Tue. Mar 19th, 2024
L-R Jose Luis Lopez, Jonay Jordan, Pablo Trescoli, Reinis Kregers, Mario Arancon

Fresh from their April training camp in Tenerife, Jonay, Pablo, Reinis, Mario and Jose Luis bring you the first ever Decathletes of Europe “Ten Question Takeover.”

You can check out their training clips on Instagram and watch them answering the 10 Questions in the video below.

L-R Jose Luis Lopez, Jonay Jordan, Pablo Trescoli, Reinis Kregers, Mario Arancon

INTRODUCTIONS

  • JONAY: My name is Jonay Jordan, I’m from Spain, and my PB is 7639.
  • PABLO: My name is Pablo Trescoli, I’m from Spain, and my PB is 7745.
  • REINIS: My name is Reinis Krēgers, I’m from Latvia and train in Czech Republic, and my PB is 7618.
  • MARIO: My name is Mario Arancon, I’m from Soria in Spain, and my PB is 7483.
  • JOSE LUIS: My name is Jose Luis Lopez, I’m from Spain, and my PB is 7385.

WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF DECATHLON?

Reinis: My earliest memory of decathlon – we were watching the Sydney Olympics with my dad, and I saw Šebrle for the first time, competing. And I knew this is the sport I want to do for my career – starting from 8 years old. So, from 2000.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE DECATHLETE OF ALL TIME?

Jonay: I would say that my favourite athlete is Kevin Mayer, because he is really consistent, and that is very important for our event.  

WHICH DECATHLON PERFORMANCE ARE YOU THE MOST PROUD OF?

Pablo: The performance in my career that I am most proud of is when I qualified for World Juniors in 2014. My PB was around 6600-6700. And I managed to score 7190 and qualify for my first ever world championships.

Reinis: My most memorable decathlon was a decathlon in juniors, in the Baltic junior championships in Tallinn. All the years up to then I was in the last 3 places from the bottom, basically. And that year, 2011, was a breakthrough. I scored 5400 indoors and 7300 outdoors and I won both indoor and outdoor championships. I guess that was a big emotional breakthrough for me.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS IN DECATHLON?

Jose Luis: My goal in decathlon is just to break my PB because it was in 2014. I had 2 injuries, and that’s my main goal right now.

Mario: My goals in decathlon are to improve my PB and go to the European Championships.

Reinis: My goal in decathlon is, for sure, to get 8000 points one day.

Pablo: Same here, my goal would be to join the 8k club.

Jonay: My goal would be to get over 7800 – that’s it.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

Reinis:The best advice I’ve ever gotten was from a poster of Roger Federer. It says “Expect nothing, fight for everything.” And I expect a lot, and get nothing, so it is actually a truthful place for me. In a lot of decathlons…less expectation, and more moments to fight.

WHICH EVENT CAN YOU IMPROVE THE MOST?

Jonay: I would like to improve my pole vault, and 1500m.

Pablo: I would like to improve in the pole vault as well and make some use of my height.

Reinis: I would like to improve the hurdles and finally go under 15 seconds.

Jose Luis: I would like also to improve in pole vault because I’m taking bigger poles this year. And hurdles too, because I changed my start, and to go under 15 seconds too.

WHAT SECRET TALENT DO YOU HAVE?

Jonay: My secret talent is my magic eyebrows (check out the video for full demonstrations!)

Pablo: My skills, or secret talent, is my feet are as flat as pancakes.

Reinis: Mine…are double jointed thumbs.

Marco: My secret talent is my boobies. In the shot put, it’s the best!

Jose Luis: I don’t know my secret talent…I have a tick that I move my hand before I run…!?

WHAT IS YOUR MOST/LEAST FAVOURITE SESSION?

Jonay: I love to train hurdles and discus throw, and I hate to train 1500m.

Pablo: I hate to do all the rehab for injuries, and I really enjoy discus training.

Reinis: I don’t like long tempo; and I really like javelin when nothing hurts.

Mario: My favourite sessions are the hurdles, shot and long jump. And my least favourite is the lactic, it’s s***!

Jose Luis: My favourite one is, like Reinis said, the javelin when I’m healthy. And my least favourite one is a lactic session with short recovery time.

WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING TO HAPPEN TO YOU IN A DECATHLON?

Reinis: I went to Monzon for the European Team Championships and I broke a pole and fell in the box. I kept jumping after that, but I already had a torn adductor muscle, It was weird, and very painful, and a lot of other things happened in that meet. I had to run hurdles twice, because someone knocked my hurdle down. So that’s the weirdest decathlon ever.

Jonay: Once, when I was running a 400m race, I found a hurdle after 120m and I had to change lane and continue running.

Pablo: Mine is not so weird, in a heptathlon we started long jump, and in the second attempt the 2 people jumping before me both broke…well one of them broke his ankle ligament and then the next one broke his achilles tendon.  Then it was my turn to jump. I didn’t jump. I just passed through.

Mario: The weirdest thing that happened to me in decathlon was 5 false starts in the 110m hurdles.

Jose Luis: I remember, in the European Cup, I started and 1 Ukrainian, 2 Ukrainian guys fell down because of me. I don’t know why; we were trying to take the first position. We had to continue the race!

WORDS YOUR COMPETITORS WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE YOU?

JONAY

Jose Luis: I would say that my teammate Jonay is a “fish-man”, because he is always going to the beach.

Mario: Jonay is the captain of the Spanish selection.

Reinis: I know him for about a week, and he speaks fast. Whichever language he speaks!

Pablo: I call Jonay “The Tank” because he has a massive back.  

JOSE LUIS

Jonay: I would say that Jose Luis is a really hard worker.

Pablo: I would say Jose Luis is “Dry-man”.

Reinis: Jose Luis is definitely dry man; you could also say you can see every vein in his body.

Mario: Jose Luis is a happy person…a happy person!

PABLO

Jose Luis: I think he is a very complete guy and has a little bit of everything. Like a decathlete!

Mario: Pablo is a long person. Very tall, and he can sleep standing up.

Reinis: I’ve also known Pablo for a week. I know he’s fragile, fragile in some ways like me, with injuries. But I also know he’s really competitive, he beat me by a second in today’s 300m.

Jonay: I would say he’s a really nice person. Not only nice outside, but when you are competing too.

MARIO

Jonay: I would say that Mario is a really funny guy.

Pablo: I would say that Mario is the Tinder-master, a boob-man, and a white man.

Reinis: Mario has a specific laugh, he laughs funny.

Jose Luis: Mario is always joking, and competing, he’s a showman.

(pause while Mario applauds himself)

REINIS

Jose Luis: I’ve known Reinis for a week too, and he has a lot of willpower.

Mario: Reinis is a big pectoral man, in the world, and he can move them! Come on, move! (demonstration)

Pablo: Reinis has written a book, he’s been around for years, so I would say he is very cultured and experienced.

Jonay: I would say that Reinis is a nomad. He’s always travelling and living in different places.