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OTTAWA – London, Ont. native Jessica Zelinka finished in 6th place with 18,841 points in the heptathlon as part of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Combined Events Challenge 2006. The challenge points are accumulated by competing in established qualifying competitions throughout the season. The athlete’s top three events are used to calculate the final rankings. The heptathlon requires an athlete to be multi-talented, excelling in seven different events. The events are the 100-metre hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, 200-metres, the long jump, javelin throw and the 800-metres. Athletes earn points for performances in each individual event which go towards their global point total.
Jessica finished only 11 points behind 5th place finisher Nataliya Dobrynska from the Ukraine and 31 points behind 4th place finisher Kelly Sotherton from Great Britain. The winner of the Combined Events Challenge was Carolina Kluft from Sweden with a point total of 20,124. This is Kluft’s fourth title in a row dating back to 2003.
Zelinka who trains in Calgary, Alb. amassed her score with her performances in Arles, France (6,314 pts.), Gotzis, Austria (6,314 pts) and at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia (6,213 pts). The last and latest event as part of the Combined Events Challenge was held September 16 – 17 in Talence, France. Zelinka finished 7th with 5,960 points.
Jessica’s outstanding season included a 4th place finish at the Commonwealth Games and breaking the national Canadian record 3 times. She broke the 13-year old record held by Catherine Bond-Mills at the Commonwealth Games, then improved on the record in Austria and would later equal that mark in Arles, France.
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