Sports

Sask. heptathlete Theisen happy having a famous fiancé

Brianne Theisen had no problems with her world record holder fiancee Ashton Eaton showing off his chiselled physique for all the world to see.
Ashton Eaton celebrated his record last week with Saskatchewan native Brianne Theisen, left, and mother Roslyn Eaton. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Brianne Theisen had no problems with Ashton Eaton showing off his chiselled physique for all the world to see.

The heptathlete from Humboldt, Sask., did draw the line, however, at her fiancé having his legs shaved.

Eaton, the newly-minted world record-holder in the decathlon, recently posed in the buff for ESPN The Magazine's "The Body Issue."

"They gave him a pedicure, and it was funny, he said, 'I've never got that before.' But they wanted to shave his legs and I said, 'Don't let them shave your legs!"'

Theisen is competing at the Canadian Olympic track and field trials to cement her spot on the London-bound team. She already achieved the Olympic qualifying standard, and claimed her third NCAA heptathlon title earlier this month to cap her college career for the University of Oregon Ducks where she and Eaton met as teammates.

Eaton, a 24-year-old from Bend, Oregon, broke the world record in the decathlon at the U.S. Olympic trials last week, finishing with 9,039 points to beat Roman Sebrle's 11-year-old mark by 13 points.

Eaton, who's in Calgary to cheer on his fiancee, wasn't sure about posing for the magazine's body issue that celebrates the human form.

"He was kind of like, should I do it?" Theisen said. "I was like, 'I think you should do it, I think it's kind of cool. Not all athletes get to do that.' He was like, wouldn't it be like you being in Playboy? Isn't that kind of weird? I said, no, it's athletes, it's not the same at all. You should go do it.

"He went and he had a lot of fun."

The fourth annual Body Issue, which will hit newsstands July 11, features 27 world-class athletes including Toronto Blue Jays' slugger Jose Bautista, New England Patriots' tight end Rob Gronkowski, U.S. women's soccer star Abby Wambach and New York Knicks' centre Tyson Chandler.

The 23-year-old Theisen said following the trials, she and Eaton will travel to Germany for a pre-Olympic training camp before heading to the Games.