Ashton Eaton, two-time Olympic decathlon champion and one of the greatest combined events athletes ever, recently described Anna Hall as “one of the best pound-for-pound athletes on Earth right now.”
Ashton Eaton, pointed out the extraordinary nature of her talents, saying, “Imagine the 2:00, 800m athletes you know throwing shot, javelin, or doing high jump at the same level. Obviously, she trains for this and that’s a huge factor. That context gives some directional insight into how remarkable her versatility really is.”
Hall at Hypo Meeting
Hall’s performance at the Hypo Meeting in Götzis this past Sunday perfectly illustrated Eaton’s praise. She won the heptathlon with a meeting record of 7032 points. That moved her to equal second on the world all-time list. That was a remarkable feat on the 50th anniversary of this prestigious competition.
Hall’s total score put her 456 points ahead of runner-up Sofie Dokter from the Netherlands, who set a personal best of 6576 points. Colombia’s Martha Araujo rounded out the podium in third with a South American record of 6475 points.
Hall took the lead early, jumping into first place after the second event and never relinquishing it. She set personal bests in four disciplines. The high jump (lifetime best of 1.95m), shot put (14.86m), javelin (46.16m), and the 800m (a world heptathlon best of 2:01.23). That was a showcase of an extraordinary mix of speed, power, and technique.
Her 800m finish was especially pivotal. Knowing she needed to run 2:03.33 to break 7000 points. She delivered a perfectly paced race, surpassing that target and sealing her place among the sport’s elite.
Hall’s dominance
Hall’s dominance extended across all events. She ended day one ( Saturday) with 4161 points, just 11 shy of her pace from the 2023 Hypo Meeting. That included a season-best 200m sprint of 23.37 seconds.
On day two, she produced a season’s best 6.44m long jump and consistently strong throws and jumps. The performance that solidified her commanding lead.
The competition was fierce, with other top athletes also shining. Erin Marsh and Michelle Atherley of the USA were fastest in the opening 100m hurdles heats, both clocking 12.93 seconds. Abigail Pawlett sprinted to a personal best 23.06 seconds in the 200m. European silver medalist Sofie Dokter stayed in close pursuit throughout. Colombia’s Araujo impressed with a South American record in third place.
Reflecting on her achievement, Hall said, “The last heptathlon I did before this broke my heart,” referring to her narrow fifth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “But this heptathlon healed it.”
She admitted she was nervous for the 800m, “I hadn’t run an 800m this year so I was a bit scared. I knew I was fit but wasn’t sure how I’d feel during the race. When I came through the first lap in 58 seconds, I thought, ‘oh no.’ But this is what you train for, and thankfully I was able to hold on.”
She also expressed the emotional significance of the win, saying, “Breaking the meeting record on the 50th anniversary of this competition means so much. Having past legends here—some who met my family and others who gave me words of encouragement—made it even more special.”
Eaton’s recognition of Hall’s unique combination of speed and skill across such varied events speaks volumes about her place in the sport. Her ability to compete at the highest level in middle-distance running, jumps, and throws is a rare and remarkable athletic achievement. That makes her one of the most exciting multi-event athletes in the world today.
