Anna Hall’s performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo wasn’t just a stunning display of all around athleticism, it was historic, because her 6,888-point performance made her the first American woman to capture a gold medal in the heptathlon since the legendary Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1993. The title marks Hall’s first major title after a few years of close calls and ill-timed struggles with injuries.
“It means so much,” Hall told NBC Sports reporter Lewis Johnson. Ever since I came on the circuit and won my first medal, that’s been something I’ve been trying to do. Jackie and I have talked about it, and we were like, ‘The USA does make great heptathletes.’ It means the world to be able to bring the title back home where it belongs.”She continued, noting her disappointment that injuries during the Paris Olympics kept her from performing at her best.
“The last two years, I really struggled with injuries, as I think everybody saw in Paris,” Hall explained. “That entire time, I just put my head down and I worked. And we were working on my upper body, we were working on technical things. My body wasn’t ready to have that show yet, but I’m so glad that I feel like that work is all paying off now. I came back this year, and I felt like I really lost my love, almost, for the sport. I was just sad all the time. I was doing all my workouts, but I didn’t want to be there. It took a while for my spark to come back.”
It picked the perfect time to come back, after her earlier performance in Gotzis, Hall joined her mentor on a list of American performances in the event that only includes Joyner-Kersee and herself. Except for Hall’s second-place finish all-time, Joyner-Kersee holds six of the top finishes all-time, including, of course, the all-time record, a ridiculous 7,291 points.
Also of historical importance, for the first time ever at the World Athletics Championships, a heptathlon medal was shared between Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Hall’s fellow countrywoman Taliyah Brooks, as they tied with a score of 6,581pts. That score is Brooks’ personal best mark over her career. This means that another of Joyner-Kersee’s accomplishments in track and field was matched, this one from 1987 when she and Jane Frederick both medaled. Joyner-Kersee took home the gold, while Frederick earned bronze.
Ties are practically unheard of in the heptathlon due in part to the intricate nature of awarding points, which are based on both times and distances. There has never been a tie in the event, dating back to its introduction to the roster of Olympic events in 1984.
Source: Black Enterprise
