Because it prepares to have fun its fiftieth anniversary, Gabriella Pieraccini seems on the wealthy historical past of the Götzis Hypomeeting in Austria
“A great old style wallow in nostalgia,” my editor mused, as we contemplated how greatest to set the scene for the fiftieth anniversary of the Götzis Hypomeeting on the finish of Might. “The roll of honour. Some tips on how influential it’s been by means of the years. Are you able to do 1500 phrases?” Some writing and beautiful wallowing on 100 days of world-class athletics? Depend me in.
Celebrating the historical past
Götzis is, no doubt, the best observe and area assembly wherever on the planet. The pages of this, and lots of different, athletics publications are wealthy with gushing reward of the gold normal set yr after yr by the organisers. The fan expertise, the athlete expertise, the media expertise, the coach expertise. Easy athletics, completed fantastically.
The Götzis Hypomeeting has taken place yearly since 1975, save for the Covid-ravaged season of 2020. For the fiftieth anniversary version, the same old celebrations have been gilded accordingly. Particular invites have been prolonged to those that received a number of editions of the competitors, in addition to one-off winners who went on to win a world or Olympic title.
Probably the most prolific of all of the a number of winners is the 2021 Olympic champion Damian Warner of Canada, who has been the victor no fewer than eight instances, and 6 instances in a row between 2016 and 2022. His most up-to-date streak was damaged in 2023 by compatriot Pierce LePage, who went on to win the world title in Budapest that yr.
Czechia’s Roman Šebrle is a five-time winner, and in 2001 in Götzis he grew to become the primary man to ever rating over 9000 factors, a feat solely achieved since by three others – Ashton Eaton, Kevin Mayer and Warner.
Nice Britain’s Daley Thompson received the title twice, in 1980 and 1982, setting world data on each events. Sweden’s 2004 Olympic champion Carolina Klüft received in Götzis 5 instances between 2003 and 2007, and Jane Frederick of the USA received 5 instances between 1978 and 1985, straddling the evolution from pentathlon to heptathlon. Anke Behmer, representing the German Democratic Republic, received within the three years main as much as the autumn of the Berlin wall in 1989, and handed the baton to Sabine Braun to win for Germany within the three years afterwards.
The 2012 Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill took the title in Götzis in 2010, 2011 and 2012, whereas double world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson received in 2014 and 2019 and triple Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam received in 2017 and 2018.
The final time anybody who wasn’t a Canadian received the decathlon was Kai Kazmirek of Germany in 2015, who retired from the game this yr. Canada received each males’s and ladies’s titles in 2016, Brianne Theisen Eaton overlapping in her third victory with Damian Warner’s second.
Robert Zmelik of Czechia, who received in 1992, holds the world greatest for the one-hour decathlon (7897, in comparison with his “regular” decathlon PB of 8627). Eduard Hämäläinen, who received 3 times within the mid-nineties, is an athlete to retain for trivia functions, having competed in three completely different world championships representing a unique nation every time – the Soviet Union, Belarus and Finland. Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus received in 2007, and in recent times has been a number one sporting determine talking out in opposition to the present political regime in his native nation.
The 2023 “Rookie of the 12 months” title was received by Sander Skotheim of Norway, who claimed European and world gold indoors this season, together with breaking Kevin Mayer’s European heptathlon document. Ash Moloney, Rico Freimuth, Leonel Suarez, Sofie Dokter, Henriette Jaeger, Nadine Visser and Dafne Schippers have been all former rookies of their yr. In 2024 Nice Britain’s Abi Pawlett received that honour on her Götzis debut.
The checklist of well-known winners goes on. Trey Hardee. Bryan Clay. Dmitry Karpov. Erki Nool. Michael Smith. Christian Plaziat. Siggi Wentz. Christian Schenk. Guido Kratschmer. Natalya Dobrynska. Eunice Barber. Denise Lewis. Ghada Shouaa. Jackie Joyner Kersee. Anna Corridor. The careers of champions born, consolidated, and celebrated in a small, unassuming city within the westernmost nook of Austria.
A pageant of mixed occasions
Götzis is a golden thread working by means of the trendy historical past of mixed occasions, weaving dominant all-time greats along with memorable particular person performances and personalities.
There are too few phrases at our disposal right here to seize the complete historical past of Götzis, however fortunately there will probably be particular merchandise accessible onsite to commemorate the anniversary, together with t-shirts itemizing all winners from the final 50 editions. The Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) can have a presence on the assembly for the primary time, following the award of a heritage plaque to the occasion in 2019. The very first winners in 1975 – Petr Kratky, who received the inaugural decathlon title for Czechoslovakia, and Burglinde Pollak, who received the pentathlon title for DDR – have been invited to the weekend, too.
