The 10-Piece Puzzle | Dubler Eyes Queensland Combined Event Championships

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games may be eight months away, but Cedric Dubler knows that the best time to strike is now. Taking to the 10-piece puzzle that is the decathlon at this weekend’s Queensland Combined Event Championships, the two-time Olympian is optimistic yet cautious in his approach – all too familiar with the highs and lows of the discipline.

Dubler chooses his words wisely; like a man who has both conquered and been conquered by arguably the sport’s toughest event. The 28-year-old is acutely aware that amidst three high-quality decathlons on the international calendar, he will either need to produce the Olympic qualifying standard (8460 points) or two strong results to be a chance to qualify via the world rankings.

“I do feel pressure, it’s one of the hard things about the decathlon. In the back of my mind, I know that I’ve got three, maybe four, chances to qualify for the Olympics. I’m trying not to put too much pressure on this one because we’re not even in 2024 yet, but I also have a really good opportunity in front of me to go out and score big,” Dubler said.

“In the decathlon, you can be in the greatest shape of your life, but you still need a little bit of luck.”

Dubler will draw on his rich history on home soil alongside the likes of Olympic bronze medallist Ash Moloney, Commonwealth Games medallist Dan Golubovic and Commonwealth Games representative Alec Diamond, returning to the site of his Tokyo Olympic qualification from December of 2020.  

“Because it’s a combined events competition, the schedule is based around what is optimal just for us. We have quite a strong contingent of multi-eventers in Queensland with Dan, Ash and myself. Doing the competition at home allows us to control a lot of the variables – coaches, recovery, sleeping in our own beds,” Dubler said.

“I’m excited! The body is good and my training has been consistent, which is one of the most important things in the decathlon.”

Bouncing back to form under the guidance of a team headed by Chris Gaviglio after crashing out of the 2023 World Championships in Budapest with injury, Dubler will look to improve upon his 8393 points personal best in a bid to book his ticket to a third consecutive Olympic Games – taking to the two-day program with history on his side.

“I look at the last 10 years of my career and every second year I have done a personal best. Obviously I am getting older, I know that the opportunities to nail the performance that I’m capable of are slowly getting away from me. I’m looking forward to bringing together everything I’ve learned over the last 10 years to deliver that performance and not just let it slip by,” Dubler.

The Queenslander’s personal bests give an indication as to just how versatile world-class decathletes are. Owning times of 13.84 (110m Hurdles) and 47.14 (400m), while also being able to clear bars of 5.20m (Pole Vault) and 2.15m (High Jump) – Dubler says it all starts with speed.

“The 100m is always a good indicator, it’s always nice with a quick time and being ahead on points from the first event is always better than playing catch up. But obviously if the speed is there, that’s going to help nine of the ten events, so that’s the main indicator,” Dubler said.

“Also the 400m, if that’s going well it probably shows that your ability to sustain quality throughout the competition is there. It’s good to keep things rolling going into day two.”

The array of strengths and skillsets require significant guidance as Dubler rattles off a list of coaches almost as long as events, with Paul Pearce (sprints), Ray Boyd (Pole Vault), Ben Thomson (Javelin), Stuart Anderson (Hurdles) and Matthew Horsnell (High Jump) all featuring amidst biomechanics and sports scientists.

While Dubler reiterated the importance of the opportunity ahead of him at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, the decathlete said it will also be a chance to test some new initiatives including competition strategies, cooling and nutrition – all with the hope of landing a third Olympic berth in Paris.

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By Lachlan Moorhouse Athletics Australia
Posted: 15/12/2023