Age-graded 9000-point decathlon in San Sebastian?
It’s possible. This coming Tuesday and Wednesday at the World Masters Athletic Championships in Spain, an American decathlete could put his event’s M40 world record into outer space. Kip Janvrin, who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and vied for a national open title this past June in Carson, turned 40 on July 8.
Kip’s best decathlon total in 2005? It was 7671 points at the Drake Relays in late April. The American M40 record (which includes age-graded marks)? It’s 7326 by Californian Stan Vegar, age 42, in September 1997.
But Janvrin’s bigger goal is a taking down the world age-group record of 8277 set by New Zealand’s Simon Poelman in June 2004.
These were Simon’s marks at a deca meet in Niedersachsen, Germany: 11.63 in 100 6.73 in long jump, 15.20 in shot put, 1.92 in high jump and 53.58 in the 400 on Day 1. On Day 2: 15.24 in the 110 hurdles, 40.31 in the discus, 4.50 in the pole vault, 55.52 in the javelin and 4.54.42 in the 1500.
A couple weeks before turning 40, Janvrin recorded these marks at the USATF nationals in Carson (where he was ninth overall): 11.58, 6.34, 13.63, 1.82 (5-11 1/2), 49.29, and on Day 2: 15.50, 42.58, 4.70, 58.86 and 4:21.45. He scored 7444 points on the open tables.
I don’t have the new Age Graded Tables in front of me, but an age-graded M40 deca in the high 8000s is possible. The best age-graded deca in masters history is 8390 by M55 Rolf Geese of Germany at the Gateshead world WAVA meet in 1999.
(In masters competition, everyone runs the masters equivalents of their events, such as the 100-meter hurdles for M50. Then the marks are age-graded to an equivalent “open” mark and assigned points using the standard IAAF scoring tables. So Kip will run the 39-inch high hurdles in Spain and not the 42-inch hurdles he faced in Carson.)
Kip — who in 2002 set a world record in the insanely tough double decathlon — is legendary for his string of Drake Relays decathlon titles. Is he now embarking on a string of world masters championships?
Stay tuned.
One Response
CONGRATULATIONS TO KIP JANVRIN FOR A NEW MASTER’S WORLD RECORD IN THE 40-45 YEAR OLD DIVISION! 8,623!! NICE!!
Also… Great job on running a 4:25 – 1,500 meters with NO COMPETITION!! Instead of cruising it in for the easy win and easy record, you RAN IT!! I can appreciate a GOOD 1,500 with an open PR of 3:58 and a decathlon PR of 4:01!! Way to bring it home!!
The marks you’ve been able to maintain over the years are UNBELIEVABLE!! I wish I could’ve lasted that long. I’ve got to stick with running only nowadays.
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