College: University of Oregon
Events: Decathlon – 9,039 points (WR), Indoor Heptathlon – 6,645 points (WR)
Coach: Harry Marra
A native of Bend, Oregon, Ashton Eaton is the world record holder in the decathlon, indoor heptathlon and the 2010 Bowerman Award winner, which is track and field’s top honor for a collegiate athlete. He joined OTC Elite in the summer of 2010, following an unprecedented collegiate career at the University of Oregon. Ashton returned home to Oregon after winning gold in London with the highest score by an American in an Olympic decathlon.
Professional: 2012 In preparation for the Olympic year, Ashton focused on improving his long jump during the indoor season. February of 2012, at the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, Eaton won the individual long jump competition with a 26-5.5 (8.06m) leap. Following this performance, Eaton was named the USATF athlete of the week. His consistency in the long jump continued through the season where he jumped at least 26-4 (8.03m) in every meet. In March at the IAAF World Indoor Championships held in Instanbul, Turkey, Eaton improved his personal best, also being the world's best, in the heptathlon to 6,645 points (WR). This was his first of two world records in 2012, something never before done in the same year by any decathlete. Ashton improved his personal bests in each of the decathlon events through the outdoor season until the Olympic games with PR's in 9 out of the 10 events. Fans at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon were electrified by Ashton's performance. In the first two events, 100m and Long Jump, Eaton set two decathlon world records (10.21 seconds for 1044 points, and 27-0 (8.23m) for 1120 points, respectively). Ashton went on to have the highest or fastest mark in all but two of the decathlon events. With Ashton's 4:14.48 in the 1500m, he set a new decathlon world record with 9,039 points. Following the Trials, Ashton was awarded his second USATF Athlete of the Week. Ashton's ascent to one of the greatest athlete's in the world was topped this year with a gold medal in London. In the 2012 Olympic Games, Eaton took the lead during the first event and never gave it up. Ashton finished with a score of 8,869 points. In 2012, he had the first and second best scores in the decathlon. His Olympic gold medal score was the highest any American has ever acheived at the Games.
2011 Eaton competed in three indoor meets in the winter of 2011. On February 5 and 6 in Tallin, Estonia, Eaton broke his own world record in the indoor heptathlon, tallying 6,568 points with personal-best marks in the 60-meter dash, the 60 hurdles, and the shot put. … At the first-ever Millrose Multi-Challenge on January 29, Eaton defeated 2008 Olympic Champion Bryan Clay and 2009 World Champion Trey Hardee in a combined three-event competition of the shot put, 60-meter hurdles and high jump. A week prior to Millrose, Eaton tuned up at the Princeton Relays, with solid marks in the shot put, the 60m hurdles and the 800 meters. … In the 2011 outdoor season, Eaton kicked off the year at the Cal Poly Invitational with personal bests in the javelin (57.23 / 187-9) and the shot put (14.74m / 48-4 ¼). At the Prefontaine Classic, he lowered his 110 hurdles best to a time of 13.35 seconds. At USA Outdoor Championships, Eaton’s consistency over the course of all 10 events led him to a dominating win, a lifetime best, and a world-leading mark of 8,729 points. His success qualified him for the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Daegu, South Korea, where he brought home a silver medal behind fellow countryman Trey Hardee, with a score of 8,505.
College: In December of 2010, Eaton’s collegiate success was fully-acknowledged when he received the annual Bowerman Award. … While at Oregon, Eaton broke the world record in the indoor heptathlon and won his second-consecutive NCAA title at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March of 2010. He set five personal best marks – 60m (6.71), 60mH (7.86), high jump (2.11m/6-11), long jump (7.73m/25-4.5) and 1,000m (2:32.67) – over the two-day competition, which totaled 6,499 points and broke Dan O’Brien’s previous world record of 6,476. Later that spring, Eaton finished off his extraordinary Oregon career by becoming the first athlete ever to win three straight NCAA titles in the decathlon – a feat he accomplished at his home stadium: Hayward Field. Eaton’s 8,457 points that day gave him the second-best mark in the world in 2010, and set NCAA meet, Pac-10 conference and Oregon school records. … As a junior in 2009, after wining his second NCAA decathlon title, Eaton was the decathlon runner-up at the USA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, which earned him a ticket to the IAAF World Championships in Berlin – where he finished 18th. … In 2008, Eaton won decathlon titles at both the Pac-10 Championships and the NCAA Championships. He also finished as the top collegian at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, with a then personal-bet mark of 8,122, which was good for fifth place. In addition to his multi-event success, Eaton also scored valuable points for Oregon in the sprints, hurdles, relays and long jump. As a senior, he won Pac-10 titles in the 110 hurdles (13.54) and the long jump (7.81m/25-7.5) and placed second in the 100 meters (10.33). … In addition to his Bowerman award, Eaton also received the Jim Thorpe Award from the US Sports Academy in December of 2010.
High School: Eaton was a prep star in football, wrestling and track and field at Mountain View High in Bend, Oregon. During his senior year, he won Oregon 4A State titles in the 400 meters (48.69), the long jump (24-0 1/4w) and was runner-up in the 200 meters (22.10).
Personal: Born January 21, 1988, Ashton Eaton graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Oregon in December of 2010. He counts mother Roslyn, who raised him as a single mom, as his biggest fan.
PERSONAL BESTS – Outdoor
Decathlon – 9,039 (WR) – US Olympic Trials, Eugene, OR – June 22-23, 2012
100 Meters – 10.21 (Decathon WR) – US Olympic Trials, Eugene, OR – June 22, 2012
200 Meters – 20.76 – Mt Sac Relays, Walnut, CA – April 19, 2013
400 Meters – 45.64 – Sam Adams Invitational, Santa Barbara, CA - April 5, 2013
1500 Meters – 4:14.48 – US Olympic Trials, Eugene, OR – June 23, 2012
110 Meter Hurdles – 13.35 – Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, Ore. – June 4, 2011
High Jump – 2.11m – Harry Jerome Classic, Vancouver, BC, CAN – June 10, 2012
Pole Vault – 5.30m – US Olympic Trials, Eugene, OR – June 23, 2012
Long Jump – 8.23m (Decathlon WR) – US Olympic Trials, Eugene, OR – June 22, 2012
Shot Put – 48-5.75/14.78m – Jim Thorpe Cup, Marburg, GER - July 21, 2012
Discus – 155-4/47.36m – Jim Thorpe Cup, Chula Vista, CA – August 13, 2011
Javelin – 203-3/61.96m – Olympic Games, London, GBR - August 9, 2012
PERSONAL BESTS – Indoor
Heptathlon – 6,645 (WR) – Istanbul, Turkey – March 10, 2012
60 Meters – 6.66 – Tallinn, Estonia – February 5, 2011
400 Meters – 47.80 – The Armory, New York, NY – June 2, 2009
800 Meters – 1:55.90 – Princeton Relays, Princeton, NJ – January 22, 2011
1000 Meters – 2:32.67 – NCAA Indoor Championships, Fayetteville, AR – March 12, 2010
60 Meter Hurdles – 7.60 – Tallinn, Estonia – February 6, 2011
High Jump – 6-11/2.11m – NCAA Indoor Championships, Fayetteville, AR – March 12, 2010
Pole Vault – 17-3/5.26m – MPSF Championships, Seattle, WA – February 26, 2010
Long Jump – 26-9.25/8.16m – IAAF Indoor World Championships, Istanbul, TUR – March 9, 2012
Shot Put – 47-9/14.5m – IAAF Indoor World Championships, Istanbul, TUR – March 9, 2012