I am following the European Athletics Championships and while I plan to present a detailed report (probably next month) I cannot help reacting to the french decathlon disaster.
France did enter three decathletes, R. Gado (25) with a 8126 PB, R. Martin (30) with 8138 PB and, the reigning World Champion K. Mayer (26) who with a 8834 PB is the sixth decathlete of all times. The competition did start perfectly, at least for Gado and Mayer. Gado won his 100 m series with 10.86, very close to his 10.83 PB and Mayer took the lead of the event already form the outset with a 10.64 personal best. (Martin was somewhat less at ease in the 100 m and had to content himself with 11.16, to compare with his 10.81 PB).
Then came the long jump and the sky fell on the head of the french decathletes. All of them fouled all their three attempts and were out form the decathlon! Is there a decathlon coach in the french team? If yes, he should present his resignation and stop coaching. And I cannot believe that K. Mayer, the best decathlete in the world today, would participate at a continental championship without being accompanied by his personal coach. How did these experts let their athletes make such an enormous blunder? Mayer was the indisputable favourite for the european title. Instead he fouled three jumps at the 7.70-7.80 m region, well beyond the best jump of the opposition. Did he need such a jump to win? Certainly not!
Two years ago, after watching Ureña foul in the discus throw I wrote an article on famous fouls in decathlon. (K. Mayer can be reassured: he is not the first and will certainly not be the last top-decathlete to lose a competition he could have won, hands down). I was suggesting there an elementary strategy on how to handle fouls in a combined event competition. I repeat it here:
In the case of long jump I would suggest that the athlete take a maximum risk in the first try. If this works so much the better. If he fouls then the second try should be a very cautious one aiming at securing a minimal number of points so as to avoid the disaster. If this succeeds then the third try can be again a maximal risk one. But suppose the second attempt is also a foul. Now two possibilities exist. If a minimal performance is enough for the athlete to attain his (perhaps revised) objective then he should go for this. However if too small a number of points is tantamount to failure then the athlete should go all out, take risks and hope for the best.
So, this is what Mayer (and his team-mates) should have done. A measly 7 m (hell, even a 6.50 m) would have been sufficient for Mayer to stay in the competition and win thanks to his supremacy in the remaining events. Why didn't anybody suggest caution on his (their) second jump?
Anyhow, Mayer was in tears after his third, fouled, jump. He declared that he was feeling great, ready for an 8 m jump and he could not restrain himself. He apologised to his fans and added, "On a tous droit à une faute et j’espère que ça n’arrivera plus jamais" (we all can err once, and I do hope this will never happen again). Being Mayer's fan, I cross my fingers.
France did enter three decathletes, R. Gado (25) with a 8126 PB, R. Martin (30) with 8138 PB and, the reigning World Champion K. Mayer (26) who with a 8834 PB is the sixth decathlete of all times. The competition did start perfectly, at least for Gado and Mayer. Gado won his 100 m series with 10.86, very close to his 10.83 PB and Mayer took the lead of the event already form the outset with a 10.64 personal best. (Martin was somewhat less at ease in the 100 m and had to content himself with 11.16, to compare with his 10.81 PB).
The three french decathletes in Berlin
Two years ago, after watching Ureña foul in the discus throw I wrote an article on famous fouls in decathlon. (K. Mayer can be reassured: he is not the first and will certainly not be the last top-decathlete to lose a competition he could have won, hands down). I was suggesting there an elementary strategy on how to handle fouls in a combined event competition. I repeat it here:
In the case of long jump I would suggest that the athlete take a maximum risk in the first try. If this works so much the better. If he fouls then the second try should be a very cautious one aiming at securing a minimal number of points so as to avoid the disaster. If this succeeds then the third try can be again a maximal risk one. But suppose the second attempt is also a foul. Now two possibilities exist. If a minimal performance is enough for the athlete to attain his (perhaps revised) objective then he should go for this. However if too small a number of points is tantamount to failure then the athlete should go all out, take risks and hope for the best.
So, this is what Mayer (and his team-mates) should have done. A measly 7 m (hell, even a 6.50 m) would have been sufficient for Mayer to stay in the competition and win thanks to his supremacy in the remaining events. Why didn't anybody suggest caution on his (their) second jump?
Mayer in tears after his last jump
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