So if the winner of the Olympic decathlon is the world’s greatest athlete, what do you call victors in the double decathlon? The world’s greatest superstars? Whatever you call them (including crazy beyond belief), you got to give double-decars credit for courage for hanging in there this past weekend at Lynchburg University, where they held the World Championships for Ultra Multi Events. See results here. M60 Brant Tolsma, the legendary double-decist and coach at Liberty, scored 12,793 points over two days. That’s a WR for his age group by 3,000 points. “Tolsma broke 13 different age group (60-64) world records during the competition,” we learn.

Brant appears to be third from left, next to M55 winner Rob Duncanson of Southern California (in the middle).

Here’s the report on Friday and Saturday’s events:

Three athletes with Liberty ties—Joe Detmer, Marie Williams and Brant Tolsma—played starring roles in the 2010 World Championships for Ultra Multi Events, hosted by Liberty Friday and Saturday at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex.

Despite high temperatures which approached 90 degrees both days, Detmer set the overall double decathlon world record, Williams became the third American to win the double heptathlon world title in meet history and Tolsma broke 13 different age group (60-64) world records during the competition.

The meet was the 21st edition of the World Championships for Ultra Multi Events and the second time it has been held on Liberty’s campus. The Flames previously hosted the 2005 World Championships.

Detmer, married to Liberty heptathlon record holder Danielle (McNaney) Detmer, put on quite a show on his wife’s former home track. The decathlon All-American during his collegiate career at Wisconsin tallied 14,571 points in his 20 events, shattering Kip Janvrin’s world double decathlon record by 386 points. Janvrin, a 2000 U.S. Olympian in the decathlon, had set the mark of 14,185 at the 2002 World Championships in Finland.

Detmer opened the competition with a bang Friday morning, clocking 10.93 seconds for the 100-meter dash and long jumping 23-11.5. Both marks were the best ever posted in a double decathlon. Some of Detmer’s other exceptional performances included a 2:02.23 in the 800, a 6-6 high jump, a 50.43 in the 400, a 15-11 pole vault, a 53.83 in the 400 hurdles and a 4:26.66 in the 1,500.

Detmer also set a world record for the highest decathlon score ever posted as part of a double decathlon competition. He racked up an incredible 7,741 points in the 10 traditional decathlon disciplines on Friday and Saturday.

Not to be completely overshadowed by Detmer’s performance, Kyle Steiner scored 12,690 points to capture double decathlon runner-up honors. A former NCAA Division III runner-up in the decathlon for Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Steiner became one of the top 10 double decathletes in world history with his two-day effort.

Williams led from start to finish, on her way to winning the double heptathlon world title by more than 2,200 points. The 2009 Liberty graduate finished with 7,775 points in her first try at a double heptathlon. She joins Ashley Palmer (2005) and Natalia Gaerlan (2008) as the United States’ only world double heptathlon champions in event history.

Tolsma, in his 25th year as Liberty’s head track & field and cross country coach, added more than 3,000 points to the previous world double decathlon record for the 60-64 age group. His final score of 12,793 points was one of 13 world standards he set over the course of two days. Tolsma also scored a world-best 6,765 points in the 10 decathlon events and set 11 age-group event world records.

The 60-year-old Tolsma’s event world records included the 100 (14.03), long jump (15-10.5), 200 hurdles (32.77), 800 (2:45.36), high jump (4-11.75), 400 (69.83), 110 hurdles (19.49), discus (127-9), 200 (29.77), pole vault (10-7.5) and 400 hurdles (74.69), completed in that order.

Six different nations were represented in the 2010 World Championships for Ultra Multi Events, including Australia, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

2010 World Championships for Ultra Multi Events – Award Winners
Double Decathlon
World Champion: Joe Detmer (USA) – 14,571 points (World Record)
Runner-up: Kyle Steiner (USA) – 12,690 points
Third place: A.J. Roth (USA) – 10,797 points

Under-18 Champion: George Thomas (UK) – 5,376 points
Under-23 Champion: Danny James (USA) – 8,198 points
40-44 Champion: Esa Paukku (FIN) – 6,254 points
45-49 Champion: Jim Eckenrode (USA) – 12,194 points
50-54 Champion: Manfred Hiller (GER) – 10,601 points
55-59 Champion: Rob Duncanson (USA) – 11,672 points
60-64 Champion: Brant Tolsma (USA) – 12,793 points (Age Group World Record)
65-69 Champion: Rod Dominish (AUS) – 8,893 points
70-74 Champion: Bill Wuth (USA) – 8,908 points

Double Heptathlon
World Champion: Marie Williams (USA) – 7,775 points

Under-16 Champion: Yvonne Witkowski (GER) – 5,195 points
Under-20 Champion: Mateena Helander (FIN) – 5,554 points