Brianne Theisen Eaton of Canada took an early lead in the world championship heptathlon Monday, just more than 12 hours after her American husband, Ashton Eaton, took decathlon gold.
Theisen Eaton posted 13.17 seconds in the 100-metre hurdles for 1,099 points to rank ahead of Ukraine’s Ganna Melnichenko (1,081) and Dutch athlete Dafne Schippers (1,080) going into the high jump.
The heptathlon is heavily depleted with Russian title holder Tatyana Chernova and Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill of Britain sidelined with injury.
Sharon Day of the United States, the Moscow entrant with the best 2013 tally, was ninth in the hurdles with 1,049 points on a damp morning in an all but empty Luzhniki stadium.
Theisen Eaton could be a medal contender as well in the multievent competition, which ends Tuesday, exactly one month after she got married to the Olympic decathlon champion.
Men’s steeplechase heats and discus qualifying were also on the morning schedule along with 400m hurdles heats for men and women.
The evening’s medal events are the women’s 100m, 400m and shot put and the men’s 110m hurdles, pole vault and hammer throw.
