Johannes Erm clinches men's decathlon title in Decastar meeting

Johannes Erm finishes first with 8589 points in Decastar meeting.

Estonia’s Johannes Erm won the decathlon and Colombia’s Martha Araujo was victorious in the heptathlon at the Decastar meeting, this season’s final World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold event, in Talence on Saturday and Sunday.

In a year that has included a European title win, sixth place at the Olympics and bronze at the World Indoor Championships, Johannes Erm achieved the second-best score of his career – 8589 points – to end his season on a high. That performance clinched him the win by 72 points ahead of Sander Skotheim of Norway, while Sven Roosen of the Netherlands was third on 8293.

Martha Araujo has improved with every competition this year and in Talence she scored a South American record of 6429 points. That followed the then lifetime best of 6386 she set to secure seventh place at the Paris Olympics, while she also scored 6329 at the Colombian Championships in June and 6274 at the Ibero American Championships in May.

That PB performance in Talence put her 156 points ahead of defending champion Emma Oosterwegel of the Netherlands, who had finished joint seventh with Araujo in Paris, while USA’s Michelle Atherley was third on 6267.

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It ended up being close at the top in the decathlon. Germany’s Manuel Eitel got the strongest start, clocking 10.56 in the 100m, as Roosen ran 10.71 and Erm 10.79. Skotheim launched himself into the lead as he soared 7.70m in the long jump, Erm managing 7.37m and Roosen 7.34m.

Belgium’s Niels Pittomvils and Roosen were the two athletes to surpass 15 metres in the shot put, Pittomvils throwing 15.15m and Roosen 15.06m. Erm was next on 14.79m. That moved Roosen up to second just 15 points behind Eitel, with Skotheim third only another 10 points back and Erm a close fourth.

Skotheim then soared ahead as he cleared 2.11m in the high jump, six centimetres higher than anyone else, and ran 47.51 in a 400m topped by Roosen’s 46.72. Erm was next best on 47.27.

The first day ended with Skotheim on 4444 points, 112 ahead of Erm. Belgium’s Jente Hauttekeete had moved up into third place on 4241.

That order was maintained after the first event on day two, the 110m hurdles, as Skotheim clocked 14.17, the same as Hauttekeete, while Roosen ran 14.12 and Erm 14.21. Skotheim then held on to his lead after a 44.75m discus throw but Erm moved up into second with a leading mark of 47.25m.

A big PB 5.37m vault by Erm made the difference. He was the sole athlete to manage five metres or more and so leapt above Skotheim overall, with 7119 points to 6999. Erm was then one of three athletes to surpass 60 metres in the javelin as he threw 60.47m to Jose Fernando Ferreira Santana’s 64.87m, while Devon Williams managed 60.01m. With one event – the 1500m – to go, Erm sat top on 7864, 140 ahead of Skotheim.

That’s how the top two remained, with Erm running 4:33.04 and holding on to secure victory with 8589 points ahead of Skotheim (4:22.74) with 8517. Roosen (4:24.91) moved up into third on 8293, 25 points ahead of Hauttekeete with 8268.

Martha Araujo opened her heptathlon campaign with 13.12 in the 100m hurdles, with only Atherley (13.04) going faster. Araujo then cleared a PB of 1.75m in the high jump, adding two centimetres to her previous best, to move into the overall lead.

Germany’s Vanessa Grimm had the best mark in the shot put, throwing 14.37m, as Araujo managed 13.38m and then clocked 24.31 in the 200m. That left her on 3726 points at the end of the first day, 42 ahead of Atherley on 3684. Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schubert was third on 3638 and Sweden’s Lovisa Karlsson fourth on 3610.

Martha Araujo and Karlsson continued their impressive form at the start of day two, leaping 6.49m and 6.55m respectively in the long jump. That put them in the top two spots, separated by 97 points, after five events. But there was disappointment for Grimm, who did not return to competition following the 200m.

Germany’s Marie Dehning and Oosterwegel dominated the javelin, respectively throwing 53.18m and 52.56m. Araujo also surpassed 50 metres with 50.64m and that maintained her leading position overall, as she sat top on 5603, 272 ahead of Oosterwegel, with Atherley another 58 points off with one event to go.

Atherley went quickest in the 800m, running 2:08.01, but Araujo’s 2:19.80 was more than enough to clinch her the win as she scored her total of 6429, 156 ahead of Oosterwegel who ran 2:11.56, with Atherley third on 6267 and Karlsson fourth on 6111.

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