Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee at the end of the first day of the decathlon (© Getty Images)
World record-holder Ashton Eaton will make his Hypo-Meeting debut in Gotzis on 30 May when he takes on defending champion Trey Hardee at the IAAF Combined Events Challenge meeting.
After focusing on the 400m hurdles in 2014, Eaton will return to the decathlon in 2015 as he aims to successfully defend his world title in Beijing. Outside of major championships, the Olympic champion has never completed a decathlon in Europe.
The meeting record of 9026 also happened to be the world record before Eaton added 13 points to it in 2012. It may be a tall order, but Eaton has a habit of surpassing even the loftiest of expectations.
Hardee enjoyed a successful return to Gotzis last year, winning the decathlon with 8518. The two-time world champion will be eager to renew his rivalry with Eaton, having failed to finish the decathlon in their last clash, at the 2013 World Championships.
Eaton’s wife, world silver medallist Brianne Theisen Eaton, will also compete in Gotzis. The Commonwealth champion won at the 2013 edition of the meeting, but finished second there last year, setting a national record of 6641.
Organisers for the IAAF
