EUGENE, Ore. — Ashton Eaton is the World’s Greatest Athlete. He sealed it with a stirring final lap in the decathlon’s final event, setting a world record with 9,039 points at the U.S. Olympic Trials last night.
And he celebrated it with an embrace from his fiancé, and congratulations from the decathlon legends he now stands above.
“My thought was making the team. But after the javelin I knew there was a chance, so I went with it,’’ Eaton said. “I’m not maximized yet. I feel like I can run faster, jump higher, which is what makes it special. I’m not at the end of my career. I’m just getting going. I can jump farther and I can clearly throw farther.
“Hopefully going to London, I’ll be welcomed by the decathlon community and they’ll say good job over there, so let’s help you through it here.’’
The 24-year-old from Bend, Ore., needed a time of 4:16.37 seconds in event-closing 1,500-meter run to break the Roman Sebrle’s 11-year-old world record. With the Hayward Field crowd urging on their hometown hero, Eaton turned in a gutty 62-second last lap to finished in 4:14.48.
“The last 600 meters, that’s when the crowed really lifted me. I’ve had Hayward crowds before, but that last 600 meters I was not running with my own legs. It was incredible,’’ Eaton said. “I don’t care what anyone says. There is magic here, and I felt it for 600 meters. It was so special.’’
On Friday, he opened the meet with decathlon world records in the 100 and long jump. He ended it falling into the arms of his future bride, Canadian heptathlete Brianne Theisen, saluting the fans with the “O” for Oregon and getting congratulations from former Olympic champions Dan O’Brien and Bruce Jenner.
Reigning Olympic champ Bryan Clay crashed out in the decathlon. He initially was disqualified from the 110 hurdles on two infractions — knocking over the ninth hurdle with his hand and failing to attempt to clear the 10th. He appealed and was reinstated, but fouled three straight times in the discus to earn zero points.
“Tough day for me,’’ Clay said. “But I had to finish, keep going.’’
Clay wasn’t the only big name eliminated. New York Athletic Club’s Reese Hoffa, the 2007 world champ, leads the shot put with a qualifying mark of 69-7 1/2, but 2005 world champ Adam Nelson, who pulled his groin three weeks ago and couldn’t throw until this week, was eliminated.
“I’d love to blame it on my groin, but I felt really good. Unfortunately the rain decided to come. Whatever combination of hesitation and a wet circle, I didn’t have much power,’’ Nelson said. “The world better look out, because these [guys] are motivated. They’re going to do good things in London.”
At 36, he was noncommittal about retirement.
“I still love it and as long as I continue to have that passion for it, it’ll probably do it in one form or another,” Nelson said. “I’ve got to go back home and regroup, have a conversation with [my wife].’’
Dawn Harper, Kellie Wells and Lolo Jones (barely) went 1-2-3 in the women’s 100 hurdles finals.
“I woke up this morning filled with doubt and fear and didn’t think I’d make the team. I was fighting a constant head battle. I had my sports psychologist on speed dial one, my pastor on two and my mom on three.’’
Allyson Felix finished fourth in the 100, edged by 1/1000th in a dead heat by Jeneba Tarmoh. An appeal was filed, and she also can make the team in the 200.
“I have to keep working hard and hope to be on the team,’’ said Felix, adding of the appeal, “I haven’t given it any thought at all. That’s my teammate who took third and I’m very happy for her; it is what it is.’’