Top Athletes to Conclude 2024 Combined Events Season at Décastar in Talence
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The Décastar in Talence will wrap up the 2024 World Athletics Tour season for combined events enthusiasts this weekend (September 14-15), showcasing some of the world's best athletes at Pierre-Paul Bernard Stadium, starting with Estonian European Champion Johannes Erm.
The Décastar traditionally closes the annual chapter of combined events in the Thouars forest. Estonian decathlon European Champion Johannes Erm will compete, aiming to top the World Athletics global challenge for the event. He needs at least 8290 points to surpass American leader Heath Baldwin. Norwegian Sander Skotheim, second in Rome in June, and Dutchman Sven Roosen, fourth at the Paris Olympics, also have a shot at finishing the year as the world's top decathlete with a strong performance in Gironde.
American Devon Williams and another Estonian, Risto Lillemets, are considered weekend underdogs. Three Frenchmen are also expected in New-Aquitaine, each hoping to approach or surpass the elusive 8000 points mark: Téo Bastien (RC Arras), Luc Brewin (US Talence), and Antoine Ferranti (AC Pays d'Agde).
In the women’s competition, American Michelle Atherley, currently leading the global challenge, will compete along the Garonne. Her main contender for the final victory is Dutch athlete Emma Oosterwegel, a bronze medalist from the Tokyo Games and seventh in Paris this summer. She needs 6503 points to claim the title, a tough but achievable goal given her record of 6590 points and last year’s near miss at Talence with 6495 points.
Polish athlete Adrianna Sulek-Schubert, one of the few women to score over 5000 points in the indoor pentathlon, and Colombian Martha Araujo, seventh in the Paris Games, are expected to challenge for victory after the seven events. Austrian athletes Verena Mayr and Ivona Dadic, as well as German Vanessa Grimm, are also ones to watch closely. French hopeful Célia Perron (ECLA Albi) aims to match or better her 6138 points scored in May at Oyonnax, while her compatriot Ysée Le Philippe (Entente Sud Lyonnais) will be satisfied with any score close to 6000 points.
