Long Beach State University Athletics
Richardson Tabbed As Favorite For Decathlon
3/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
March 26, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - In the most difficult event in all of track and field, Long Beach State's Chris Richardson was picked as the favorite to take the event in this year's decathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this June in Des Moines. Track and Field News' prognostication comes from the top periodical in the track world.
Combining ten diverse events into a single, points-based competition, the decathlon has long been acknowledged as choosing the top athlete in all of track and field if not sports in general. Richardson, already the school's record holder in the event by a wide-margin with a mark of 7605, took last season off to prepare for a run at this year's NCAA Championships as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Richardson's 2006 score earned him a gold medal at the Big West Championships as well as a trip to the NCAA Championships, where he earned All-America status after finishing third in the country. However, Richardson had been battling through the season with a stress fracture in his back and shut down for the 2007 season as a redshirt to heal as well as prepare for a run at 2008.
In the meantime, Richardson competed in one Decathlon as an unattached member, posting a score of 7871 which, while not recorded as a collegiate mark, puts him in good position to take the title.
With those successes in mind, Track and Field News chose Richardson to take the gold this year at the NCAA Championships, earning Long Beach State's 15th individual national championship in the process despite holding just the fourth-best returning time in the country.
"It is very flattering to be picked for something like that, but it's also a little distracting," said Richardson. "I don't look at that stuff too much; instead I just want to focus on my training."
His training puts him in good stead for the rest of the outdoor season. Richardson has already qualified for the NCAA Regionals in one of his strengths, the javelin, where he improved on his no. 2 mark in school history with a throw of 220'10" at the Ben Brown Invitational. Richardson also has a top 10 mark in the long jump at 25'0.75" and is solid in the other throws, the shot put and discus.
Out on the track, a top time of 11 seconds flat works in his favor for the 100m dash, and a 14.86 best in the 110m hurdles is the best time among the Long Beach State hurdlers at the moment.
Continuing to show perseverance through various injuries and set-backs, Richardson has weathered all challenges and continues to improve at a fast-rate, working on finding chances to compete as well as strengthen marks in his weakness in the varied event, the pole vault.
"Right now, getting and staying healthy is my number one priority," said Richardson. "I'm training hard right now for the [NCAA] Championships as well as for the Olympic Trials at the end of June, which I'm already qualified for. It's a weird year with so much going on, so I'm focused on finding a happy medium of when to peak my training."
Whenever that turns out to be, chances are good that you'll be seeing Richardson on the podium in June.
