 Eaton in 2011 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ashton James Eaton |
| Born | (1988-01-21)January 21, 1988 (age 37)[1] Portland, Oregon, U.S.[1] |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[1] |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Track and field |
Event(s) | Decathlon,heptathlon |
| Club | Oregon Track Club |
| Coached by | Harry Marra |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest(s) | Decathlon: 9,045 Heptathlon: 6,645(WR) |
Medal record | |
Ashton James Eaton (born January 21, 1988) is a retired Americandecathlete and two-time Olympic champion, who holds theworld record in the indoorheptathlon event. Eaton was the second decathlete (afterRoman Šebrle) to break the 9,000-point barrier in the decathlon, with 9,039 points, a score he bettered on August 29, 2015, when he beat his own world record with a score of 9,045 points, and remains the only person to exceed 9,000 points twice. His world record was broken on September 16, 2018, by FrenchmanKevin Mayer, who became the third man to pass the 9,000-point barrier, with a total of 9,126 points.[2]
He competed for theOregon Track ClubElite team based inEugene, Oregon. In college, Eaton competed for theUniversity of Oregon, where he was a five-timeNCAA champion, and wonThe Bowerman award in 2010. In 2011, Eaton won the first international medal of his career, asilver, in the decathlon at the2011 World Championships. The following year, Eaton broke his own world record in the heptathlon at the2012 World Indoor Championships, and then broke the world record in the decathlon at theOlympic Trials. After setting the world record, Eaton won thegold medal at the2012 Summer Olympics in London. He successfully defended his Olympic title at the2016 Summer Olympics by winning the decathlon gold medal and tying the Olympic record. Eaton is only the third Olympian (afterBob Mathias of the US and Great Britain'sDaley Thompson) to achieve back-to-back gold medals in the decathlon.[3]
Eaton announced his retirement from the sport on January 3, 2017.[4][5]
Eaton was born inPortland, Oregon, on January 21, 1988,[6] the only child of Roslyn Eaton and Terrance Wilson.[7] His father is Black and his mother is Caucasian.[8]
His maternal grandfather, Jim Eaton, playedfootball atMichigan State University, and his father also played the sport. His mother was an athlete and a dancer.[9][10] He has three paternal siblings, including Verice Bennett, a first sergeant in theUnited States Marine Corps, who received theSilver Star in December 2011 for serving with valor inAfghanistan.
Eaton's parents separated when he was two years old. His mother, Roslyn, moved toLa Pine, Oregon. He was athletic from a young age, competing in football,basketball,running,soccer,wrestling, and he earned a black belt intaekwondo.[6] When Eaton was in the fifth grade, he and his mother relocated toBend, Oregon,[7] where he later attendedMountain View High School.[11] Interested in track and field, he was coached by Tate Metcalf and John Nosler. In 2006, he won the state high school400 m championship in 48.69 seconds and the long jump championship with 24 feet 0.25 inches (7.3216 m). Only a few colleges recruited Eaton. He considered playing football at aDivision III college. In the spring of 2006, Metcalf asked Eaton if he would consider the decathlon while in college.[7] Metcalf suggested that Eaton attend a university with a strong decathlon program, and Eaton chose theUniversity of Oregon.[6]
Eaton was initially coached at Oregon byDan Steele, the associate director of track and a former decathlete. Under Steele, Eaton rapidly improved in the1500 m,high jump,hurdles, andpole vault. He improved his pole vault by nearly 4 feet (1.2 m) in one year, and reached 8,000 points by his sixth collegiate decathlon. After Steele left in 2010 to coach at theUniversity of Northern Iowa, the university hired decathlon coachHarry Marra (who had trained Olympic decathletesDan O'Brien andDave Johnson) to further develop Eaton's skills.[6]
In his first year as an Oregon Duck 2006–07, he was one of only three freshmen nationwide to qualify provisionally for NCAAs in the combined events, both indoors and outdoors. Finished second in Pac-10 Championships decathlon with a season-best 7,123 points in only his second career decathlon. He then placed third at the USA Junior Championships decathlon (7,155 points) and second in the long jump (24-0.25), the latter of which earned him a trip to Brazil for the 2007 Pan American Junior Championships.[12]
In 2008, Eaton won the decathlon at theNCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship.[13]
In 2009, Eaton defended his decathlon title at the NCAA Championships to win with 8,241 points.[14] He also won the heptathlon title at the 2009NCAA Indoor Championships with 5,988 points. Eaton won the Division I field athlete of the year award in 2009.[15]
