Dutch star Nadine Broersen took a giant step from her 13th place at last summer’s Olympic Games to fly the flag for Europe at the Hypo-Meeting in Gotzis.
On a weekend where Canadian athletes won the decathlon with Damian Warner and heptathlon with Brianne Theisen, Broersen produced the best performance of her career.
Broersen made a superb climb into the top three on the second day, ending with 6345 points, improving her best from the Olympics of 6319, as Theisen won with 6376.
It was a fabulous weekend for the Dutch women as Dafne Schippers was third with 6287 but not such a great time for their teammate Eelco Sintnicolaas.
The heptathlon gold medallist from the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Göteborg failed to complete the decathlon after he did not start the last discipline, the 1500m.
European athletes were left chasing the two Canadians after the opening day.
In the heptathlon, Theisen ended with an overnight lead of 3816 from Schippers with 3811 and the Ukraine’s Hanna Melynchenko third with 3740.
Schippers knew she had to start day two well and not lose momentum and she delivered in style to take the overall lead.
With a leap of 6.56m in the long jump – and the benefit of +2.3 headwind – Schippers scored 1027 points.
The event signalled the start of Tatyana Chernova’s comeback after her disappointing opening day which ended with her in seventh place.
It is impossible to put a world champion down, let alone think there would be no route for recovery, the Russian responded with a brilliant 6.57m to win the event with 1030 points and move into fifth with 4663.
At this stage Schippers led with 4838 from Theisen with 4788. Germany’s Kira Biesenbach was third with 4691 and Ukraine’s Hanna Melnychenko was fourth with 4670.
But once more it all changed in the penultimate event with Theisen moving back in front as she capitalised on throwing further than Schippers even though she did not win it.
It was at this stage that Broersen joined the party - with her outstanding 52.37m bringing her 906 points that took her into second place overall with 5496 as Theisen held on to the lead, by just 16 points, as her 42.95m equated to 724 to lead with 5512.
Schippers dropped back into third with 5462 as she scored only 624 with a best of 37.72m with Chernova edging closer as she moved into fourth with a throw of 45.45m.
But in the end it was a lead that was enough for the Canadian.
Her 864 points as she crossed the line in 2:17.02 were enough as Broersen scored 849 with 2:18.17 with the 825 from Schippers for 2:19.90 to secure her third place in the competition with 6287, beating Chernova who was fourth with 6284.
