THE DECATHLON can be confusing enough to the uninitiated without the changes in the scoring tables which have been necessitated over the years. Therefore I have used conversions based on the current 1984 tables in this article.
My first ever decathlon was at the 1952 Olympics, when the 1948 champion, the great Bob Mathias, became the first decathlete to retain an Olympic title. His score was 7887 points, a world record, which now corresponds to 7592, and he was way ahead of any opposition.
The only other man to successfully defend his title was the outstanding Daley Thompson. He won in Moscow in 1980 and then Los Angeles in 1984, where he set a new record of 8798, which was then acknowledged as the first mark under the new tables, re-scored at 8847.
Since 1990 the indoor heptathlon for men has become popular and I was pleased to be at the World Indoor Championships at Istanbul in 2012 when American Ashton Eaton set the current record of 6645. Four months later he set a new decathlon mark of 9039 too.
Bu hikaye Athletics Weekly dergisinin January 16, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Athletics Weekly dergisinin January 16, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Carbon Footprint
You'd have had to have been running on a different planet to miss all the recent debate about carbon-plated shoes. The talk of bans and performance enhancement has been so widespread that even non-runners are asking their running friends about the potentially magical footwear.
Trail time
WHEN looking for a trail or off-road running shoe, it’s often all about the grip. However, given that no two paths are the same, careful consideration is required. What’s the terrain like where you’ll wear the shoes the most? If you’ll be negotiating soft, wet and muddy conditions then look for deeper lugs. For tackling gravel tracks and forest trails then more evenly spaced lugs will work better. When it comes to cushioning, consider how hard the ground will be; if it’s soft then you’ll be fine in low-profile shoes, but on those firmer tracks reasonable cushioning will be called for.
Stay neutral
EVOLVING every year, if not month, neutral cushioned shoes are seeing developments in cushioning materials and dynamics at a pace which is nothing short of astonishing. The latest models feature new polymers in the midsoles to give them a cushioned feel while at the same time keeping their weight to a minimum. Give them a spin and choose the most comfortable for mile after mile of shock absorbing running.
Support network
WHEN it comes to ‘over-pronation’, a common question is ‘how much is over?’. With no hard and fast rules, it’s best to choose a shoe that instinctively feels right. Gait analysis can often assist in helping you make this choice and your specialist running store is always a good place to start if in doubt. To help you make that choice, here’s a selection of some of the best ‘support’ shoes around.
Need for speed
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WITH technological products to enhance every area of life, running is now no different. From headphones to treadmills, the devices to aid performance and recovery are endless. Here we take a look at some of the latest gadgets and gizmos to enhance your training.
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