New IAAF Combined Events Challenge Champions Could be Crowned at Decastar

By Adam Kopet

The final IAAF Combined Events Challenge meeting takes place this weekend in Talence, France. This year, according to the IAAF preview, the defending champions could struggle to retain their titles.

The winners of the challenge will receive $30,000 in prize money. Second place earns $20,000.

In the men's decathlon, Oleksiy Kasyanov of Ukraine is the defending champion, but not the favorite. That position goes to current Combined Events Challenge leader, Rico Freimuth of Germany.

However, the German's position is not secure. His countryman, Kai Kazmirek, captured the bronze medal at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships last month. He will need a personal best to overtake Freimuth.

Canada's Damian Warner should not be overlooked. He stands only 67 points down on Kazmirek. His fifth-place finish at the World Championships was marred by illness. According to Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press, Warner spent two days in quarantine due to the norovirus outbreak at the Canadian team's hotel.

Warner will need to score within three points of his personal best to win the challenge.

In the women's heptathlon, Nadine Broersen of the Netherlands is the defending Combined Events Challenge champion. However, Carolin Schäfer of Germany appears to have the challenge title secured.

The Decastar favorites are Yorgelis Rodriguez of Cuba and Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands. However, for either to overtake Schäfer, Rodriguez and Vetter would need to score well over 7,000 points.

Vetter finished third at the World Championships and Rodriguez was fourth.