved him back into 5th.


Discus

LePage PRed for the third event in a row, going over 170ft for the first time at 174-9 (53.26). That catapulted him into the lead by 118 points over Owens-Delerme, who threw only 139-0 (42.36). Ziemek (158-9/48.40) remained in 3rd at 6221, but just 5 points ahead of Mayer, who threw 162-2 (49.44).


Pole Vault

Mayer and Ziemek both made big gains here, especially relative to LePage, as both cleared 17-8½ (5.40). LePage’s lead was now just 81 over Double-Z and 186 over Mayer, now in 3rd for the first time. The gap from 3rd to 4th (Owens-Delerme) was now 182 as the medalists seemed determined, with the order TBD.


Javelin

Mayer was near his best, leading the way at 230-8 (70.31) to claim the overall lead at 8145, 107 points ahead of LePage, who hit 188-8 (57.52). Just as in the shot, Ziemek PRed twice, surpassing 200ft for the first time with a best of 204-0 (62.18). LePage now led the Wisconsin alum by 11 points.


1500 Meters

Barring disaster, Mayer was certain to win. He cruised 4:41.44 for a total of 8816, his third-highest ever and first WC gold since London ’17. “I am just on a cloud,” the 30-year-old said. “I don’t want to get back to earth.”

LePage was likely to hold off Ziemek for silver, as his 11-point lead translated to about 1.5 seconds in the 1500 and he had a 7-seconds-plus better PR. The Canadian marked ZZ all the way before moving ahead off the final curve to secure silver, both scoring big PRs (LePage 8701, Ziemek 8676 for No. 10 on the all-time U.S. list).

Owens-Delerme led every step of the way, splitting 64.00 and 2:13.48 before a PR 4:13.02 put him in 4th with a PR 8532.


MEN’S DECATHLON RESULTS

(July 23–24)

1. Kevin Mayer (Fra) 8816

(10.62, 24-9/7.54, 49-1¾/14.98, 6-8¾/2.05, 49.40 [4372–6], 13.92, 162-2/49.44, 17-8½/5.40, 230-8/70.31, 4:41.44 [4444]);

2. Pierce LePage (Can) 8701 PR

(10.39, 24-9/7.54, 48-8/14.83, 6-6¼/1.99, 46.84 [4485–2], 13.78, 174-9/53.26, 16-4¾/5.00, 188-8/57.52, 4:42.77 [4216]);

3. Zach Ziemek (US) 8676 PR (10, x A)

(10.57, 25-3¼/7.70, 50-5¼/15.37, 6-9¾/2.08, 49.56 [4469–3], 14.47, 158-9/48.40, 17-8½/5.40, 204-0/62.18, 4:44.97 [4207]);

4. Ayden Owens-Delerme (PR) 8532 NR

(10.52, 25-¾/7.64, 49-1½/14.97, 6-7½/2.02, 45.07 [4606–1], 13.88, 139-0/42.36, 14-9/4.50, 167-3/50.98, 4:13.02 [3926]);

5. Lindon Victor (Grn) 8474

(10.78, 23-10/7.26, 53-5½/16.29, 6-7½/2.02, 49.27 [4326–8], 14.76, 176-11/53.92, 15-9/4.80, 217-2/66.20, 4:47.22 [4148]);

6. Niklas Kaul (Ger) 8434

(11.22, 23-3¼/7.09, 47-7¾/14.52, 6-8¾/2.05, 48.39 [4147–16], 14.27, 146-5/44.62, 15-9/4.80, 228-10/69.74, 4:13.81 [4287]);

7. Maicel Uibo (Est) 8425

(11.14, 24-¼/7.32, 49-9¼/15.17, 6-1½.11, 50.38 [4224–12], 14.49, 152-7/46.52, 17-4½/5.30, 208-5/63.54, 4:37.58 [4201]);

8. Cedric Dubler (Aus) 8246

(10.93, 24-9¾/7.56, 42-2¾/12.87, 6-9¾/2.08, 47.71 [4286–10], 14.28, 140-8/42.88, 16-8¾/5.10, 179-8/54.76, 4:37.26 [3960]);

9. Johannes Erm (Est) 8227

(10.94, 24-2¼/7.37, 49-3/15.01, 6-4/1.93, 47.02 [4264–11], 14.38, 144-11/44.18, 15-5/4.70, 186-7/56.87, 4:25.08 [3963]);

10. Leo Neugebauer (Ger) 8182

(11.07, 24-5¾/7.46, 51-11¼/15.83, 6-6¼/1.99, 48.34 [4298–9], 14.86, 170-2/51.88, 15-9/4.80, 173-3/52.80, 4:48.41 [3884]);

11. Kyle Garland (US) 8133

(10.69, 24-3¾/7.41, 50-0/15.24, 7-¼/2.14, 49.64 [4413–4], 14.18, 149-1/45.44, 15-1/4.60, 174-7/53.23, 4:58.94 [3720]);

12. Kai Kazmirek (Ger) 8113

(11.19, 24-7/7.49w, 46-10¾/14.29, 6-7½/2.02, 49.33 [4165–15], 14.43, 134-4/40.96, 16-4¾/5.00, 205-1/62.52, 4:43.51 [3948]);

