My latest Decathlon Writer Substack: Hanging with the Coaches Club in Tokyo 🇯🇵 open.substack.com/pub/thedecat...

Despite my local Ikea's hideous decision to axe free tiny pencils - my number one item of journalistic tech - I've found a supply. As such, I'm soldiering on, back in training and ready for another season of Slow Match Reports for @nutmegmagazine.bsky.social

Topically, may Princes St always be treated to this funky chicken instead of the bloody pipes. Are we mourning a fallen clan? Are we skirling through a Gay Gordons? No we are not. Yours, a grateful Edinburgh resident

The photographer Adrienne Salinger photographed teens in their bedrooms from the early ’80s into the ’90s. Her subjects are those whose worldly goods extended only to the stuffed animals, pairs of sunglasses, and posters displayed around them.

Can we celebrate my excellent choices in decathlon calendar candidate selection - May and November 2025 take gold and silver at the EU23 champs. Not quite as 🔮 as selecting Markus Rooth for August 2024, the month he won Olympic gold, but still 💅🏻

Norway now have three current 8000k+ decathletes. Jonathan Hertwig-Ødegaard just landed 8002 placing 4th at the EU23 champs, two years after Markus Rooth and Sander Skotheim ran riot at the 2023 champs in Espoo And I’m sure Martin Roe (now coaching Danish multis) could knock out 8k if pressed

For those who enjoy niche content, Ognen Stefanovski broke his own North Macedonian NR in the EU23 championships decathlon yesterday 🇲🇰 6648

It’s taken me a little while to find a decathlon/heptathlon rhythm on Bluesky, but let’s give this a go. Less step-by-step analysis, more stage-by-stage reflection ⬇️

Here’s an idea. If some self-absorbed twat on public transport is playing something loudly on their phone, in effect mimicking a public broadcast, then I propose we treat it as one. Reach over and swipe up to the next video. Huddle in and join the call. Fast forward the game to the good bit

In Bergen for the EU23 championships. So attractive, it’s just rude frankly

In honour of Joy Division's iconic album Unknown Pleasures being released on this day in 1979, I'm again sharing one of my favourite ever video clips (Peanuts vs Joy Division dance party)...

There are many Götzis previews, but I’ll wager most of them don’t mention Kendrick Thompson’s shark bite. Wrap your jaws round this monster preview.

“Without widespread theft, my industry can’t survive” is an argument against your industry surviving, and is not an argument for allowing widespread theft

Knew deep in podcasts and previews. Just how I like it!

Back in action on Substack. Felt tips for grown ups: musings between decathlons open.substack.com/pub/thedecat...

😂😂

never let anybody tell u that evil does not exist

I’m not following the actual GST races - I’m inevitably doing something decathlon-related at the same time so can’t justify the subscription to watch - but the discourse on strategy and tactics it’s generating is bringing a continuity through the season of which the DL can only dream.

A good old-fashioned wallow in nostalgia,” my AW editor mused, as we pondered how to set the scene for the 50th anniversary of Götzis. “The roll of honour. How influential it’s been through the years. Can you do 1500 words?” 1500 words (and 6 pages) of gorgeous wallowing on Götzis? Count me in.

GST IS a multi 😄

Let’s see how the judicial stuff plays out, but there’s a woman with a smashed face in this story, and that sure as hell better be a level of unacceptable for those running and promoting the sport. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athlet...

More combined events narrative ⬇️

Yer da sells Avon

After two days of a constantly grassy wet arse, and three complete soakings, time for something a little more sophisticated

Make sure this gets some coverage folks! We have another 8k guy!

Church after his sub 50 400m

And then, in the 400m, Lewis Church chooses to run his first sub 50s 400m. And he finishes the day as leader. This is the meet where Markus Rooth and Sander Skotheim went 1-2 in 2022 Simon is only 30 points behind so will finally make it to the top in the hurdles, but this is some dec from Church

And here’s Ehammer’s 2.07m. His best result in a long time, from before his shoulder surgery. He hasn’t been above 2m for AGES

Well, the decathlon took another turn in the HJ. As expected Nino Portmann relinquished his lead. But it wasn’t Eitel or Ehammer who took his place. It was Lewis Church. He cleared 2.04m and took a 92 point lead in first place. Ehammer cleared 2.07m but was way down due to his poor LJ and shot

For home interest, Lewis Church is looking to get nearer to 8k after his excellent PB indoor season, and Anna McCauley is here too. Both won the open competition at the English champs in Sheffield in January

And that’s a theme in the men’s field - lots of athletes looking to get back in the game. Andreas Bechmann 🇩🇪, Ruben Gado 🇫🇷, Marcus Nilsson 🇸🇪, Jannis Wolff 🇩🇪 as well as a few juniors stepping up into their first senior competition - Leo Goransson 🇸🇪 and co

Simon Ehammer leads the men’s field - why has he come to a C ranked meet, you might ask? Because he just needs a decathlon score. He is currently unranked in the world rankings - which meant he did not qualify for the World Indoors, despite being defending champion and world no.2 in the event.

Multistars has dropped two categories in rankings this year from A to C (technical issues) but athletes love this meet, as one can see from the names on the entry list. Taliyah, on the back of her World Indoors bronze, is back to try for a third win

I shall desist from spamming you with every run, jump and throw from the Multistars decathlon and heptathlon this weekend in Brescia, but if you wish to indulge, it will be on my devoted dec account ⬇️

The emerging force – Sander Skotheim 🏃 Gabby Pieraccini profiles the Norwegian combined eventer, who is deservedly attracting some attention 🇳🇴 Skotheim became world and European indoor heptathlon champion in Nanjing and Apeldoorn respectively

Hey, US magazines: you could always just commission me instead of lifting my @heraldscotland.bsky.social story and giving someone else the byline. www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/s....

The Caunterburye Tales was a group chat wher we invited everybodye

Clattering into the World Indoors tonight. Tomorrow. I don’t know. But I will by the time we go live. Sleep-deprived combined events hot takes from moi

I don’t wish to alarm anyone but if you draw glasses on Masaccio’s Virgin and Child it’s Michael Caine holding a tiny Chris Evans being serenaded by the Proclaimers

My day job colleagues have been working on a little something 🚲

I’m not even sorry (add your own vocals)

Big fan of giving mascots useful things to do. This one went to Lidl and got Simon Ehammer’s snacks for later.

When someone stole your snacks and you can hear the Norwegians rustling

Henriette Jaeger looking over her shoulder mid 400m like a ned skipping out of Asda with an armful of Jaegermeister

Well this is somewhat precarious. Not a day to crack out my favourite highlighter, I feel

THE REMATCH: Euro indoors preview One year on from Glasgow, the big 3 meet again. But this time it’s different. Ehammer may be world indoor champion, but Skotheim is now European record holder and Erm European decathlon champion. Full preview ⬇️ decathletesofeurope.co.uk/meetings/the-r…

😂😂😂

The issue was, I wasn’t in. They didn’t encounter a platoon of raccoons amidst a particularly raucous game of Kerplunk

Decathletes burying NASCAR drivers in a foot race while in cowboy attire is the Fastest Man Alive twist we need kickinthetires.net/nascar/nasca...

incredible sign turnout here