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American Eaton sets world record in heptathlon

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Ashton Eaton of the United States set his third heptathlon world record in as many years to win gold Saturday at the world indoor championships.

Eaton dominated the two-day competition from start to finish, capping it with an overwhelming 1,000-meter win. He broke the record he set last year by 77 points with a total of 6,645, clinching gold and the record to earn $90,000.

"I was good, fit and healthy," Eaton said. "If all things went well, I knew I would be able to do it."

Eaton took the lead Friday with a personal best of 26 feet, 9 1/4 inches in the long jump. He also won the 60 meters, 60-meter hurdles and the pole vault, making up for third-place finishes in the shot put and high jump. And there was no stopping him in the 1,000 as he knew another world record was on the line.

"Every 200 meters, I would look at the clock and I was thinking, 'Geez, I'm kind of falling off pace. Pick it up. Pick it up.' It's hard when you're running by yourself," Eaton said. "You don't have that person to chase. But I was chasing a record."

Eaton won his first world title in record time. His next goal is to compete for decathlon gold at the London Olympics.

"I will now be preparing for the Olympic trials, which you know are very competitive in the U.S.," Eaton said.