Nike came to me and said, ‘We’re interested in the decathlon and interested in seeing if we can help you get as close to 10,000 points as we can.’ – Ashton Eaton
The questions to ask are, why was the decathlon so popular before, and what happened to make it fade? I notice a lot of things in general tend to follow that up-and-down trend. – Ashton Eaton
It’s hard for me to speak of my own development. I’m the one behind the steering wheel, and it is easier to see where the vehicle is going when you are looking at it. For me, it feels like I have been doing the same thing all along. – Ashton Eaton
I want to see where I measure up against everyone in the world and everyone who has ever competed in the sport, and there’s that innate sense of wanting to challenge myself. I’m competitive in all aspects. – Ashton Eaton
In high school, I had a gold 1992 Ford Explorer. It was a gift. I used to have a terrible habit of locking the keys in the car when I used leave the car running to help it start on a cold morning. I think the local locksmith became used to me calling him. – Ashton Eaton
I’m a ‘what’s next?’ guy. I don’t know what that is, but I’m excited to find out and put the same kind of energy into it as I put into track. – Ashton Eaton
Universities are like a utopia in a way, because you’re mentally stimulated, you’re challenged, and you have a lot of young, creative minds wanting to do new things, different things. Better things. – Ashton Eaton
Even though decathlon is really long, there’s always something different to look forward to, which is great for mental stimulation. – Ashton Eaton
If somebody wants me to do something I’ve never done, I can do it more easily because of all of the years of sports I’ve played. – Ashton Eaton
If I have to run to put myself in the hospital, if I have to run that hard, that’s how hard I’ll have to run. – Ashton Eaton
To win two Olympic golds in a row like Daley Thompson is very special. One day, I’m going to have to meet Daley, shake his hand, and thank him for giving me something to chase after. – Ashton Eaton
The desire definitely comes from within. There are only a few people who make it to this level and those are the ones who have that innate desire. – Ashton Eaton
I am actually a huge supporter of the Canadian athletes, and they are all really nice people. – Ashton Eaton
When I was a junior and an up-and-coming athlete, I don’t think I looked to anyone for inspiration. I was so busy trying to improve myself and learning these new events and learning about the decathlon in general that I didn’t really have time to focus on anyone else. – Ashton Eaton
I wouldn’t have gone to a Division I school if I didn’t have scholarship help. We couldn’t afford it. – Ashton Eaton
As athletes, we love to say, ‘Just one more; I’m going to figure it out on this next one.’ It’s tough to pull back the reins and do what is smart physically, listening to your body and always ending a workout or session feeling like I could have done more. – Ashton Eaton
Coping with injuries is always difficult for athletes because all we want to do is, basically, to have our best performances unhindered. – Ashton Eaton
The heptathlon world record is nice, but the decathlon is the event. I think the heptathlon is more like a practice. There is something completely different about the decathlon. – Ashton Eaton
Even if you see a great performance, it’s not always great getting there. There are injuries… Intrinsically or unconsciously, people understand that – people see those performances, and they know there are stories behind that. – Ashton Eaton
That’s what has always been good about track. The goal is very clearly defined: Try to win. Get the gold medal. And I’m able to put my energy toward that. – Ashton Eaton
It has been a pleasure being in the same era. I mean, the guy’s last name is Bolt, and he’s the fastest man ever. You can’t write a story like that, and so to be in the pages in there is nice. – Ashton Eaton
As a decathlete, you take pride in saying, ‘The elements, I’m not going to let them affect me. It’s just the 11th event. Another thing you have to fight through.’ – Ashton Eaton
The Olympic gold was like going to a theater and seeing a movie that had the ending you expected. But you left the theater thinking, ‘You know, that was a good movie.’ – Ashton Eaton
When I was growing up, I used to watch ‘Power Rangers’ and ‘Ninja Turtles.’ It seemed like every movie had someone doing martial arts in it, so I would go around punching and kicking trees. – Ashton Eaton