Décastar (stylised DECASTAR) is an annual athletics competition that takes place in Talence, in the department of the Gironde in France. Organised by World Athletics, it is one of the athletics meetings that make up the World Athletics Challenge – Combined Events. Male and female athletes compete in the decathlon or heptathlon, respectively, and points scored at the Décastar count towards a yearly total for the parent competition.

Décastar
SportAthletics
Founded1976
Official websiteOfficial website

History edit

The Décastar competition was first established in 1976 and, after further editions in 1978 and 1984, it was held annually from 1986 onwards.[1] Since its inception it has become one the premier combined event meetings: the 1996 Olympic champion Dan O'Brien set a world record in the decathlon at the 1992 edition, a mark which went unbeaten for nearly seven years.[2] At the 2004 edition, the organisers included the rarely competed women's decathlon and Marie Collonvillé set the world record with 8150 points.[3]

Competition format edit

 
Athletes celebrating at the podium at the end of the 2001 edition

As with most international combined events competitions, the programme is spread over two days.[4]

Decathlon Heptathlon
Day one Day two Day one Day two
100 metres 110 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles Long jump
Long jump Discus throw High jump Javelin throw
Shot put Pole vault Shot put 800 metres
High jump Javelin 200 metres
400 metres 1500 metres

Records edit

Décastar meeting records[1]
Event Athlete Record Date Ref
Men's decathlon   Kevin Mayer (FRA) 9126 pts 16 September 2018 [5]
100 m   Chris Huffins (USA) 10.29 (+1.4 m/s) 13 September 1997
Long jump   Dan O'Brien (USA) 8.08 (+1.8 m/s) 4 September 1992
Shot put   Maurice Smith (JAM) 16.72 m 23 September 2007
High jump   Christian Schenk (GDR) 2.22 m 16 September 1988
400 m   Erki Nool (EST) 46.95 30 July 2000
110 m hurdles   Kevin Mayer (FRA) 13.75 (-1.1 m/s) 16 September 2018 [5]
Discus throw   Brian Brophy (USA) 53.84 m 5 September 1992
Pole vault   Jean Galfione (FRA) 5.75 m 15 September 1996
Javelin throw   Sébastien Levicq (FRA) 72.22 m 11 September 1994
1500 m   Gaël Querin (FRA) 4:10.57 20 September 2009
Women's heptathlon   Denise Lewis (GBR) 6831 pts 30 July 2000
100 m hurdles   Nadine Visser (NED) 12.88 (+0.6 m/s) 19 September 2015 [6]
High jump   Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) 2.02 m WHB 22 June 2019 [7]
Shot put   Nataliya Dobrynska (UKR) 16.48 m 19 September 2009
200 m   Heike Drechsler (GER) 22.84 (-1.1 m/s) 10 September 1994
Long jump   Heike Drechsler (GER) 6.95 m (+1.0 m/s) 11 September 1994
Javelin throw   Barbora Spotakova (CZE) 60.90 m 16 September 2012 [8]
800 m   Nadine Debois (FRA) 2:01.84 WHB 27 September 1987
Women's decathlon   Marie Collonvillé (FRA) 8150 pts 26 September 2004

Winners edit

Key:   Meet record

 
Three-time World Champion Tomáš Dvořák had back-to-back decathlon wins in 1999 to 2000.
 
The 2008 Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska is a two-time winner of the Decastar heptathlon
 