13. Jiří Sýkora (CzR) 8107

(11.11, 23-5¼/7.14, 48-10¼/14.89, 6-4/1.93, 49.29 [4054–19], 14.14, 178-5/54.39, 15-1/4.60, 201-9/61.49, 4:55.90 [4053]);

14. Dan Golubovic (Aus) 8071

(10.99, 22-10/6.96, 49-2½/15.00, 6-5/1.96, 49.44 [4065–18], 13.92, 152-1/46.37, 15-1/4.60, 186-2/56.75, 4:29.67 [4006]);

15. Sander Aae Skotheim (Nor) 8062

(10.88, 24-9¼/7.55, 44-11/13.69, 7-1½/2.17, 49.80 [4331–7], 15.05, 140-8/42.89, 15-5/4.70, 182-0/55.47, 4:40.84 [3731]);

16. Steven Bastien (US) 7939

(10.93, 24-3¾/7.41w, 43-10/13.36, 6-7½/2.02, 47.95 [4212–13], 14.75, 133-5/40.66, 15-5/4.70, 183-1/55.80, 4:40.92 [3727]);

17. Ken Mullings (Bah) 7866 NR

(10.83, 22-10/6.96, 45-4½/13.83, 6-8¾/2.05, 49.25 [4120–17], 14.02, 140-1/42.70, 14-9/4.50, 186-9/56.92, 4:52.85 [3746]);

18. Tim Nowak (Ger) 7008

(11.43, 23-4¾/7.13W, 47-4½/14.44, 6-8¾/2.05, 50.94 [3989–20], 14.91, 138-2/42.13, nh, 185-5/56.52, 4:26.87 [3019]);

… dnfs—

Ash Moloney (Aus) 6009

(10.49, 24-5¾/7.46, 46-10¼/14.28, 6-5/1.96, 46.88 [4378–5], 14.46, 139-3/42.45, dnc [1631]),

Janek Õiglane (Est) 5554

(11.12, 23-10/7.26, 48-8/14.83, 6-8¾/2.05, 49.16 [4193–14], 14.69, 100-0/30.49, dnc [1361]),

Damian Warner (Can) 3696

(10.27, 25-10/7.87, 49-2¼/14.99, 6-8¾/2.05, dnf),

Marcus Nilsson (Swe) 1326

(11.46, 19-4¼/5.90, dnf),

Andy Preciado (Ecu) (dnf).


Decathlon Top 10 Leaders by Event

100: 1. Warner 1030; 2. LePage 1001; 3. Moloney 977; 4. Owens-Delerme 970; 5. Ziemek 959; 6. Mayer 847; 7. Garland 931; 8. Victor 910; 9. Mullings 899; 10. Skotheim 888

Long Jump: 1. Warner 2057; 2. LePage 1946; 3. Ziemek 1944; 4. Owens-Delerme 1940; 5. Moloney 1902; 6. Mayer 1892; 7. Garland 1844; 8. Skotheim 1835; 9. Dubler 1826; 10. Bastien 1789

Shot: 1. Warner 2846; 2. Ziemek 2756; 3. Owens-Delerme 2728; 4. LePage 2725; 5. Mayer 2680; 6. Victor 2655; 7. Garland 2648; 8. Moloney 2647; 9. Neugebauer 2611; 10. Erm 2567

High Jump: 1. Warner 3696; 2. Ziemek 3634; 3. Garland 3582; 4. Owens-Delerme 3550; 5. Mayer 3530; 6. LePage 3519; 7. Skotheim 3507; 8. Victor 3477; 9. Uibo 3427; 10. Moloney 3414

400 (end of Day 1): 1. Owens-Delerme 4606; 2. LePage 4485; 3. Ziemek 4469; 4. Garland 4413; 5. Moloney 4378; 6. Mayer 4372; 7. Skotheim 4331; 8. Victor 4326; 9. Neugebauer 4298; 10. Dubler 4286

110 Hurdles: 1. Owens-Delerme 5596; 2. LePage 5488; 3. Ziemek 5384; 4. Garland 5364; 5. Mayer 5357; 6. Moloney 5294; 7. Dubler 5225; 8. Victor 5205; 9. Erm 5190; 10. Skotheim 5174

Discus: 1. LePage 6427; 2. Owens-Delerme 6309; 3. Ziemek 6221; 4. Mayer 6216; 5. Victor 6157; 6. Garland 6140; 7. Neugebauer 6075; 8. Moloney 6009; 9. Sykora 5973; 10. Dubler 5948

Pole Vault: 1. LePage 7337; 2. Ziemek 7256; 3. Mayer 7251; 4. Owens-Delerme 7069; 5. Victor 7006; 6. Uibo 6938; 7. Garland 6930; 8. Neugebauer 6924; 9. Dubler 6889; 10. Sykora 6763

Javelin: 1. Mayer 8145; 2. LePage 8038; 3. Ziemek 8027; 4. Victor 7838; 5. Uibo 7729; 6. Owens-Delerme 7672; 7. Kaul 7580; 8. Garland 7567; 9. Neugebauer 7554; 10. Dubler 7548 ◻︎

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