Talence – DECA – Projections / Proyecciones
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Guy Drut, from Olympic Champion to a great Decathlon in Talence 1976
By Néstor Calixto (photos by Michel André)
In Talence 1976, the first edition of Décastar (which by the way, was not called that yet), the great star of the meeting was the French Guy Drut, the 110m hurdles Olympic Champion in Montreal 1976, only one month and a few days previous to his first (and unique) incursion in the Decathlon.
Here we want to share with all of you these incredible images, published in the French press days after the meeting.
In addition to being a great tribute to the fierce competitor that Drut was, it is a fantastic memory of the atmosphere of that first combined events meeting, in Talence, which was the embryo of what is today the great Décastar.
To give you an idea of the level of that first edition, the winner was the Soviet Aleksandr Grebenyuk with a mark of 8468 points, higher than the European record and, in fourth place, finished none other than Daley Thomson, who at 18 years surpassed the junior world junior record (U20) with 7905.
Décastar in DecaAmérica
By Néstor Calixto
It is with great pleasure that I announce that DecaAmérica has just published its page dedicated to one of the most important combined event competitions in the world, the Décastar, which is held every year in the French town of Talence.
Here you can find a gallery with the champions of all the editions, the records of the meeting and a section dedicated to the next edition, that will be disputed between September 17 and 18 of 2022.
After a two-year break due to COVID-19 and, in 2021, due to major renovations at the Pierre Paul Bernard Stadium, Décastar returns with renewed strength and an incredible lineup.
All the statistics that we publish regularly can be downloaded directly from the 2022 Edition section: Ideal Deca and Hepta, PB of all competitors, national records of all participating countries and projections.
DecaAmérica plans to create a page, similar to this one, for the most important competitions, meetings, games or championships that are celebrated in the world.
You will also be able to access this new tool through the menu, in the MAJORS option.
Happy birthday Leonel Suárez
By Néstor Calixto
Thirty five years ago, a day like today, September 1, was born in Santiago de Cuba, in the east of Cuba, Leonel Suárez Fajardo.
Over the years, that boy became the best Cuban decathlete of all time.
Today, on his 35th birthday, we want to congratulate him recalling some of his feats in sport.
Leonel has the third best Javelin record in a Decathlon in the world with 78.29m. He also has the fourth (77.47) and the sixth (76.94).
Click here to see the Top-20 Javelin throw inside a Decathlon.
His consistency was so great that he still holds 14 of the top 100 records in history, over three years after his last Decathlon. All marked beyond 70.80m.
Individually his other best event was the High Jump where he reached 2.17m (number 43 all time).
Leo won three world and two Olympic medals in his glorious career in Athletics.
DecaAmerica congratulates this great athlete on his birthday.
Daley Thompson – 8704 in Götzis 1982
By Néstor Calixto
Today we bring you a small slice of Decathlon history.
The second world record of British Decathlon megastar Daley Thompson, who totaled 8704 points in Götzis 1982, over 40 years ago (8730 with the current scoring tables).
On the way to this mark Daley added another (unofficial) world record to his resumé: 4632 units on the first day of Decathlon, that translated to the current tables represent 4675 points, his second-best total ever for the first day (visit the First Day Scores Ranking in DecaAmerica), only surpassed by the 4677 of Los Angeles 1984
See Daley’s full competition here.
Also enjoy the link below where appears an article from the prestigious British magazine Athletics Weekly of June 5, 1982, with a full report of the meeting.
My good friend and Spanish colleague Enrique Tré shares this gem with us, all the editions of the 1982 Deca Newsletter Magazine, edited by Frank Zarnowski, where Thompson’s feat is also reviewed.
Decathlon Shot put – UPDATED!!!
SP: 18.32 – Brian Oldfield USA – Columbus OH USA-OSURelays – 16.04.1971
We just found references of a mark of 18.32m from Brian Oldfield, in Columbus, Ohio, in 1971. This mark is the second best of all times in Shot Put inside a Decathlon.
The first reference come from US Decathlon’s guru Frank Zarnowski in his bulletins of the 70’s.
Decathlon – 1500m – UPDATED!!!
1500m: 4:00.6h – Rigoberto González CUB – Santiago de Cuba CUB-JEsc – 18.07.1986
A new result that impact the Top-10 lists of 1500m inside a Decathlon has been found. The athlete Rigoberto González of Cuba run 4:00.6h in the distance within the National School Games of 1986.
With this mark, Rigoberto placed sixth of all times in 1500m inside the Decathlon. At the moment of result, he was 18 years old. We have not found other incursion of the athlete in decathlon.
This record had never been reported internationally.
This is how the historical Top-20 of 1500m in a Decathlon remains.
DecaAmerica – a world of statistics of Combined Events
Por Néstor Calixto
Today, we begin a unique journey into the statistics of combined events.
Two colleagues who live and breathe these events, my good friend Yoshiaki Oikawa and yours truly, Néstor Calixto.
We commence this journey with these great and innovative compilations prepared by Yoshi, which are not in any way common, but rather a different perspective into all the stats generated by Decathlon and Heptathlon.
Additionally, we have prepared together the progression of the best results, by event, for combined events – a never-before-seen statistic.
Everything is just a click away, surfing through the menu of our new website, DecaAmerica.net.
We invite followers of track and field to visit and contribute to this effort to showcase a part of the history of the sport that has never been told before.
Soon, we will add new content to what we hope will become the future of DecaAmérica.
Today, August 21, 2022, DecaAmérica goes live.
Enjoy and let us know what you think! All are welcome.