The magnetic Roman Seberle – at 50! (0)

Today, one of the brightest "athlete of athletes" - the Czech Roman Šeberle - turns 50 years old... Although he has had not so far part with athletics (as a competitor), let's once again recall his glorious career.....

Born on November 26, 1974. in Lanškroun, Pardubice, Roman started as a promising high jumper ( 2.06m as 16 years old), and his first decathlon at all happened in 1991. (then only 17) and amounted to 5187 points. More or less since then, his meeting with coach Jiri Čechak has also been going on. Scheberle gradually increased his results and his first all-round match of 7000 points dated back to when he was still a junior - 7066 points from 1993.

In 1995 tangible progress also comes as expected - 7438 points in Prague in June and 7642 points a month and a half later in Markt Schwaben... Is this also due to the change of coach - the new one is called Zdenek Vanja!

In the 1996 Olympic year Roman improved his results in all decathlon events and after 7825 points in Lage (June 16) in Prague on July 10, 1996, for the first time it crosses the "grossmeister" limit of 8,000 t. – 8210 points... Inexplicable why “they” didn't trust to send him to the Olympics in Atlanta, and he responded soon with another 8120 points in Palo Alto in September.....

In the post-Olympic year 1997, all of Sebrle's decathlon scores were over 8,200 points, and after the disappointment of ninth place at the World Championships in Athens, he was still somewhat satisfied with the world student title from the Universiade in Catania...

Scheberle still couldn't shake off the influence of the stronger all-rounders and a sixth place at Europeans in Budapest 1998 (8477) is no a kind of consolation, and all that after two remarkable scores - 8538 in Götzis and 8589 in Tallinn....

And, after all, the world championship in Seville (1999) brought huge disappointment to Roman – at the beginning of the second day, he stumbled badly on one of the hurdles and didn’t finish.....

So in the Olympic year 2000, Roman was much more focused and ambitious. At the mega meeting in Götzis, he became already second with 8757 points, and at the Olympics in Sydney Roman grabbed the silver medal (8606 points), runner-up only to the champion Erki Nool (Estonia).

Some five months after Sidney Sebrle became already the world indoor heptathlon champion of the championships in Lisbon in March 2001 (6420 points).

The sublime moment for Sebrle happened the “Hypobank” meeting in Götzis on May 26 and 27, 2001. On the first day, he started steadily with 10.64 in the 100m, followed by 8.11 in the long jump, 15.33 in the shot put, 2.12 at the high jump and 47.79 in the 400m. The second day was a continuation of the first half – 13.92 in the 110m hurdles, 47.92 in the discus throw, 4.80 in the Pole Vault, 70.16 in the javelin throw and finally 4:21.98 minutes in the 1500m. That scored a total of 9026 points – a new world record! Thus Roman Scheberle became first athlete in the world to exceed the magical 9000 points in the decathlon! The glory of that great success was transitory, however, and that also eloquently demonstrated by the finish at the world championship in Edmonton later in the same season – roman placed disappointingly only tenth...

At the beginning of 2002, Roman changed again his coach – this time he transferred to Dalibor Kupka. Sebrle became already twice a European champion – first at indoor heptathlon (Vienna) and later at decathlon (Munich). Twice during the season, Roman "nailed" exactly 8800 points, added by another 8701 in Ratingen.

Yet in the pre-Olympic 2003, Sebrle appeared to be among the prize-winners again - third at the world indoor heptathlon in Birmingham with 6196 points and second at the decathlon at the world championship in Paris with 8634 points, second only after fellow Thomas Pappas (USA).

The 2004 Olympics seems to be the most successful in Sebrle's career. After becoming the world indoor heptathlon champion (Budapest) (achieving a European record of 6438 points), he won in Götzis (8842) and at the Olympics in Athens, where he improved the Olympic record of Daley Thompson and adorned himself with the laurel wreath of Olympic champion (8893 points)...

At the world championships in Helsinki 2005, Roman fought with his inherent confidence and with 8521 points placed second only after the new prodigy Brian Clay (USA)...

Age itself doesn't seemed to affect Sebrle's ability significally. In August 2006 he became the European decathlon champion for the second time in a row – this time in Gothenburg (8526).

Almost 33 years old, in 2007 Roman struggled bravely with the youngsters and triumphed at the Kladno meeting (Czech Republic) – 8697 points. At the world championships in Osaka at the beginning of September, Sebrle is surprisingly the champion with 8676 points, after the main favorite Brian Clay has injured himself in the fourth event - the high jump... And some half a year before was a curious incident has happened. During the training camp in January of that year in South Africa, the javelin thrown by women’s world champion Sunette Viljoen threw the implement and the spear lodged deep (12 cm!) in his right shoulder. Roman didn’t panic at all and immediately yanks the device from his shoulder. Fortunately, the spear was lodged between his skin and muscle, and after being taken to the hospital, Scheberle soon left the clinic with "only" 11 stitches in his shoulder....

Roman Sebrle was capable to compete even in 2012 (then almost 38 years old) and at the European Championships in Helsinki he placed sixth, exceeding 8000 points for the last time – 8052 points.

Married to the former athlete (400 m § 800 m) Eva Kasalova, Roman became a father of a son (Stepan, 2002) and a daughter (Katerina, 2006).

Sebrle's personal bests total count an impressive 9326 points (only Dan O'Brien (9572), Ashton Eaton  (9549), Kevin Mayer (9519, Michael Smith (9362) and Bryan Clay (9350) has gathered more). In his plenty palette of participations, Roman scored exactly 40 decathlons completed with sums over 8000 points, 20 of them with achievements over 8500 points... Here are his personal marks: 100 m 10.64; long jump 8.11; shot put 16.47; high jump 2.15; 400 m 47.76; 110m hurdles 13.68 (+2.6); discus throw 49.46; Pole Vault 5.20 m; javelin throw 71.18; 1500m 4:21.98 minutes.