The celebrations will prolong past the observe and area. The normal Friday evening presentation (with accompanying beer backyard) of the highest ten rivals is shifting to a brand new, open-air location, and also will embody the superstars from years passed by.
The city will probably be remodeled right into a mixed occasions pageant – graffiti artworks selling the fiftieth anniversary, benches printed with the Hypomeeting historical past, and massive screens within the city centre for customers and café-goers to benefit from the motion.
Inside the stadium, we are able to count on the same old convivial ambiance. The en masse declaration of “Ole!” in response to the curlicue of trumpet fanfare which publicizes each one of many ten decathlon, and 7 heptathlon, disciplines over two days. The grassy vantage factors, from which the motion will be adopted over the sting of a frosted stein of Mittel-European beer, whereas nibbling on a slab of lunchtime schnitzel.
There will probably be excessive soar and lengthy soar options on the route from the doorway to the grandstand, demonstrating the stadium and world data, and serving to new guests perceive the vary of feats the multi-talented athletes in attendance can obtain. Occasion presentation is the place Götzis actually shines.
Telling the story
Whereas Götzis and different main occasions gear up for the beginning of the principle athletics season, Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Observe has been preserving us entertained. The sequence promised to be one thing contemporary in comparison with present mainstream athletics codecs, designed to reward athletes handsomely for his or her craft and leveraging the simplicity of observe athletics into a gorgeous leisure product. Nevertheless, amongst all of the hoopla, one thing acquainted caught the attention of the attendant commentators and analysts.
Because the athletes labored their manner by means of the a number of occasions of their cluster, the notion of amassing factors emerged as an attractive storyline. Whether or not Gabby Thomas’ domination of the 200m could be sufficient to assist her win over the 400m experience of Marileidy Paulino. Whether or not Ejgayehu Taye’s 5000m PB could be sufficient earlier than the ultimate occasion to permit her to hold on to the lead gained in an earlier occasion. Whether or not the valuable factors Kenny Bednarek picked up within the 100m could be important for him in opposition to Indirect Seville within the 200m.
Swap these particular person specialist names out and change them with mixed occasions athletes. The ensuing narrative could possibly be lifted from any mixed occasions competitors – at nationwide, circuit, continental, or world degree.
Inside minutes, Grand Slam Observe had found that mixed occasions are partaking. That pitting athletes with completely different specialities in opposition to one another in a number of occasions over a number of days results in fascinating competitions. That factors and arithmetic aren’t too obscure and, when introduced with clear graphics, can encourage spirited debate about doubtless eventualities, and outcomes.
Within the mixed occasions, we have now nice sprinters like Damian Warner and Simon Ehammer. We now have fabulous jumpers, like Sander Skotheim and younger Jana Koščak. We now have very good throwers, like Lindon Victor and Eire’s new famous person, Kate O’Connor. And we have now two-day competitions the place the sprinters, jumpers and throwers can face one another in numerous occasions, and the place followers can comply with the progress of their favorite “racer”, “challenger” or equal to the rising nationwide treasure that’s Vernon Norwood.
We now have a faithful military of statisticians and analysts who can mannequin eventualities primarily based on season’s bests, PB sequence, “perfect” competitions, and any mixture you can ever want for. We now have gifted narrators who perceive the dynamics of mixed occasions, together with how they differ from particular person occasions, and might information the viewer by means of the competitors.
World Athletics may also have a presence in Götzis this month, searching for inspiration on the best way to make mixed occasions extra engaging for followers as a part of their agenda on innovation. A great first step could be to introduce some rudimentary storytelling measures which, because of Grand Slam Observe, there’s now no excuse to miss. However we’re by no means quite a lot of steps away from a hasty WA council choice to unravel an issue that has not but been outlined.
So, as we wallow in some good old style nostalgia, we have to be aware that tomorrow’s nostalgia depends on the recollections we construct in the present day.
We all know that our competitors shouldn’t be too lengthy, too boring, or too obscure, and we want solely essentially the most primary of measures – some scene-setting, some graphics and a few educated narrators – to indicate that every one that glitters in Götzis on its fiftieth anniversary, is certainly gold.
