New Australian decathlon star announces himself as a Tokyo contender
Australia’s next generation of athletics stars are stepping out of the shadows with decathlete Ash Moloney joining young stars like Rohan Browning and Hana Basic in staking their Olympic credentials at the national championships in Sydney.
Moloney won his first national title with a record score and a performance that not only books him a place on the team for Tokyo, along with his former mentor turned friendly rival Cedric Dubler who also qualified, but puts him in serious contention for a medal.
Decathlete Ashley Moloney is another rising star in Australian athletics.Credit:Getty Images
With 8492 points Moloney’s score not only assured his place for the Olympics but it was the second highest score seen around the world in the last 12 months.
With pole vaulter Nina Kennedy breaking the national record this month and Stewart McSweyn in the top clutch of 1500-metre runners around the world in the last year, Australia have unearthed an exciting new generation of athletes of serious world standing.
“I’ve got an Olympic qualifier, I’m going to the Olympics now. It’s pretty awesome to know you’re going to the Olympics,” Moloney said.
“In Tokyo I’m just going to go for a PB. That could be 8500, it could be 8600, it could be two points better than what I did at states.”
Dubler, who scored 8175 points, said if either of them can hit up around the 8500 points mark in Tokyo they will be in medal contention.
Moloney has been called the next big thing of track and field for some time after winning the world under-20 championships.
Dubler, a training partner to Moloney and formerly his mentor until Moloney started beating him, put Moloney’s performances into context.
“For reference for everyone, Ash has the third quickest time in history in a decathlon 400m. So he’s one of the best of all time,” said Dubler.
“He’s been eyeing off the decathlon 400m world record for a few years now. The first time he said that I thought it was very ambitious but with the progression we’ve seen over the last few years it’s definitely realistic now.”
Former world record holder Ashton Eaton holds the decathlon 400m record.
Despite the 400m being his best event, he began as a high jumper not a runner, and he maintains the love-hate relationship with the gruelling one lap sprint.
“I came in as a high jumper with a bit of pole vault experience and also long and triple experience. My coach almost bribed my mum into putting me in the decathlon in Townsville in late 2015,” he said.
“It was a weird thing because I was petrified of the 400 and the 1500, absolutely petrified and I still am.But you come out of the decathlon and you actually enjoy the feeling of finishing it. It’s an achievement every time.
“It’s a love-hate relationship [with decathlon] but when you get a PB you love it. But when you don’t get a Pb or you pushed a little too hard too early it can suck.”
To get the PB at Tokyo and hopefully push into the medals, Moloney says he needs to exploit his strength in the 400 rather than lift his weaker events.
“My best event is the 400 because I put a lot of space between me and other decathletes.”
Dubler said Moloney was clearly an elite raw talent from the moment he arrived in the training group as a 15-year-old.
“He just had incredible talent from the start but just needed a little guidance. My job at the start was getting him a little more focused and making sure he has that support at training he needs to get him through those sessions. Every since then he’s started dragging me through so it’s been really good.”
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