Ashton Eaton wins gold medal in Olympic decathlon
United States' Ashton Eaton reacts after his throw in the shot put in the decathlon during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics. (Aug. 8, 2012) Credit: AP
LONDON — U.S. decathlon star Ashton Eaton would have liked to treat the 80,000 fans to a record performance. After all, he had netted the world-record total of 9,039 points winning the Olympic trials.
Eaton won gold, but he “only” had 8,869 points, earning unofficial title of “world’s greatest athlete.”
It was still the highest score an American has ever posted and just under the 8,893 Olympic-record pace of Czech Republic’s Roman Seberle in 2004.
This became a 1-2 USA slam, too, when Trey Hardee hung on for the silver medal at 8,671.
The 1-2 finish is the first time in 56 years that the U.S. has won gold and silver in the event. Eaton, just 24, continues to look onward and upward.
“I want 10 perfect events,” he said. “I know that’s pretty much impossible, but that’s the decathlon.”