Götzis roll of honour
Decathlon
12 months Title Nationality Pts
2024 Damian Warner CAN 8678
2023 Pierce LePage CAN 8700
2022 Damian Warner CAN 8797
2021 Damian Warner CAN 8995
2019 Damian Warner CAN 8711
2018 Damian Warner CAN 8795
2017 Damian Warner CAN 8591
2016 Damian Warner CAN 8523
2015 Kai Kazmirek GER 8462
2014 Trey Hardee USA 8518
2013 Damian Warner CAN 8307
2012 Hans Van Alphen BEL 8519
2011 Trey Hardee USA 8689
2010 Bryan Clay USA 8483
2009 Michael Schrader GER 8522
2008 Dmitriy Karpov KAZ 8504
2007 Andrei Krauchanka BLR 8617
2006 Bryan Clay USA 8677
2005 Roman Sebrle CZE 8534
2004 Roman Sebrle CZE 8842
2003 Roman Sebrle CZE 8807
2002 Roman Sebrle CZE 8800
2001 Roman Sebrle CZE 9026
2000 Tomas Dvorak CZE 8900
1999 Tomas Dvorak CZE 8738
1998 Erki Nool EST 8672
1997 Eduard Hämälainen FIN 8617
1996 Michael Smith CAN 8626
1995 Erki Nool EST 8575
1994 Eduard Hämälainen BLR 8735
1993 Eduard Hämälainen BLR 8604
1992 Robert Zmelik TCH 8627
1991 Michael Smith CAN 8427
1990 Christian Schenk DDR 8481
1989 Christian Plaziat FRA 8485
1988 Uwe Freimuth DDR 8381
1987 Siegfried Wentz BRD 8645
1986 Guido Kratschmer BRD 8519
1985 Uwe Freimuth DDR 8473
1984 Grigoriy Degtyaryov URS 8579
1983 Grigoriy Degtyaryov URS 8454
1982 Daley Thompson GBR 8704
1981 Sepp Zeilbauer AUT 8191
1980 Daley Thompson GBR 8622
1979 Thierry Dubois FRA 8161
1978 Guido Kratschmer BRD 8410
1977 Sepp Zeilbauer AUT 8063
1976 Guido Kratschmer BRD 8381
1975 Petr Kratky TCH 7591
Heptathlon
12 months Title Nationality Pts
2024 Anouk Vetter NED 6642
2023 Anna Corridor USA 6988
2022 Anouk Vetter NED 6693
2021 Xénia Krizsán HUN 6651
2019 Katarina Johnson-Thompson GBR 6813
2018 Nafissatou Thiam BEL 6806
2017 Nafissatou Thia BEL 7013
2016 Brianne Theisen Eaton CAN 6765
2015 Brianne Theisen Eaton CAN 6808
2014 Katarina Johnson-Thompsona GBR 6682
2013 Brianne Theisen CAN 6376
2012 Jessica Ennis GBR 6906
2011 Jessica Ennis GBR 6790
2010 Jessica Ennis GBR 6689
2009 Nataliya Dobrynska UKR 6558
2008 Tatyana Chernova RUS 6618
2007 Carolina Klüft SWE 6681
2006 Carolina Klüft SWE 6719
2005 Carolina Klüft SWE 6824
2004 Carolina Klüft SWE 6820
2003 Carolina Klüft SWE 6602
2002 Shelia Burell USA 6363
2001 Eunice Barber FRA 6736
2000 Eunice Barber FRA 6842
1999 DeDee Nathan USA 6577
1998 Irina Belova RUS 6466
1997 Denise Lewis GBR 6736
1996 Ghada Shouaa SYR 6942
1995 Ghada Shouaa SYR 6715
1994 Sabine Braun GER 6665
1993 Svetla Dimitrova BUL 6594
1992 Sabine Braun GER 6985
1991 Sabine Braun GER 6584
1990 Sabine Braun GER 6604
1989 Anke Behmer DDR 6686
1988 Anke Behmer DDR 6805
1987 Anke Behmer DDR 6692
1986 Jackie Joyner-Kersee USA 6841
1985 Jane Frederick USA 6666
1984 Nadeshda Vinogradova URS 6319
1983 Natalya Shubenkova URS 6526
1982 Jane Frederick USA 6423
1981 Jane Frederick USA 6308
1980* Yekaterina Smirnova URS 4677
1979* Jane Frederick USA 4708
1978* Jane Frederick USA 4651
1977* Diane Konihowski CAN 4639
1976* Diane Jones CAN 4641
1975* Burglinde Pollak DDR 4542
* 1975 – 1980: Pentathlon, from 1981: Heptathlon