At the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships, Eaton broke the heptathlon world record with a score of 6,499, eclipsingDan O'Brien's 17-year-old mark by 23 points. In June 2010, he won his third consecutive NCAA decathlon title by finishing first in the decathlon with a personal best of 8,457 points.[16] He was the first male athlete to win 3 consecutive titles in the decathlon. In 2010, Eaton wonThe Bowerman, given annually to the best male and female U.S. collegiate track and field athletes.[17] Eaton graduated from the University of Oregon the same year.[6]
2008–2009
At the2008 United States Olympic Trials, Eaton placed fifth overall with 8,122 points.[18]
At the2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Eaton placed second in the decathlon behindTrey Hardee with 8,075 points. This earned him a place at the2009 World Championships in Athletics, in Berlin, where he finished 18th with 8,061 points.[19][20]
2011–2012
Eaton improved his own world record in the indoor heptathlon at theInternational Indoor Combined Events Meeting inTallinn in February 2011. Despite under-performing in thehigh jump, he managed a score of 6568 points.[21]
In August 2011, at the2011 World Championships in Athletics, Eaton won thesilver medal in the decathlon competition with a final points tally of 8505, losing first place to his compatriotTrey Hardee.[22]
In March 2012, at the2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships held in Istanbul, Eaton won thegold medal in the heptathlon competition with a new world record of 6645 points, winning five events (60 m, 60 m hurdles, long jump, pole vault and 1000 m) out of seven and finished third for the rest (high jump and shot put). His stand-out events were the Long Jump (scoring 1,102 points with a jump of 8.16m/26' 9-1/4") and the final event, the 1,000 m run, where he set a Championship record of 2:32.78 (only one-tenth of a second off his personal best time). He defeated silver medal winnerOleksiy Kasyanov by 574 points (6071).[citation needed]
| Heptathlon | 6645 pts | Ashton Eaton | March 9–10, 2012 | 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | |||||||||||||||
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2012 Summer Olympics
Trials
At the2012 United States Olympic Trials, the qualifying meet for the2012 Summer Olympics, Eaton started day one of the decathlon competition with two worlddecathlon bests, the equivalent of a world record for athletes competing in a full decathlon. The first in the 100-meter (10.21), and then in the long jump (8.23 m (27 ft 0 in)).[23] To emphasize the quality of Eaton's first two marks, the 100-meter time equaled the minimum (season wide) time required for men to qualify for the trials 100-meter race[24] and only .03 short of theOlympic "A" standard.[25] The long jump was 10 inches (25 cm) farther than the top qualifier in the long jump preliminary round held that same day at the trials,[26] 3 centimetres (1.2 in) beyond the "A" standard, and would have tied for second in the final. He went on to finish fifth in the shot put (14.20 m (46 ft 7 in)), first in the high jump (2.05 m (6 ft8+1⁄2 in)), and first in the 400 m (46.70) held in a pouring rainstorm. After day one, Eaton's points total of 4728 was more than 300 points ahead of second-place competitorTrey Hardee. On the second day of competition, Eaton finished first in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.70. In thediscus, however, he had an eighth-place finish. He bounced back in the pole vault, posting a height of 5.30 m (17 ft4+1⁄2 in), good enough for first place. In thejavelin throw, Eaton had a distance of 58.87 m (193 ft1+1⁄2 in) for fifth place. Going into the final event, the 1500 m run, Eaton held a 317-point lead over his closest competitor, Hardee. Eaton ran a new personal best in the 1500 m with a time of 4:14.48, finishing first. In the process, he brought his total score for the decathlon to 9039, breakingRoman Šebrle's previousworld record of 9026 points.[27] Eaton brokeDan O'Brien'sAmerican record of 8891 points set in 1992.[28]
Olympics
At the2012 Olympics, Eaton's primary rival was (now) teammate Trey Hardee. Eaton's 10.35100 m was the top time of the day, with Hardee the next best. His 8.03long jump was almost half a metre farther than any other competitor, building him a sizeable lead. His 14.66shot put was just 12 cm short of his personal record, and his 2.05high jump tied with several members of the field for second best. In the final first day event his 46.90400 metres was over a full second faster than anybody else in the field. His first day total was 4661, with a 220-point lead over Hardee.
Day two started with a virtual tie between Hardee and Eaton, Eaton running a time of 13.56 in the 110m hurdles. Eaton's discus throw of 42.53 gave up almost 6 metres and 120 points to Hardee, but by that point, Eaton still had a 100-point lead. Eaton more than gained that back with a 5.20pole vault, the third best competition. In the javelin throw Hardee pulled back 70 points with a good throw, but this advantage was limited by Eaton setting a new personal best of 61.96. With Eaton holding a 150+ point lead and a superior personal record in the 1500 m over Hardee, the medals were already determined. Nobody made a serious run at improving his position, and Eaton just went through the formality of completing the event in 4:33.59 to take the gold medal.
