Damian Warner and Hanna Melnychecnko emerged as the winners of the 37th Decastar meeting in the French town of Talence, and for the latter there was double joy as she also took first place in the 2013 IAAF Combined Events Challenge on Sunday (15). Warner won the Decathlon with 8161 points, just coming out on top against South Africa’s first day leader Willem Coertzen, who was second with 8118 points after a tight battle in all five events on the second day. Meanwhile, the crowd in the stadium had grown to 10,000 people and with the Pole Vault pit in front of the main stand and the crowd sitting on the track a special atmosphere was created, primarily because of the presence of Renaud Lavillenie. World and Olympic champion Ashton Eaton, who was in the stadium supporting his wife said: “I have never experienced such a great atmosphere at a Decathlon or Heptathlon competition. Lavillenie came into the competition at 5.27m and there were two other men still vaulting and all three cleared. France’s London 2012 Olympic Games champion went over at his first attempt but it was clear that the seven events he had done earlier had taken its toll. After clearing 5.47m, he could not get over 5.67m. more
