Thorpe Cup

GER vs. USA

Idea & Realisation

History of the Thorpe Cup


There has been an international decathlon competition between the USA and Germany, which has taken place under various names since 1993. In 2006 the heptathlon was added to the competition and in 2007 the Thorpe Cup was born, named in honor of Jim Thorpe the very first Olympic champion decathlete.

The Thorpe Cup, as we now it today, was founded jointly in 1993 by the German Bundestrainer Claus Marek and USA Visa Team Head coach Harry Mara – coaches of the two strongest nations in decathlon. Keen to establish an international competition for aspiring ‘second tier’ athletes, they decided to create an international team event. There would be 7 athletes representing each country with the points scored by each team’s top five athletes constituting the final team scores. At the inaugural event in 1993 in Aachen, Stefan Schmid won the individual competition with the USA taking the team honors. With the exception of 2004 the Thorpe Cup has now taken place every year since.

In 2006 the heptathlon was added to the competition. Like the decathlon this event is also a team competition with the top 3 athletes from teams of five being able to score points for their teams. At the very first Thorpe Cup heptathlon in Manhattan, Kansas, the individual competition was won by Julia Mächtig and the USA were the winners of the team competition.

Claus Marek & Harry Mara

Claus Marek and Harry Mara - Photo: spofo.de

Harry Mara and Claus Marek’s idea to create an international competition for aspiring athletes ranked places 4 to 10 in their countries has clearly paid off, with six American and eleven German athletes going on to achieve Olympic honours via the Thorpe Cup.

USA

  • Steve Fritz: 1996
  • Chris Huffins: 1996, 2000
  • Kip Janvrin: 2000
  • Tom Pappas: 2000, 2004, 2008
  • Bryan Clay: 2004
  • Zach Ziemek: 2016

Zehnkampf-TEAM

  • Frank Müller: (1992), 1996
  • Dirk-Achim Pajonk: 1996
  • Mike Maczey: 2000
  • Stefan Schmid: 2000
  • Florian Schönbeck: 2004
  • Stefan Drews: 2004
  • Arthur Abele: 2008, 2016
  • Rico Freimuth: 2012, 2016
  • Pascal Behrenbruch: 2012
  • Jan-Felix Knobel: 2012
  • Kai Kazmirek: 2016

News


Latest results and more information regarding the Thorpe Cup on the following websites:

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Results since 1993


Decathlon

Heptathlon

Records


Heptathlon


Team-Record

18.320 Points • USA (2016)

  • Chantae McMillan: 6260 Points
  • Lindsay Lettow: 6098 Points
  • Lindsay Schwartz: 5962 Points

Individual Meeting-Records

100 metres hurdles: 12,90 s – Chelsea Carrier-Eades/USA (2013)

High jump: 1,85 m – Sophie Weißenberg/GER (2018)

Shot put: 14,47 m – Barbara Nwaba/USA (2016)

200 metres: 23,55 s – Chelsea Carrier-Eades/USA (2013)

Long jump: 6,78 m – Lela Nelson/USA (2007)

Javelin throw: 51,53 m – Ashtin Zamzow/USA (2018)

800 metres: 2:09,10 min – Ryann Krais/USA (2011)

1. Day: 3810 Points – Chantae McMillan/USA (2016)

2. Day: 2511 Points – Lela Nelson/USA (2008)

Heptathlon: 6260 Points – McMillan/USA (2016)

Decathlon


Team-Record

40.607 Points • USA (1996)

5-Men-Team-Worldrecord with an average score of 8121,4 Points for each athlete:

  • Kip Janvrin: 8462 Points
  • Drew Fucci: 8146 Points
  • Darwin Vande Hoef: 8123 Points
  • Brad Swanson: 8066 Points
  • Chris Wilcox: 7873 Points

Individual Meeting-Records

100 metres: 10,43 s – Manuel Eitel/GER (2018)

Long jump: 7,71 m – Thomas Görz/GER (1995)

Shot put: 17,19 m – Norbert Demmel/GER (1995)

High jump: 2,16 m – René Stauß/GER (2012)

400 metres: 47,26 s – Dan Steele/USA (1995)

110 metres hurdles: 13,92 s – Darwin Vande Hoef/USA (1996)

Discs throw: 54,78 m – Norbert Demmel/GER (1995)

Pole vault: 5,30 m – Mario Sategna/USA (1997), 5,30 m – David Lemen/USA (2003)

Javelin throe: 69,98 m – Stefan Schmid/GER (1993)

1500 metres: 4:09,07 min – Kip Janvrin/USA (1999)

1. Day: 4472 Points – Tom Pappas/USA (2009)

2. Day: 4166 Points – Kip Janvrin/USA (1999)

Decathlon: 8569 Points – Tom Pappas/USA (2009)

Imprint


Publisher

Zehnkampf-TEAM
Geschäftsstelle
Am Steinlein 2 b
97753 Karlstadt Germany
Fon +49 9353 99886
Email: info@zehnkampfteam.de

V.i.S.d.P.

Frank Müller
Prins-Claus-Straße 58
48159 Münster Germany
Fon +49 151 25308409
Email: mueller@zehnkampfteam.de

Concept und Realisation

Markus Czerwonka, Thorvald Neumann
and
Frank Müller
Prins-Claus-Straße 58
48159 Münster Germany
Fon +49 151 25308409
Email: mueller@zehnkampfteam.de

Copyright

All texts, photos and content on each page and as well the design and programming of the respective contents are protected by copyright.

Photos: Kenny Beele (spofo.de), Thorvald Neumann/blackkraken.net, Markus Czerwonka

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