What is decathlon sports? Find all the details explained

In the world of the Olympics, the undisputed heavyweight king of the events is this telling name, the decathlon. And while all the other events carried out allow specialization, these forms of sports often require a particular athlete to have incredible levels of skills in virtually every aspect: speed, mobility, stamina, and direction, among others.

So, what is a decathlon sport? It is an athletic competition that lasts for exactly two consecutive days, in which athletes take part in 10 track-and-field events. In other words, it could also be defined as a sport consisting of four runs, three jumps, and three throws in just two days.

What is decathlon in track and field?

It is a track and field competition whereby, athletes compete in four runs, three jumps, and three throws in two consecutive days. These competitors then receive points for their performances in each of the 10 events, favouring those who would have scored evenly across the events.

History of decathlon

When was the sport founded? It was first developed from the ancient pentathlon competitions held at the ancient Greek Olympics. Back then, it had been divided into five disciplines: the long jump, discus throw, javelin throw, sprint and one wrestling match.

It went on for some decades up until 1912 when it first appeared on the Olympic athletics program in Stockholm but introduced as a three-day event.

Who is a decathlon athlete?

A decathlon athlete is called a decathlete. A decathlete competes in either of the sports forming the major event.

What is a decathlon team?

A team in this kind of sport represents a group of athletes competing against opponents in either of the ten sport's events. For instance, the Canadian Women's team competing against the Australian Women's team.

What are the 10 decathlon sports events?

According to an in-depth analysis, here are the ten events that make up the sport. It is only fair that these respective sports are divided into two days. In the first day, the event that take place are the 100-metre dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400-metre dash.

On the second day, the events include the 110-metre hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500-metre run.

10. 100-metre dash

Being one of the sport's ten events, the 100-metre dash is one of track and field's shortest yet most iconic races among all the other events. For the most equipped competitors, it is alleged to last around 10 seconds.

This event mainly eyes and tests an athlete's speed and acceleration and just how consistent they can be when it comes to those two aspects.

9. Long jump

Even though some might assume that the 100-metre dash is like the core of the sport, the long jump is yet another mainstay event of the decathlon, which has been a part of the modern Olympics since inception in 1896.

In this event, athletes are expected to jump across a particular rectangular pit; 2 metres or 6.56 feet wide and 8.23 metres or 27 feet long. However, there are certain rules in this event such that, at takeoff, one must not touch any part of the pit or board with his feet before jumping.

Weird Olympic sports: An all-time list of the most weird sports in the history of the Olympics

Olympics

8. Shot put

Shot put is a track and field event whereby athletes attempt to throw a heavy metal ball called a shot. It has been registered in the Olympic Games since its revival in 1896 and women have also learnt their way around the sport.

7. High jump

Like long jump, athletes are required to highly jump over a horizontal bar without actually knocking it off the stanchions. After which, a winner is determined from the athlete who clears the greatest height during the match.

6. 400-metre dash

This form of sport is no different from 100-metre dash, only the distance to be covered. It is a sprint that requires speed, power, and immense coordination from an athlete. Additionally, the decathlete is required to jump over 10 hurdles while maintaining his or her lane.

5. 110-metre hurdles

The fifth form of the sport is the 110-metre hurdles, whereby, an athlete is required to jump over 13 barriers: 14 for men and 110 metres or 120.1 yards of running space, without breaking even a single stride.

4. Discus throw

While one might most of the sports under decathlon are entirely about jumping over hoops, throwing is also a skill. Here, an athlete throws a heavy disc called a discus in an attempt to throwing it further than opponents.

3. Pole vault

Another yet interesting form is the pole-vaulting. In the beginning, it was regarded a man's sport, but today, women have known their way around those poles, with some of them actually surpassing records set by men.

As of February 2023, the men's pole-vaulting record is held by Renaud Lavillenie, who cleared 6.16 metres or 20 feet 2.5 inches while in the women’s category, it is held by Yelena Isinbayeva who cleared 5.06 metres or 16 feet 7 inches.

2. Javelin throw

Aside from the discus throw, decathlon has yet another form of sport called the Javelin throw, which involves an athlete throwing a javelin as far as possible. These javelins are approximately 2.5 metres in length, and they are made of metal or carbon.

1. 1500-metre run

The final form of sport is the 1500-metre run, which often follows the 110-metre hurdles and precedes the 400-metre dash. In this race, athletes are expected to run in lanes without cutting through corners.

Whenever the Olympics announces the various forms of sports to be tackled at a certain period, most of the fans are never aware of what the decathlon sports include. However, from the list above, we hope you can now tell the different forms of decathlon.

Sports Brief recently detailed the pickleball sport which has been on the rise lately and is considered one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States of America and Canada.

It is a great way of getting in some exercise, and easy enough for everybody to play it. If this sounds like your next hobby, click on the link above to explore.