Ashton Eaton long jumping in the Tallinn International Indoor Combined Events Meeting on Saturday 5 Feb 2011 (© Marko Mumm / Estonian Athletics Association)
USA’s Ashton Eaton broke the world indoor record* for the heptathlon in Tallinn today (6) with 6568 points, improving the previous record, also in Eaton’s name, by 69 points.
The audience gave a standing ovation to Eaton’s impressive performance at the Tallinn International Indoor Combined Events Meeting, taking place with the Estonian Championships on 5-6 February.
Eaton ran 60m in 6.66 seconds, produced a 7.77m long jump, reached 14.45m in the shot put, and rose over 2.01m in the high jump on Saturday (5), and continued on Sunday (6) with a 7.60 flight in the 60m hurdles, a 5.20m clearance in the pole vault and a 2:34.74 clocking in the 1000m.
In total, Eaton collected 6568 points. As the audience witnessed, the world record could have been even higher, as the athlete had a good 40-50cm push-off reserve in the long jump and he struggled in the high hump, where his previous best mark was 10 centimetres higher.
“I'm very happy to have set a world record in Tallinn," said Eaton. "Estonians sure do love athletics and combined events! The high jump was the hardest for me this time, but after the pole vault I was sure I was going to set a world record."
Estonia's Andres Raja finished second with a personal best of 6114. Austrian Dominic Distelberger took third place with 5951. Decathlon world record-holder and 2004 Olympic champion Roman Sebrle from the Czech Republic came fifth overall with 5848.
Maris Lindmae for the IAAF
*Subject to usual ratification process