Brianne Theisen-Eaton places 2nd in pentathlon at world indoors

Brianne Theisen-Eaton, of Humboldt, Sask., smashed the national record in the pentathlon on Friday, racking up 4,768 points to finish second to Nadine Broersen of the Netherlands at the world indoor track and field championships in Sopot, Poland.

Broersen, backed by a first-place showing in high jumping, won the event with 4,830 points. Alina Fodorova of Ukraine compiled 4,724 points to finish third.

Earlier, Eaton set a personal best in the 60-metre hurdles while her husband, Ashton Eaton, took charge in the heptathlon.

He was already poised to defend his title and had a good chance to set a world record on the closing day of the seven-event competition on Saturday. At last year's outdoor world championships, Eaton won the decathlon while his newlywed wife took silver in the heptathlon.

"Get ready for him for his next day, bring him dinner, so he can just lie in bed and relax," she said.

Ahead of Saturday's 60-metre hurdles, pole vault and concluding 1,000m, Eaton is only one point shy of his world record pace of 3,654 points after four events.

"It is all going on very close together," said Canada's Theisen Eaton, who faulted on her first two attempts in the long jump. Ahead of her last attempt, she said she sought eye contact with Ashton who was competing across the hall.

"That is the exact moment when I looked for kind of comfort because I felt scared, you know. It's great competing with him."

Eaton said: "I just told her to relax, and it's just like practice and no big deal."

Scorching 800 metres

She nailed her last chance, with 6.13m, and that set her up for a scorching 800 that yielded gold behind Broersen.

All along the closing 800, Eaton took time off the high jump and cheered her every time she passed him on the far side of the track.

"I knew that he would be right there," Theisen Eaton said. "It's almost, like, unfair, because no one else gets that."

As Ashton was competing on one side of the cavernous Ergo Arena, Brianne competed on the other side, with high-fiving and encouragement in between.

With Theisen Eaton's silver in the bag, Eaton will need to continue dominating the heptathlon's final day, right up to the closing middle distance race.

"If I have to go for a record in the 1,000, I'll do it," he said.

And for celebration, Theisen Eaton already has her plans. "Pirogi and cabbage rolls," all local fare.