Estonian Tilga breaks the Multistars meeting record in Desenzano

Karel Tilga won the men’s decathlon on Sunday (30) at the Garda Star by Multistars in Desenzano del Garda with 8482 points breaking the previous meeting record held by Andrei Krauchanka, who scored 8390 points in 2013 when the meeting was held in Florence. 

Tilga won two individual events during the second day in the discus throw with 45.46m and in the javelin throw with 64.05m following his first place in the high jump with 2.07m. He improved four PBs in the shot put (16.19m), in the 400m (48.71m), in the pole vault (4.75m) and in the 110 metres (14.85). Tilga needed to run 4:35.60 in the 1500 metres to break Krauchanka’s meeting record and achieved the goal by clocking 4:21.91.

Fredrick Samuelson from Sweden finished runner-up after a consistent second day in which he improved his PB to 4.95m in the pole vault despite tough windy conditions and placed second to Tilga in the javelin with 60.73m.

Devon Williams completed the podium in third place with 7956 points. The 2019 US champion placed second in the 110 metres hurdles in 14.11 and in the discus throw with 44.95m.

 “It was my first competition of the year, so I did not really know what to expect. The running events were generally good, especially in the 400m, 110m hurdles and 1500 metres. The pole vault was held in hard windy conditions”, said Tilga.

Brooks wins the women’s heptathlon

Talyah Brooks improved her PB to 6330 points to become the first US winner in the women’s heptathlon at Multistars since Anna Kunz in 2019. Brooks set an early-season world lead.

Brooks set her previous lifetime best mark of 6552 in Austin in 2021.

The US heptathlete started the second day on a high note by leaping to 6.63m and 6.65m in the first two attempts to win the long jump. Brooks improved two PBs to 39.00m in the javelin throw and 2:15.02 in the 800 metres.

“I am happy with my performance this weekend. Usually, I was not consistent on the second day. I performed better in the events where I worked harder. I will return to the USA for two weeks to get ready for Goetzis. I enjoy competing in Italy. I have always a great memory of my first 100m hurdles in Rovereto, where I received great support from the crowd”.

Last year’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jade O’Dowda started the second day with 6.33m in the long jump and 40.51 m in the javelin throw. The British athlete came close to her PB in the 800 metres with 2:12.07 to overtake US Chari Hawkins in the fight for the second spot.

Hawkins crossed the finish line last in 2:22.51 to end the two-day competition with 6036 points.

RESULTS

REPORT DAY 1 (SATURDAY, APRIL 29)

Estonia’s Karel Tilga leads the men’s decathlon after the first day of the 36th edition of the GardaStars by Multistars at the Tre Stelle athletics stadium in Desenzano del Garda. Tilga scored 4406 points and has a lead of 208 points over Germany’s Nils Laserich (4198). US Devon Williams ended the first day in third place with 4145 points.

Tilga enjoyed a solid first day in which he missed his lifetime best in the long jump by just three cm with 7.66m before setting a PB in the shot put with 16.19m. He went on to clear 2.07m at the first time of asking before coming close to equalling his PB at 2.10m. He ended day one with a fourth place in the 400m in 48.71.

Tilga won the NCAA indoor title in 2021 in the heptathlon with 6264 points, the NCAA outdoor title in Eugene in 2021 with 8261 points and the European under 20 bronze medal in Grosseto 2017. The Estonian athlete improved his PB by 400 points to 8484 points at the Specs Town Invitational in Athens in 2021 beating US Garrett Scantling by eight points. Tilga is a student at the University of Georgia.

Laserich was the surprise of the first day in which he improved his PB to 16.26m in the shot put and placed second in the 400 metres to Italy’s Andrea Cerrato in 48.44 and fourth in the long jump with 7.40.

Williams, who finished third at this year’s US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, improved his PB in the shot put with 14.52m. The 2019 US outdoor champion also placed second in the long jump with 7.52m and third in the 100m in 10.97.

Talyah Brooks leads overnight in the women’s heptathlon with 3734 points and has a small margin of her compatriot Chari Hawkins (3728). Last year’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jade O’Dowda ended the first day in third place with 3613.

Brooks, who won the NCAA indoor title in 2018, shared first place with her compatriot in the high jump with 1.77m and placed second in the 100m hurdles in 13.23 behind Hawkins (13.19). Brooks ended the first day with another second place in the 200 metres in 24.06 behind Dutch heptathlete Myke Van der Wiel, who clocked 23.84. 

Hawkins also placed third in the shot put with 13.35 and in the 200m in 24.43.

“The first day was OK for me, but some results were not very good. My goal is to win this competition and then train for the next competition in Goetzis I don’t care too much about the final score. I am focusing on heptathlon training but I will also compete in individual 100m hurdles races this summer”, said Brooks.

The Multistars returned on the shores of the Lake Garda after 11 years. This year’s combined events meeting was held on a brand new track, which was inaugurated during a special ceremony attended by Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs, who grew up in Desenzano del Garda and started his athletics career at the Tre Stelle Stadium under the guidance of Gianni Lombardi, who is the meeting director of the Multistars.

“The new track is a dream that comes true. It’s great to see many spectators for an athletics meeting, thanks to the Major of Desenzano, who fulfilled his promise. Sport is fundamental for every generation, especially for the new generation”, said Marcell Jacobs.