To Glasgow and beyond

Decathlete Jake Stein says that in order to compete in 10 events you have to be “a bit of a nutcase,” but it is an attitude that the 20 year old has harnessed and turned into success.

A world youth champion in the octathlon and world junior silver medallist in the decathlon, Stein is now making his way in the senior ranks, with a spot at the 2014 Commonwealth Games the first step on a long journey.

“I’m on the plane,” Stein said.

“It feels great. My performance at nationals wasn’t very good as I had a bit of an interrupted preparation, but to win and confirm my spot on the team was the goal.

“Scores, points and all of that were irrelevant. The goal was to make the team and do well in Glasgow. I’ve achieved that first step now I can go to Glasgow.”

Stein won his first senior national decathlon title to secure a ticket to Glasgow, surviving a number of protests from his competitors in the process, but admits that there are some significant strides to make to ensure he is up to the challenge of competing at the Commonwealth Games. In particular, Stein is focusing on improving his running, which he says will give him a heightened chance to improve his point scores across most of the disciplines.

“I’ve had to change running coaches, so I’ve lacked running in terms of technical guidance and direction with my training in the last three to four months. The domestic season wasn’t a great success apart from making the team, so we’ve sat down with a new coach who’s helped me before,” Stein explained.

“Running is a thing we see a massive improvement in. There are plenty of points (available) and that will transfer into my long jump, high jump hurdles and the all-round decathlon.”

Understandably, competing in 10 sports requires some serious work when it comes to organising coaches. Stein is coached by up to six people across the running (100m, 110m hurdles, 400m and 1500m), jumping (long jump and high jump) and field events (shot put, discus, javelin and pole vault), with his father taking charge of the hectic scheduling as head coach. It is a difficult process that requires everyone to be available at specific times, but Stein has luckily made it work so far.

“Dad oversees everything to make sure that I’m not running too much, or not lifting too heavy in the gym, so that when I go to throw that afternoon I’ve got something left in the tank,” Stein said.

“The fact that he’s my dad as well means he’s always got my best interests at heart. I guess your coach always should have your best interest at heart, but with him being my dad it’s a bit closer. He can understand what’s going on.”

With such a broad training regime it is no surprise that Stein has been able to gain experience from a range of different sources in developing his career. At different points in time the rising star has trained with rugby league and AFL players, as well as mixed martial artist James Te Huna and fellow NSWIS athlete Dani Samuels. While the training comparison between Te Huna and Samuels was largely different, Stein said he learned a lot and used the knowledge to keep improving.

“The level that they trained at was unreal. They were doing different things than each other but how they applied themselves to training was second to none,” Stein said.

“You have to think you’re at number two and always chasing number one. You train to be the best while thinking of yourself of not quite being at the top so you’re always chasing something. You’ve got a goal to reach and achieve.”

Beyond Te Huna and Samuels, Stein has competed against a number of Australia’s top athletes across several disciplines thanks to the range of events included in the gruelling decathlon. Thankfully for Stein, the Australian athletics community is close knit, which is of huge benefit for him as he looks to continue his rapid rise in the sport.

“I’ll compete at events in the high jump, so I get to know the high jumpers, and then next week it’s the discus, then the hurdles and so on. They’re all very helpful,” Stein declared.

“The top coaches help me out as well. I’ve been up and worked with Gary Bourne, who’s the coach of Mitch Watt and Henry Frayne,” who are considered Australia’s best long jumpers.

“I think they appreciate the fact that long jumpers (for example) are focusing on long jump seven days a week, whereas we’re long jumping once a week but still jumping 7.5 metres. They want to try and help you get as close as you can to being a real long jumper.”

For the immediate future Stein’s goal is a medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, though he will be pleased with his result, whatever it may be, as long as he’s performing at the high level he has come to expect of himself.

“The decathlon this year is much stronger in the Commonwealth, which is exciting,” Stein declared.

“If I’m performing where I want to be, and that’s not enough for a medal, then that’s great for decathlon and the Commonwealth. It’s a plus for everyone as it pushes me to the next time up that level even more.

“My goal is to win a medal. I think that with the time until Glasgow I can get in some good work and be doing enough to be on the podium.”

More than just his first season in the senior ranks, Stein is using 2014 is the first year in his progression towards his ultimate goal of the Olympic Games, and he will make the most of it before the world championships in 2015.

“The progression we’ve got the next three years is perfect. Obviously everyone’s goal is the Olympic Games, but some people set their sights on that and never go to a world championship. The jump from the Commonwealth Games to the Olympics can be quite big,” Stein said.

Yet while he aims for selection for the 2016 Rio Games, his long term goal is the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he makes no bones about what he wants to achieve.

“The ultimate goal would be Tokyo in 2020, because 26 is roughly the age you’ll be your best in decathlon.

“So everything leading over the next six years is aimed towards Tokyo. Then we can go there and win.”