An exhausted Trey Hardee soaks in decathlon win at world championships

Hardee has last laugh in decathlon win at worlds

BERLIN — Trey Hardee made it through his victory lap — barefoot, no less — then signed autographs and blew kisses to the crowd of nearly 60,000 that stuck around Olympic Stadium to watch the late finish of the decathlon.

Exhausted, Hardee finally laid down on the landing mat under the pole vault, soaking up the warm Berlin night as the world champion in the toughest event at the world championships.

“It’s an emotional, mental and physical battle,” Hardee said after 10 events in two days.

Hardee posted personal bests in three of the events and collected 8,790 points for the gold medal, his highest total to date and the best in the world this year.

“That was a goal of mine this week — to smile, and just to have fun,” said Hardee, a native of Birmingham, Ala., who resides in Austin, Texas. “You got to look at the big picture, and overall it’s a decathlon personal record.

“I didn’t have fun last year and tried to make it to the point I have fun this year. I’m incredibly happy. Nobody can be more happy than I am now.”

Hardee did not finish last year’s Olympic decathlon. But this year he was runner-up in the decathlon in Austria.

“This isn’t as sweet without last year,” he said. “And that was unbelievable motivation, to come back.”

Hardee raised his personal best by 256 points and became the No. 3 all-time American in the decathlon behind only Dan O’Brien and Bryan Clay. Clay, the Olympic champion, did not compete here because of injury.

“Tonight, I will sleep,” Hardee said. “Party time will come when I’m back in Austin, Texas.”

Leonel Suarez of Cuba, the Olympic bronze medalist, took the silver with 8,640 points after a fast time in the 1,500-meter race, the final event. He moved past Aleksandr Pogorelov of Russia, who had to settle for the bronze with 8,528 points, a personal best.

“I am very young, so I can try to win the world title in two years,” the 21-year-old Suarez said. “After my bronze last year in the Olympics I now improved to silver.”

On a sweltering day, the 25-year-old American secured the victory with a huge performance in the javelin, when he improved his personal best in each of the three throws, and a strong pole vault.

His previous personal record was 210 feet, 4 inches.

Already leading after seven events, Hardee first threw 213-11. He followed with a 219-4 and then improved even more in the third and final effort by throwing 223-1.

By the end of the penultimate event in the two-day competition, Hardee had a comfortable lead and could afford to run the 1,500 about six seconds outside his personal best and still win the event.

“I recorded a personal best after the first day and based on those results, we were confident the second would be better,” Hardee said.

Hardee, who led after three events, returned to the lead after seven by running the fastest time in the 110-meter hurdles — 13.86 seconds, his fastest of the year. He never dropped from the lead position again.

The American then followed with a throw of 157-7 in the discus, another best of the year.

Hardee cleared 17-¾ in the pole vault, the best of the day. He had no misses at all five heights until 17-4¾. He botched his run-up in the first attempt and could not lift off, running through onto the mat.

He brought the bar down in his second, then consulted with his coach again. In his third effort, Hardee didn’t have enough height and went under the bar.

Then came the javelin, which allowed the American to stay in the lead ahead of the 1,500.

Suarez had the best javelin effort of the day at 246-8, which put him within reach of the silver.