Ashley Moloney tipped for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games after winning world youth decathlon

The coach of newly crowned world under 20 decathlon champion Ashley Moloney says the teenager was almost certain to compete in his first Olympic Games in Toyko, 2020.

Ashley Moloney after winning the world under 20 decathlon in Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)

The coach of newly crowned world under 20 decathlon champion Ashley Moloney says the Logan teenager was almost certain to compete in his first Olympic Games in Toyko, 2020.

Last Friday Moloney claimed the junior decathlon title in Finland.

“If I was a betting man, I would say he is a certainty,’’ said Eric Brown from the UQ Athletics Centre.

Ashley Moloney throws a javelin. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)

“The score is 8100 to qualify and he stuffed up two or three events (in Finland) and got 8190.

He will qualify (for Toyko) easily. He has miles of improvement left in him.

“Things can go wrong, but by the time he gets to the Olympics he could be in 8500 shape.’’

Moloney, a Jimboomba Little Athletics Centre junior who still lives in Logan, broke three under 20 world records - 100m, high jump and 400m - as well as Cedric Dubler’s junior decathlon record.

Ashley Moloney hurdling. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images for IAAF)

Ironically Dubler, a Rio Olympian and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, is Moloney’s training partner at UQ Athletics.

“What set the world alight was that he jumped 2.10m off his wrong leg in high jump,’’ Brown said.

“We were expecting 1.95 to 2m but he comes out and breaks the world competition record of 2.10m held by his training partner Cedric Dubler.

Ashley Moloney in action. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)

“Then we went on to kill it after that. He was very impressive. He won by 300 or 400 points. And his score of 8190 could have been a lot more,’’ Brown said of the Brisbane Boys College old boy.

“He screwed up his long jump run-up.’’