Decathlon
Ten-event test of versatility, crowned 'World's Greatest Athlete'.
The decathlon is a ten-event athletics competition, a combined event that takes place over two days. Its name comes from the Greek words for "ten" and "contest," modeled after the word "pentathlon." Unlike most athletics events, the winner is not the athlete who finishes first in a single race or jump; instead, each performance in every event is converted into points, and the athlete with the highest total score wins. The decathlon is primarily a men's event; women usually compete in the heptathlon, which has seven events.
The title "World's Greatest Athlete" has traditionally been awarded to the decathlon winner. This tradition began in 1912, when King Gustav V of Sweden told American Jim Thorpe, "Sir, you are the world's greatest athlete," after Thorpe won the decathlon at the Stockholm Olympics.
The modern decathlon has roots in the ancient Greek pentathlon, a five-event competition that included long jump, discus, javelin, a sprint, and wrestling. A ten-event "all-around" championship similar to today's decathlon was first held at the U.S. amateur championships in 1884, and a version of it appeared at the 1904 Summer Olympics, though its official status is debated. The decathlon as we know it debuted at the 1912 Olympic Games.
The ten events, contested in this order over two days, are: 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 metres, 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500 metres. The current world record is held by French athlete Kevin Mayer, who scored 9126 points at the 2018 Décastar in Talence, France.
For women, the equivalent major championship event is the heptathlon. However, World Athletics approved scoring tables for a women's decathlon in 2001. The current women's decathlon world record is 8358 points, set by Austra Skujytė of Lithuania. Women use lighter implements (shot, discus, javelin) and lower hurdles over 100 metres instead of 110 metres. The points tables for shared events are the same as for the heptathlon. In some women's decathlons, the field events are scheduled in a different order than the men's, though by 2024 the rules allowed using the men's order. The inaugural Women's Decathlon World Championships used the men's ordering.
There is also a "one-hour decathlon," where athletes must start the final event (the 1500 metres) within sixty minutes of the first event. The world record in this format is 7897 points, set by Czech decathlete Robert Změlík in 1992.
In Masters athletics, performances are age-graded before being applied to the standard scoring table, allowing older athletes to earn high scores with marks that would not normally appear on the scale. Using this system, German Rolf Geese (M60 division) and American Robert Hewitt (M80 division) have set world records over 8000 points, while Nadine O'Connor scored 10,234 points in the W65 division, the highest decathlon score ever recorded.
The points system, updated in 2001, uses formulas: for track events, Points = INT(A(B − P)C), where a faster time yields a higher score; for field events, Points = INT(A(P − B)C), where a greater distance or height yields a higher score. A, B, and C are parameters specific to each event, and P is the athlete's performance measured in seconds, metres, or centimetres. These tables are separate from comparison tables compiled by Bojidar Spiriev, which allow relative quality comparisons across different events.
Lore & Background
The decathlon is a combined athletics event consisting of ten track and field competitions, contested over two consecutive days. Its name was formed in analogy to "pentathlon," from Greek roots meaning "ten" and "contest." The modern decathlon first appeared at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, evolving from the ancient Greek pentathlon, which included long jump, discus throw, javelin throw, sprint, and wrestling. A similar ten-event "all-around" competition was held at the United States amateur championships in 1884 and at the 1904 Summer Olympics. The event is contested mainly by male athletes; female athletes typically compete in the heptathlon, though a women's decathlon exists with lighter implements and lower hurdles. Performance is judged by a points system, not by finishing position. The ten events are: 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 metres, 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500 metres. Traditionally, the decathlon winner is called the "World's Greatest Athlete," a title originating when King Gustav V of Sweden said this to Jim Thorpe after his 1912 Olympic victory. The current official world record holder is French athlete Kevin Mayer, with 9126 points.
Reader's Guide
The decathlon represents the pinnacle of combined-event athletics, demanding versatility across sprints, jumps, throws, and distance running. Its points system, revised by the IAAF in 2001, uses formulae that reward faster times and greater distances or heights. The event's historical roots in the ancient pentathlon and its evolution through the all-around competitions of the late 19th century underscore its enduring appeal. Masters athletics uses age-graded scoring, allowing older athletes to achieve high point totals.
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