Simon Ehammer won a closely contested heptathlon at the X-ATHLETICS meeting in Aubière, France, edging France’s Luc Brewin by a mere six points after two days of competition on Sunday (26).
The World Athletics Combined Events Tour Silver meeting marked the Swiss athlete’s first completed multi-event competition since winning heptathlon gold at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow last March.
But he was pushed every step of the way by Brewin who scored 6199 to Ehammer’s 6205. The much-improved French athlete who placed eighth in the decathlon at the Espoo 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships, added a massive 591 to his previous heptathlon personal best.
The 22-year-old logged personal bests in the 60m hurdles (7.88), pole vault (5.22m) and 1000m (2:46.08), making it six new personal bests across the seven events. The final 1000m event saw Ehammer having to keep Brewin within his sights and he placed seventh in 2:50.25, one place and 4.17 behind the Frenchman to sneak home for the victory.
It was a world lead for Ehammer at this very early stage of the indoor season.
Third place went to rising prospect Jente Hauttekeete. The Belgian, who won silver in the 2021 World U20 Championships and gold at the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships in the decathlon, totalled 6028 points, which included a pole vault personal best of 5.02m.
Gereveni impresses in one day pentathlon
Sveva Gereveni won the women’s pentathlon with 4498 points. The Italian, who placed fourth in last year’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, saved her best for last clocking 2:08:33 in the 800m. It was a personal best on the short track discipline and overall.
In a packed day, she clocked 8.30 for the 60m hurdles, cleared 1.70m in the high jump, threw 12.63m in the shot put and leapt 6.13m in the long jump. Second place went to France’s Célia Perron’s with 4455, who also logged a personal best for the short track 800m with 2:09.81.
Third place went to Sweden’s Lovisa Karlsson who added 121 points to her three year old pentathlon best with 4365 points. It included personal bests in the 60m hurdles (8.12) and 800m (2:20.78).
Home victor in women's heptathlon
The women’s indoor heptathlon was won by overnight leader Noémie Desailly of France won with 5771 points, including the pole vault, a rarely contested discipline for female multi-eventers. Desailly cleared 3.62m for a personal best.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics