Multi Events - State of Play

[carterhatch]

ps... Jodie Smith wins the England Athletics OPEN Senior with 5998 [so close to what must be a psychological benchmark] to sneak into the all time list at 20 ousting Phyllis Agbo

[MysteryBrick]

O'Dowda is also a prime example of how stupid the World Athletics standards and UK Athletics' approach to them are. She's just come 10th in Gotzis, the best non-Major multis competition there is going, but will be sat relying on an invite (which she will get, as she's currently 13th on the multis ranking list) which UK Athletics likely won't accept...

[carterhatch]

Jade O'Dowda in the earlier heat ran 2:11.90, her 3rd PB of the heptathlon and she slightly improved her overall points PB with 6255.

Which takes Ms. O'Dowda to 8th on the all time list one position above Niamh Emerson [6253] and two below Holly Mills at 6th [6260] ... given those later two have been keenly supported, rightly so, for their potential, young Jade has quietly positioned herself into the conversation of whom will take over top spot when KJT finally calls a halt to the roller coaster ...

[philipo]

Thinking about another of our promising heptathletes, Abigail Pawlett, a first year U23 now. She's made excellent improvements in the hurdles and SP in the last few years. If we look at the other disciplines, however, there's been some stasis (and perhaps shows how good she was at a young age). At 16, she ran a 24.84 200m; PB is now 24.12. At the same age, 800 PB was 2.29, now down to 2.24. But the jumps are the most interesting, as both look like regressions. From 2018-2023, LJ SBs were 6.09, 6.04, 6.09, 5.85, 5.77. HJ SBs were 1.76, 1.75, 1.74, 1.73, 1.71.
Clearly COVID and injuries are factors. And this season is only just getting started. Will be interesting to see what she does in the next couple of years because the innate talent is there.

Lots of promise. One hope's for performance,not endless injuries.

[Mikka]

Thinking about another of our promising heptathletes, Abigail Pawlett, a first year U23 now. She's made excellent improvements in the hurdles and SP in the last few years. If we look at the other disciplines, however, there's been some stasis (and perhaps shows how good she was at a young age). At 16, she ran a 24.84 200m; PB is now 24.12. At the same age, 800 PB was 2.29, now down to 2.24. But the jumps are the most interesting, as both look like regressions. From 2018-2023, LJ SBs were 6.09, 6.04, 6.09, 5.85, 5.77. HJ SBs were 1.76, 1.75, 1.74, 1.73, 1.71.
Clearly COVID and injuries are factors. And this season is only just getting started. Will be interesting to see what she does in the next couple of years because the innate talent is there.

Unfortunately, some more evidence of this today...

[jjimbojames]

Hard to find a PV coach, let alone an athlete who can make a success of it as their tenth event!

[carterhatch]

You are quite right, jjimbojames. When looking into this I considered the case of the gifted Dominic Ogbechie, and assumed he had never run 1500, but in fact he had, The only event of the Decathlon events he had not tackled in competition was, indeed, the PV.

[jjimbojames]

Boys are affected more because of the additional events and skill set needed - a first year U17 girl has only added 200m (easy enough to mix into training) and the jav. Girls who are speed-based continue to excel, as the events are quite narrow. For boys, there is a massive difference for a combined eventer going from gutting out an 800m to a 1500m. Throws are more technical…and then the PV comes!

[carterhatch]

My athletics thought of the day was prompted by various discussions on the forum about multi eventers; where we are rightly proud of the sustained lineage of UK female athletes in this event.

Indeed a background in multi-eventing has proved no impediment, for a number of ladies, to go onto various degrees of success in a single event, but no doubt formed a robust foundation. It is easy to forget that Tessa Sanderson is 13th all time in the Hepthalon [yes, yes, I know with the old javelin], Sally Gunnell [63], Meghan Beesley [92], and more recently Morgan Lake [11]; all might have been described as heptathletes in their early athletics career.

The recent interview with Jazmin Sawyers [only 150th] highlighted how she had to make a calculated decision as to what event would bring her the most success having set out as a heptathlete.

One question I asked myself, is how many male athletes have started out competing in multi events but then decided to focus on a single discipline and made a ‘success’. Scanning the all time top 100, I could only really make a case for one, Du'aine Ladejo [37].

Is it a stretch to suggest that British male athletes specialise too early?

I can certainly see benefits for female athletes to be encouraged to try multiple disciplines when young, until they discover, if at all, what they might excel in. I have not doubt that one or two of the young ladies mentioned already this season making strides in multi-events will eventually come to pursue a single discipline. Indeed, I mentioned on another thread that the Steeplechaser Elise Thorner had dabbled in hep.

Where in contrast, for example, male sprinters seem reluctant, or are not encouraged, to even try jumps or one-lap, during their informative years. Moreover, are there just too many disciplines in decathlon to allow such an organic process to naturally occur.

Perhaps the likes of Holly Mills and Niamh Emerson, both having progress hampered by injury, will decide, much like Sawyers, to focus on just one event…

Your thoughts...

[drobbie]

ive no idea whats wrong with emerson, still posting training videos today, looks in good shape

[Mikka]

Thinking about another of our promising heptathletes, Abigail Pawlett, a first year U23 now. She's made excellent improvements in the hurdles and SP in the last few years. If we look at the other disciplines, however, there's been some stasis (and perhaps shows how good she was at a young age). At 16, she ran a 24.84 200m; PB is now 24.12. At the same age, 800 PB was 2.29, now down to 2.24. But the jumps are the most interesting, as both look like regressions. From 2018-2023, LJ SBs were 6.09, 6.04, 6.09, 5.85, 5.77. HJ SBs were 1.76, 1.75, 1.74, 1.73, 1.71.
Clearly COVID and injuries are factors. And this season is only just getting started. Will be interesting to see what she does in the next couple of years because the innate talent is there.

[LoveSprints1]

Holly Mills still recovering from injury set back last year; https://twitter.com/AthleticsWeekly/...125313?s=20

[Occasional Hope]

Oh dear, what a shame. I hope not the result of over train8ng by her college coach.

[RunUnlimited]

I feared this being the case when she wasn't at the NCAA Conference champs the previous weekend.

[LoveSprints1]

Sadly Ella Rush is injured too. Not sure if she will be back in time for Euro U20 qualification.