In this respect, the heptathlon is like professional boxing.
The grueling seven-discipline track event takes such a toll on the body that most heptathletes rarely compete more than four times year.
But that’s also what makes
’s most recent feat so special.
With 6,735 points after
in Des Moines, Iowa this summer, the former Central Dauphin East graduate and reigning Olympic silver medalist became the No. 1 heptathlete in the world.
It’s the first time in her career that Fountain, 29, has reached that milestone. But how long she stays on top depends on factors completely out of her control.
“Right now I’m number one, but the final rankings don’t come out until September, so I just have to hope no one scores higher than me because I don’t have another heptathlon this year,” Fountain said.
Four opportunities to compete in a single season means heptathletes have to make the absolute most of each one. But it’s difficult to predict how the stars will line up, especially because the seven disciplines – the 100M hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200M , long jump javelin and 800M – require a broad range of skills.
So, heptathletes divide-and-conquer, and that’s exactly what Fountain is doing now as she prepares to compete in the long jump and hurdles in Europe this August.
“We schedule out so I can focus on each event and fine-tune each one,” Fountain said. “And then finally, when you put it all together, you just hope it works out the way you want it to.
“The good thing about the heptathlon is that if you’re off on one event, there’s usually five or six more to do.”
The good thing about track in general is that even when you’re at the top, you’re always competing against yourself.
“That’s what I really love about track: There’s always so much to learn,” Fountain said.
This season, for instance, Fountain has changed her landing in the long jump, and is now working on her launch.
With about 143 pounds distributed evenly over her sleekly muscled 5-foot-7 frame, Fountain is built like a sprinter – strong core and powerful limbs.
It works well for her in the long jump because she’s got plenty of speed, but the trick is learning to harness the speed and use it in the jump.
“Some people can’t jump off their speed, like if 10 is their top speed, they can only jump off of eight,” Fountain said. “It’s just too much speed, and you have to work on it for a while to get it right. I’m still at an eight. And I’m like that with the high jump too.”
Still, Fountain hit a new personal best in the high jump this year at 1.90m.Even with an Olympic medal and world No. 1 bragging rights, Fountain is eager for the story to continue.
For starters, she’d like to finally get to go head-to-head against her closest rival, Great Britain’s Jessica Ennis, the current world No. 2.
The two have never met in a full heptathlon because Ennis was kept out of the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a broken ankle, and Fountain injured her neck and wasn’t able to participate in the 2009 World Championships.
With 6,689 points, Ennis needs only 47 points to pass Fountain this season, and she could do it when she competes in the heptathlon at the European Championships in Barcelona this week.
But Fountain and her coach, Lynn Smith, aren’t too concerned. Actually it’s all part of their master plan.
It’s no secret that Ennis, the reigning world indoor and outdoor heptathlon champion, is good enough to win the European Championships and pass Fountain for the No. 1 world ranking. That’s just fine by Smith because it puts the target firmly on Ennis’ back heading into the 2012 London Olympics.
“I hope Jessica does extremely well because I want her going in being the favorite,” Smith said. “Every step she takes, she is going to have 15 million Britons on her back. She’s the favorite. The pressure will be on her.
“So the more pressure she feels, the more we can just fly under the radar and do what we do.”
Fountain starts her European tour in Stockholm, Sweden on August 1 and will compete individual events in several meets between now and September, when track season ends.
Smith thinks that if Fountain can get into enough meets, she could work her way up to the top-10 world rankings list in the long jump and hurdles.
“She’s always had one of the top five jumps in the world,” Smith said. “But when they do the rankings, they look at the number of appearances she has, and while there’s no minimum, they always hold that against her because some of the other girls have 14 or 15, while she’ll have about four or five because she’s a heptathlete, and she has to do all these other events too.”
Fountain will compete in the long jump and hurdles, and maybe the 200m and the high jump in Europe this summer. but she won’t get to go up against her arch-rival in the heptathlon until next season’s World Championships.
That’s the next title on Fountain’s hit list.
“For next year, I’d like a World Championship gold, and eventually an Olympic gold. Then I’ll be a happy woman,” Fountain said.
Then, she pauses.
“But of course, I’m an athlete. And we’re never happy. Never satisfied.”
World No. 1 or not, Hyleas Fountain is far from done.