American Ashton Eaton won his second straight Olympic decathlon gold medal on Thursday, tying the Olympic record after cruising to victory with a third-place finish in the final 1,500 meters.
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In news from the Summer Games in Brazil, Oregon’s Ashton Eaton has successfully defended his Olympic decathlon title Thursday night.
Bronze medallist Damian Warner of Canada, addressing the same theme, told reporters one factor that dampened fans’ enthusiasm was that decathletes can not match the performance of those who specialise in a single event.
He struggled in the javelin though, posting a longest throw of 59.77 meters – nearly seven meters short of his best mark – to leave a tiny bit of suspense going into the final event of the night. I’m so happy. I tightened over the last hurdle but I got it done. “One day, I’m going to have to meet Daley, shake his hand and thank him for giving me something to chase after”, Eaton told reporters after tearfully embracing his Canadian wife Brianne Theisen-Eaton who won the bronze medal in the women’s heptathlon.
Bolt won his third consecutive Olympic gold in the men’s 200 meters and sixth, and likely final, individual title overall to close out Thursday’s schedule.
Eaton had briefly darted away from the decathlon in the morning session to congratulate Clement as his teammate knelt exhausted in the midday sun after the 400-meter hurdles final.
“There’s only three guys in the world who get to stand on top of that decathlon podium, and I’m one of those guys”, Warner said. The Jamaican clocks a time of 19.79 to take his eighth Olympic gold. Eaton said. “Maybe you should ask Daley”.
When a Canadian, Damian Warner took the lead in the opening 100 on Wednesday, Eaton immediately responded by taking the lead on the second event. “But I have to keep working and challenge myself and get ready for 2020”.
Eaton’s gold medal won’t be the only Rio souvenir his family brings home.
“She is a massive, massive inspiration for me”, Eaton said Thursday. Kevin was there to push me to the test and I think I passed the test. But after a USA appeal a judges panel ruled that Felix had been bumped by a Brazilian runner as she began the exchange and granted the US a chance to attempt reach a qualifying time in a time trial Thursday night. As someone who has no idea how multi-event athletes do it, I completely agree. US men’s volleyball semifinal against Italy and U.S. men’s basketball semifinal against Spain are also on my list.
Clement, who won silver in the event in the 2008 Olympics, said he had been determined to win gold this year after injuries derailed his 2012 Games.
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After an appeal, The U.S. team was granted the opportunity to re-run their race and needing to beat China’s time of 42.70 to advance, the American quartet easily did. Eaton, 28, said he put the chances at “less than 50 percent” that he would even be competing by 2020.