2013 World Championships
Eaton won the2013 world title in the decathlon with an 8809-point performance inMoscow.
2014 World Indoor Championships
In a February 2014 interview withTrack & Field News (Vol. 67, no. 3), Eaton - and his coach Harry Marra - said 2014 would be a "rest" year, with no decathlon competitions. His only multi-event would be the heptathlon at World Indoors, which he entered having broken the world record in his last 3 consecutive indoor competitions. Eaton won the gold medal in the Heptathlon at the2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships held inSopot, Poland on 7 & 8 March 2014. As the defending champion he received an automatic entry and did not have to enter a qualifying meet. He opened the competition at the 15th world indoor championships atErgo Arena with his fastest time ever for the 60 m, 6.66 seconds and never trailed. He followed that up with an excellent long jump, a good shot put and an excellent high jump (2.06m/6' 9") for a first day score of 3,653, which was just a single point less than when he set the Heptathlon record at the 2012 World Indoor meet. On Day 2, he opened with an outstanding time of 7.64 in the 60 m hurdles - a Championship meet record - and an excellent pole vault of 5.20m/17' 0-3/4". He won the 1,000 m by 3 seconds, however his time of 2:34.72 was 2 seconds slower than in 2012 and he fell 13 points short of his world record. His total of 6,632 points ranks as #2 all-time.Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus was 2nd with a new national record of 6,303 points, andBelgium'sThomas Van Der Plaetsen was 3rd with 6,259 (also a Belgian national record.)
Eaton toldTrack & Field News that during the 2014 outdoor season he planned to run some 400 m hurdles races for the first time in his career, as means of "doing something fun" while building his stamina for the 400 and 1,500 in future decathlon competitions. He also hoped to compete in some (world class)Diamond League meets in (variously) the 100 m, 110 m hurdles and/or the long jump. After resting from the grueling grind of decathlon training in 2014, Eaton would resume a program aimed at defending his titles at the2015 Worlds inBeijing, China, the2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships inPortland, Oregon, and the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2015 World Championships
Eaton won the2015 world title in the decathlon improving his own world record with a 9045-point performance inBeijing.
| Decathlon | 9045 pts | Ashton Eaton | August 28–29, 2015 | 2015 World Championships in Athletics | Beijing National Stadium,Beijing, China | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing theUnited States | ||||||
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 18th | Decathlon | 8061 | |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 2nd | Decathlon | 8505 | |
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | Heptathlon | 6645(WR) | |
| Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 1st | Decathlon | 8869 | ||
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 1st | Decathlon | 8809 | |
| 2014 | World Indoor Championships | Sopot, Poland | 1st | Heptathlon | 6632 | |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | Decathlon | 9045(WR) | |
| 2016 | World Indoor Championships | Portland, United States | 1st | Heptathlon | 6470 | |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | Decathlon | 8893(OR) | |
Outdoor
| Event | Performance | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long jump | 8.06 m (26 ft5+1⁄4 in)(−0.9 m/s) | Walnut | April 21, 2012 |
| 8.09 m (26 ft6+1⁄2 in)(+2.2 m/s) | Walnut | April 16, 2016 | |
| High jump | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) | Burnaby | June 10, 2012 |
| Pole vault | 5.40 m (17 ft8+1⁄2 in) | Portland | August 8, 2015 |
| 100 meters | 10.33(−1.0 m/s) | Berkeley | May 16, 2010 |
| 10.19(+2.7 m/s) | Berkeley | May 15, 2010 | |
| 200 meters | 20.76(+1.8 m/s) | Walnut | April 19, 2013 |
| 400 meters | 45.55 | Atlanta | August 1, 2015 |
| 110 meters hurdles | 13.35(+1.8 m/s) | Eugene | June 4, 2011 |
| 13.34(+2.4 m/s) | Eugene | June 2, 2012 | |
| 400 meters hurdles | 48.69 | Glasgow | July 11, 2014 |
| Shot put | 15.40 m (50 ft6+1⁄4 in) | Palo Alto | March 30, 2013 |
| Discus throw | 46.53 m (152 ft7+3⁄4 in) | Mörfelden | July 13, 2012 |
| Javelin throw | 66.64 m (218 ft7+1⁄2 in) | San Luis Obispo | March 16, 2013 |
| Event | Performance | Location | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decathlon | — | Beijing | August 28–29, 2015 | 9,045 points |
| 100 meters | 10.21(+0.4 m/s) | Eugene | June 22, 2012 | 1,044 points |
| Long jump | 8.23 m (27 ft 0 in)(+0.8 m/s) | Eugene | June 22, 2012 | 1,120 points |
