BEN Hazell could be the new Daley Thompson of British athletics - according to his coach.
Hazell has just become the top junior decathlete in the UK after his under-20 victory in the Woodford open competition at the weekend.
The country's top all-rounders were in Essex for the two-day event and the Basingstoke and Mid-Hants member took some prized scalps on the way to a lifetime best score.
One of the big names to fall was previously-unbeaten Edward Dunford, a junior from Birchfield Harriers who holds the all-time record for English Schools titles won.
Hazell's points total is the best in the UK by a junior this year. His target now is to attain the 6,900 points needed to qualify for the European junior championships in Helsinki.
It will be all or bust in a fortnight's time when Hazell tackles the UK multi-events championships in Stoke.
His coach Bill Jewers is confident that his pupil can make the necessary improvements to get that European qualification.
An improvement in the shot and one or two other disciplines is the target.
At Woodford, the 18-year-old Queen Mary's College student achieved new personal bests in no fewer than five of the 10 disciplines.
Hazell, who earlier this month captured five titles at the Hampshire championships at Portsmouth, finished fourth overall.
He said, modestly: "It was a good overall performance and I was pleased because it included five personal bests."
All the performers were required to use the top-weight equipment in the shot, discus and javelin and the sprint hurdles were also raised to senior standard.
Hazell, who lives in Hook, started with new bests in the 100 metres (11.63 sec) and long-jump (6.80 metres). A shot-put of 10.38m was below his best but day one finished with a third PB in the high-jump (1.90m) and a 50.50sec 400m which was just one hundredth of a second slower than his previous best.
Sunday's competition started with two further PBs - 15.84sec in the 110m hurdles and 36.05m in the discus.
A 1,500m time of 4min 35.8sec gave Hazell his senior best total of 6,706.
Also in his sights is his club's record of 7,136 - held by his coach!
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