PORTLAND – Ashton Eaton cruised to his third consecutive heptathlon crown to complete a unique husband-and-wife double as American athletes dominated at the World Indoor Athletics Championships on Saturday.
Olympic and world decathlon champion Eaton wrapped up a comfortable victory in the multi-discipline event by cruising home in third place in the 1 000m to roars from his hometown crowd.
Eaton’s win came just 24 hours after his wife – Canada’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton – had snatched a dramatic last-gasp win in the women’s pentathlon on Friday to claim her first world crown.
Eaton’s coronation at the Oregon Convention Center was a formality after solid displays in the morning events – the 60m hurdles and pole vault – left him 200 points clear of his nearest rival.
Afterwards, Eaton said despite his unprecedented third straight world indoor victory, his unique achievement could not compare to the triumph enjoyed by his wife on Friday.
“That made the whole event for me,” Eaton said. “She’s the one that stole the show.”
Eaton finished with 6,470 points, a season-best mark but short of his world record of 6,645 set in Istanbul four years ago.
The 28-year-old’s victory was one of the highlights of a day that saw American athletes claim four gold medals.
Barbara Pierre rounded out the host nation’s gold haul in the final track event with victory in the women’s 60m final.
Pierre took the tape with a time of 7.02sec, just holding off a surge from world 200m champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands, who finished with silver.
An unexpected American victory came in the men’s 800m, where Boris Berian completed an extraordinary personal journey to take gold.
The 23-year-old was working in a McDonald’s in 2014 but resurrected his career last season.
On Saturday, he led from start to finish to win in 1 min 45.83sec from Burundi’s Antoine Gekeme and compatriot Erik Sowinski.
“Coming from nowhere a year ago to win an indoor world championship is definitely going in the best direction that I possibly can,” Berian said.
“My game plan was simple – get the lead and hang on.”
The other American gold on Saturday came in the women’s shot put, where Michelle Carter conjured up an almighty heave of 20.21m with her final throw.
“It came from a prayer,” Carter said. “I just had to focus on what I knew I could and needed to do. I was able to take some time and put everything together.”
Anita Marton of Hungary took the silver while New Zealand’s two-time Olympic champion Valerie Adams finished with bronze.
Elsewhere, the Czech Republic’s Pavel Maslak became the first reigning 400m champion since Alleyne Francique in 2006 to successfully defend the title.
The talented 25-year-old surged past Bralon Taplin of Grenada in the home straight to win in 45.44sec, with Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar taking silver and Deon Lendore of Trinidad and Tobago the bronze.
Bahrain’s Nigerian-born star Oluwakemi Adekokya won the women’s 400m, withstanding a fierce late challenge from American duo Ashley Spencer and Quanera Hayes to come home in 51.45sec.
Adekokya, 23, controversially switched allegiances to Bahrain in 2014 despite complaints from athletics authorities in her native Nigeria.
“I am the only person to represent my country without a coach here,” Adekoya said after her win. “I am really proud of myself.”
Saturday also saw Dong Bin become only the third athlete from China to win a World Indoor Athletics Championships gold with victory in the triple jump.
The 27-year-old from Changsha led the competition from start to finish, winning with a best leap of 17.33m.
“It is the first (win) for China in the history of the event,” Dong said. “For Chinese people, we are not very good at the jumps.”
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