Theisen Eaton wins silver at world indoors
SOPOT, Poland (AP) — That's what the Eatons call a fun day out at the world indoor championships.
Brianne Theisen Eaton already has a pentathlon world silver medal to show off in front of her husband. Ashton Eaton, though, looks like he has heptathlon gold as good as wrapped up before Saturday's finale.
Don't count out another indoor world record — he already did that at the last opportunity two years ago. And he's now got his wife's attention.
"Get ready for him for his next day, bring him dinner, so he can just lie in bed and relax," she said.
Ahead of Saturday's 60 hurdles, pole vault and concluding 1,000 meters, Eaton is only one point shy of his world record pace of 3,654 points after four events.
Gold and silver is already what athletics' leading couple won at the world outdoor championships in Moscow last year just after their wedding.
Never, though, had they competed for gold in such close proximity as at the Ergo Arena on the Baltic Sea.
"It is all going on very close together," said Canada's Theisen Eaton, who faulted on her first two attempts in the long jump. Ahead of her last attempt, she said she sought eye contact with Ashton who was competing across the hall.
"That is the exact moment when I looked for kind of comfort because I felt scared, you know. It's great competing with him."
Eaton said: "I just told her to relax, and it's just like practice and no big deal."
She nailed her last chance, with 6.13 meters, and that set her up for a scorching 800 meters that yielded gold behind Nadine Broersen of the Netherlands. Alina Fodorova of Ukraine got bronze.
All along the closing 800, Eaton took time off the high jump and cheered her every time she passed him on the far side of the track.
"I knew that he would be right there," Theisen Eaton said. "It's almost, like, unfair, because no one else gets that."
As Ashton was competing on one side of the cavernous Ergo Arena, Brianne competed on the other side, with high-fiving and encouragement inbetween.
With Theisen Eaton's silver in the bag, Eaton will need to continue dominating the heptathlon's final day, right up to the closing middle distance race.
"If I have to go for a record in the 1,000, I'll do it," he said.
And for celebration, Theisen Eaton already has her plans. "Pirogi and cabbage rolls," all local fare.
The United States already had a first chance to celebrate gold Friday.
In the men's shot put, Ryan Whiting won his second straight world indoor title with a heave of 22.05 meters, edging David Storl of Germany by 26 centimeters.
It was not all smiles for the Americans, though.
Nick Symmonds, who took silver at the outdoor world championships last year, finished fifth in his 800 heat and failed to advance. In the women's 800, 2012 junior world champion Ajee Wilson also finished fourth in her heat and was eliminated.
In other events during the opening session of the three-day championship, former high jump champion Blanka Vlasic of Croatia scraped through as the last qualifier for Saturday's final.
Genzebe Dibaba showed off her running potential by cruising into Sunday's final of the 3,000.
"I don't think I'll have a hard time taking gold," said the Ethiopian, who has already set two world records and a world best this season.
___
Follow Raf Casert on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert
