By now, you probably know Ashton Eaton set a world record in the men’s decathlon on Saturday. Eaton’s 9039 points at the U.S. Track & Field team trials bested the previous world mark of 9026. It was a pretty great moment, with many of the best decathletes in US national team history on hand to witness the occasion. And it all ended with a nice gesture from a fellow competitor.
Curtis Beach Steps Aside As Ashton Eaton Sets World Record
This is how the 1,500 meter race, the final event of the decathlon, ended. If you want to skip ahead, fast forward to about the four-minute mark.
Duke’s Curtis Beach was leading the race, but decided to step aside, giving Eaton the stage. Finishing order doesn’t matter in the decathlon, so it wasn’t as though Eaton was handed free points. Instead, it’s about time, and Beach was already out of the running for a spot on the team anyway.
Beach was actually somewhat of a rabbit -- the speediest competitor in the 1500. He set the pace for the race and Eaton rose to the occasion, getting the time he needed to break the world record.
You can hear Beach talk about his decision to step aside at the end of the race here. Pretty neat display of sportsmanship.
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