Tatyana Chernova's heptathlon win in 2011 followed her gold medal at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics.
Edition Men's decathlon Women's heptathlon
Decathlon winner Points Heptathlon winner Points
1976   Aleksandr Grebenyuk (URS) 8468   Sue Longden (GBR) 4357
1978   Valeriy Kachanov (URS) 7930   Ekaterina Smirnova (URS) 4596
1984   Torsten Voss (GDR) 8428   Jane Frederick (USA) 6714
1986   Christian Plaziat (FRA) 7944   Malgorzata Nowak (POL) 6258
1987   Pavel Tarnavetskiy (URS) 8220   Jane Frederick (USA) 6533
1988   Christian Plaziat (FRA) 8512   Anke Behmer (GDR) 6733
1989   Christian Plaziat (FRA) 8512   Larisa Nikitina (URS) 6599
1990   Christian Plaziat (FRA) 8525   Peggy Beer (GDR) 6321
1991   Christian Plaziat (FRA) 8456   Urszula Włodarczyk (POL) 6425
1992   Dan O'Brien (USA) 8891   Irina Belova (RUS) 6673
1993   Steve Fritz (USA) 8317   Tatyana Blokhina (RUS) 6703
1994   Dan O'Brien (USA) 8710   Heike Drechsler (GER) 6441
1995   Eduard Hämäläinen (BLR) 8430   Tatyana Blokhina (RUS) 6478
1996   Eduard Hämäläinen (BLR) 8478   Remigija Nazarovienė (LTU) 6451
1997   Chris Huffins (USA) 8425   Remigija Nazarovienė (LTU) 6536
1998   Jón Arnar Magnússon (ISL) 8410   Urszula Włodarczyk (POL) 6352
1999   Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) 8690   Eunice Barber (FRA) 6515
2000   Tomáš Dvořák (CZE) 8733   Denise Lewis (GBR) 6831
2001   Oleksandr Yurkov (UKR) 8324   Shelia Burrell (USA) 6454
2002   Tom Pappas (USA) 8525   Larisa Netšeporuk (EST) 6151
2003   Laurent Hernu (FRA) 8219   Yelena Prokhorova (RUS) 6254
2004   Roman Šebrle (CZE) 8217   Kelly Sotherton (GBR) 6242
2005   Roman Šebrle (CZE) 8326   Eunice Barber (FRA) 6675
2006   Dmitriy Karpov (KAZ) 8438   Nataliya Dobrynska (UKR) 6256
2007   Andrei Krauchanka (BLR) 8553   Lyudmyla Blonska (UKR) 6437
2008   Andrei Krauchanka (BLR) 8312   Hyleas Fountain (USA) 6473
2009   Oleksiy Kasyanov (UKR) 8291   Nataliya Dobrynska (UKR) 6485
2010   Leonel Suárez (CUB) 8328   Tatyana Chernova (RUS) 6453
2011   Hans Van Alphen (BEL) 8200   Tatyana Chernova (RUS) 6679
2012   Hans Van Alphen (BEL) 8293   Antoinette Nana Djimou (FRA) 6390
2013   Damian Warner (CAN) 8161   Hanna Melnychenko (UKR) 6308
2014   Mikk Pahapill (EST) 8077   Carolin Schäfer (GER) 6383
2015   Willem Coertzen (RSA) 8187   Györgyi Zsivoczky-Farkas (HUN) 6306
2016   Oleksiy Kasyanov (UKR) 8077   Nadine Broersen (NED) 6377
2017   Damian Warner (CAN) 8252   Anouk Vetter (NED) 6363
2018   Kevin Mayer (FRA) 9126   Carolin Schäfer (GER) 6457
2019   Pierce LePage (CAN) 8453   Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) 6819
2022   Lindon Victor (GRN) 8550   Ivona Dadic (AUT) 6233
  Emma Oosterwegel (NED)

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Le Décastar – Histoire". www.ressources.crdp-aquitaine.fr. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  2. ^ Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2004-09-23). Olympic medallists set for Decastar. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  3. ^ van Kuijen, Hans (2009-09-17). Dobrynska and Pappas expected to highlight in Talence - IAAF World Combined Events Challenge - PREVIEW . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  4. ^ Qu’appelle-t-on épreuves combinées d’athlétisme ? Archived 2010-04-24 at the Wayback Machine. Décastar. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  5. ^ a b Quentin Guillon (16 September 2018). "Mayer breaks decathlon world record in Talence with 9126". IAAF. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  6. ^ Thomas Byrne (19 September 2015). "Johnson-Thompson and Kasyanov have narrow leads after day one in Talence". IAAF. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  7. ^ Quentin Guillon (22 June 2019). "Thiam and Lepage the overnight leaders in Talence as Mayer saves himself". IAAF. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  8. ^ Hans van Kuijen (16 September 2012). "Van Alphen and Yosypenko prevail in Talence - IAAF Combined Events Challenge". IAAF. Retrieved 18 September 2012.

External links edit