Hall and LePage take Hypo Meeting in Gotzis honors

Anna Hall won the women’s heptathlon at the 48th edition of the Hypo Meeting in Goetzis with 6988 points becoming the fifth best performer in history behind Jackie Joyner Kersee (7291), Carolina Kluft (7032), Nafissatou Thiam (7013) and Larisa Nikitina (7007).

Hall missed the meeting record held by Thiam, who broke the Belgian record in 2017 with 7013 points.

The 22-year-old US star started the competition with a PB of 12.75 in the 100 metres hurdles and followed with a 1.92m clearance in the high jump, a mark of 13.90 in the shot shot and another PB of 22.88 in the 200 metres. She ended the first day with a score of 4172 points. Only Jackie Joyner Kersee scored more points in the first day in the history of heptathon.

Katarina Johnson Thompson clocked 13.88 in the 100m hurdles before clearing 1.89m in the high jump and setting a PB of 13.92 in the shot put. The British athlete ended the first day in second place after setting a seasonal best in the 200m with 23.26.

Hall picked up where she left off by leaping to a PB of 6.54 in the long jump. She followed with 43.08m in the long jump. She needed to run 2:02.22 to break the 7000 points barrier. She improved 2:02.97 setting the second fastest ever time in the history of the Hypo meeting over this distance.

Anna Hall: “I am really happy with where I am in training as I had no idea I could achieve this score. I am excited to get back to work, to clean things up and get ready for the World Championships in Budapest. The crowd was amazing as I could feel I was hitting the wall in the 800 metres. I am only 22 and have a long time to chase big scores I guess things are improving quicker than I thought. I am now focused on progressing. I will run the 400 metres hurdles in Florence next Friday and then I will return to the USA to get ready for the US National Championships and the World Championships”.

Hall had a setback in 2021 when she fell in the hurdles at the US Olympic Trials and broke a bone in her foot.

The 22-year-old US star won the world bronze medal in Eugene 2022 becoming the third best heptathlete in US athletics history with her PB of 6755 points. She set a PB of 54.48 in the 400 metres hurdles in the semifinal of the NCAA Championships in Eugene competing for the Florida Gators last year. She is the only woman to break 6700 points in the heptathlon and run under 55 seconds in the 400 metres hurdles.

This year Hall broke Brianne Theisen Eaton’s North American record with 5004 points in the…