Ashton Eaton en route to his 8729 national title in Eugene (© Getty Images)
The U.S. have struck Decathlon gold in three of the four previous editions of the World Championships and they are hotly tipped to reign supreme once more in Daegu.
Ashton Eaton, the world leader, posted a stunning new lifetime best of 8729pts to land the U.S. title in June and the prodigiously gifted 23-year-old will start a marginal favourite to triumph.
The 23-year-old first made his mark on the global stage by smashing the World indoor Heptathlon record at the NCAA Championships in 2010 and he bettered that mark this winter in Tallinn.
In Eugene at the nationals he at last put together the Decathlon many knew he was capable of but for all his undoubted talent he has not faced this intensity of competition.
Facing Eaton will be his compatriot the defending champion Trey Hardee. The 27-year-old is a fearsome competitor who triumphed in Gotzis – the premier Decathlon so far this year – with a score of 8689pts to show he is the mood to mount a successful defence. [Ed. Note: 22-Aug - Bryan Clay, the reigning Olympic champion, was forced to withdraw due to injury.]
Outside of the USA Leonel Suarez should be watched as an experienced accumulator of medals. The Cuban won Olympic bronze in Beijing and World silver in Berlin and finished runner-up in Gotzis (8440) before winning in Kladno with 8231 points.
The European assault is led by Mikk Pahapill of Estonia, who placed third in Gotzis with a personal best 8398pts. The 2009 European indoor Heptathlon champion is an inconsistent performer but if gets it right over the 10 events he can also be in the mix.
Aleksey Drozdov achieved a useful 8334 points haul when winning the Russian title and also has the pedigree to perform with distinction having finished fourth at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.
Elsewhere, Dutchman Eelco Sintnicolaas has maintained his excellent form from last year when he won a European silver to place fourth in Gotzis (8304) and can also threaten.
Larbi Bouraada of Algeria, who set an Africa record of 8302 to triumph in Ratingen, is another on upward trajectory and could make an impact.
Germany boasts a strong multi-events tradition and their complement is led by the 2008 World junior champion Jan-Felix Knobel. He placed fifth in Gotzis (8228) but disappointed at the European Under-23 Championships in Ostrava by failing to finish.
He will be backed up on the German team by Pascal Behrenbruch (8232), the sixth place finisher at the 2009 World Championships, and Rico Freimuth (8287) who was second in Ratingen.
Elsewhere, Romain Barras looks short of the form which saw him take European gold last summer. He trailed home a distant seventh in Kladno and he will need to dramatically improve upon his season’s best of 8117pts when winning the French title to force his way into the medal picture in Daegu.
The 36-year-old Roman Sebrle, who landed this world title in 2007, also looks a shadow of the athlete who set the World record with 9026pts some ten years ago. His season’s best of 8109pts to finish runner-up behind Barras at the French Championships looks well short of medal contention but the Czech athlete will hope to spring a surprise.
Other former World medallists who are struggling for their best form include; 2003 and 2007 bronze medallist Dmitriy Karpov of Kazakhstan (8089) and the 2007 silver medallist Maurice Smith of Jamaica (8078).
The 2009 World Championships fourth place finisher Oleksiy Kasyanov (8251) of Ukraine, Cuba’s Yordani Garcia (8397) and Latvian record holder Edgars Erins (8312) are also entered.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
