Sky's the limit for Eaton

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

EUGENE, Oregon:At 25 years old, American decathlon star Ashton Eaton has already accomplished everything there is to achieve in the sport - yet he remains driven, eager - like the rest of the track and field world, to see just where his limits lie.

His current personal bests in the two-day, 10-event discipline continue to amaze sport fans across the globe, but the Oregon Track Club athlete is pushing himself to new heights, living by his mantra: 'Good is good, but not good enough.'

"I still really like what I do and I don't think that I have hit a peak yet and I think a lot of the reason why I do track and field is that I am still very curious about my own abilities and the fact that I love competition," said Eaton, before the selected group of international journalists, gathered before him as part of the IAAF's Day in the Life project.

"So the motivation is definitely me wanting to know my own limits and wanting to reach there - if I ever do," Eaton added.

Eaton, speaking in the living room of the Eugene, Oregon home that he shares with fiancée, training partner and fellow combined-event athlete Brianne Theisen, seemed quite relaxed as he beamed about his upcoming wedding, last year's outstanding performances and the upcoming IAAF World Champion-ships set for August 10-18 in Moscow.

And why shouldn't he be in such a great mood? He is, after all, king of the hill these days.

The five-time NCAA champion boasts one of the best CVs in any sport. The world record holder and only the second man to score over 9000 points (9,039) in the 10-event discipline, capped a great 2012 by also claiming gold at the London Games. Add to that his IAAF World Indoor Championships triumph and his 6,645-points heptathlon world record.

struggling to be recruited

He even gets to marry Theisen, his college sweetheart and girlfriend for over six years, training partner, fellow combined-events athlete and Olympian.

It's a far cry from where he was not too long ago when he was posting 6,977 points in the decathlon, struggling to be recruited in college before the University of Oregon gave him a chance in an event he was just beginning to learn and, of course, having to settle for the silver medal at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

"I won't make that mistake again," is what he told his coach Harry Marra back then - he did not disappoint, sweeping all before him in 2012. Now with a new season before him, he is taking it one step at a time, positioning himself for revenge in Moscow.

"I am very happy with where I am in training. Normally this time, I would have done indoor, so I would have some better ideas of where I was even if I would have been a little more tired, but I didn't have that but with the few competition that I did, I was very happy and surprised with where I was," Eaton shared.

That's not the only thing that has him smiling though.

"I am also very happy with where we are with the wedding planning; Brianne is so organised," broad smile stapled across his face as he spoke about their 200-guests nuptials, set for July 13, just outside their home city. "She has done such a good job, she is heading the whole thing and I am kinda just there and every person we spoke to always say we are way ahead of schedule."

No surprises since the plans started shortly after his proposal over a year ago.

The former martial arts, American football and baseball player is, however, not getting ahead of himself; underlining that he will not be entering this season, or the World Championships with any particular target, other than to go out there and give his best.

"My ambition is to always do the best I can do. I never put a points total on it, I don't even mess around with that stuff; I just want to do my best," he said.