| Shot put | 15.40 m (50 ft6+1⁄4 in) | Palo Alto | March 30, 2013 | 814 points |
| High jump | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) | Vancouver | June 10, 2012 | 906 points |
| 400 meters | 45.00[a] | Beijing | August 28, 2015 | 1,060 points |
| 110 meters hurdles | 13.35(+1.8 m/s) | Eugene | June 4, 2011 | 1,060 points |
| Discus throw | 47.36 m (155 ft4+1⁄2 in) | Chula Vista | August 14, 2011 | 816 points |
| Pole vault | 5.40 m (17 ft8+1⁄2 in) | Portland | August 8, 2015 | 1,035 points |
| Javelin throw | 66.64 m (218 ft7+1⁄2 in) | San Luis Obispo | March 16, 2013 | 838 points |
| 1500 meters | 4:14.48 | Eugene | June 23, 2012 | 850 points |
| Virtual Best Performance | 9,543 points | |||
Indoor
| Event | Performance | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long jump | 8.06 m (26 ft5+1⁄4 in) | Albuquerque | February 26, 2012 |
| High jump | 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) | Seattle | January 16, 2010 |
| Pole vault | 5.40 m (17 ft8+1⁄2 in) | Boston | February 14, 2016 |
| 60 meters | 6.69 | Athlone | February 26, 2014 |
| 300 meters | 33.93 | Seattle | January 19, 2008 |
| 400 meters | 47.97 | College Station | January 28, 2012 |
| 800 meters | 1:55.90 | Princeton | January 22, 2011 |
| 60 meters hurdles | 7.51 | New York City | February 14, 2015 |
| Shot put | 15.05 m (49 ft4+1⁄2 in) | Boston | February 8, 2014 |
| Event | Performance | Location | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heptathlon | — | Istanbul | March 9–10, 2012 | 6,645 points[b] |
| 60 meters | 6.66 | Tallinn | February 5, 2011 | 1,007 points |
| Long jump | 8.16 m (26 ft9+1⁄4 in) | Istanbul | March 9, 2012 | 1,102 points |
| Shot put | 14.88 m (48 ft9+3⁄4 in) | Sopot | March 7, 2014 | 782 points |
| High jump | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) | Fayetteville | February 5, 2010 | 906 points |
| 60 meters hurdles | 7.60 | Tallinn | February 6, 2011 | 1,109 points |
| Pole vault | 5.20 m (17 ft1⁄2 in) | Tallinn | February 6, 2011 | 1,035 points |
| 1000 meters | 2:32.67 | Fayetteville | March 13, 2010 | 957 points |
| Virtual Best Performance | 6,811 points | |||
| No. | Event | Points | Meet | Location | Date | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heptathlon | 6499 | 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships | Fayetteville | March 13, 2010 | 22 |
| 2 | Heptathlon | 6568 | Tallinn International Indoor Combined Events Meeting | Tallinn | February 6, 2011 | 23 |
| 3 | Heptathlon | 6645 | 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships | Istanbul | March 10, 2012 | 24 |
| 4 | Decathlon | 9039 | 2012 United States Olympic Trials | Eugene | June 23, 2012 | 24 |
| 5 | Decathlon | 9045 | 2015 World Championships | Beijing | August 29, 2015 | 27 |
Eaton married his University of Oregon teammate,Canadian multi-event athleteBrianne Theisen, on July 15, 2013, one year after both competed in the London Olympics.[29] The two first met in 2006 during Eaton's freshman year at Oregon and fell in love at the2007 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, held in Brazil: Theisen won the gold medal for Canada and then followed Eaton to enroll at the University of Oregon.[30] Ashton and Brianne have two children.[31]
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's heptathlon world record holder March 13, 2010 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Men's decathlon world record holder June 23, 2012 – September 16, 2018 | Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | The Bowerman (men's winner) 2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men'sJesse Owens Award 2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | IAAF World Athlete of the Year 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men'sTrack & Field Athlete of the Year 2015 | Succeeded by |
| All-around | |
|---|---|
| Pentathlon |
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| Decathlon |
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World Indoor Champions in men'sheptathlon | |
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USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men'slong jump(standing long jump) | |
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| 1906–1979 Amateur Athletic Union |
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| 1980–1992 The Athletics Congress | |
| 1993–present USA Track & Field |
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| Notes | * Standing long jump was held 1931 and earlier. Long jump has been held since 1932. |
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| Men's track and road athletes |
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| Women's field athletes |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
