decathlon

[ dih-kath-lon ]

noun

1. an athletic contest comprising ten different track-and-field events and won by the contestant amassing the highest total score.

decathlon

/ dɪˈkæθlɒn /

noun

1. an athletic contest for men in which each athlete competes in ten different events Compare pentathlon

Derived Forms

• deˈcathlete, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decathlon¹

1910–15; dec- + Greek âthlon prize, contest

Word History and Origins

Origin of decathlon¹

C20: from deca- + Greek athlon contest, prize; see athlete

Example Sentences

Forman’s comical look at the decathlon is scored with bell ringers and yodelers, while Schlesinger’s intense “The Longest” intermixes the marathon with the attack by Palestinian terrorists on the Israeli quarters in the Olympic Village.

From Los Angeles Times

Jimmy was a national college decathlon champion, Merja a world-class volleyball player and Mark a Golden Gloves boxer in Las Vegas.

From Los Angeles Times

He held a news conference last week with Caitlyn Jenner, who won Olympic gold in the men’s decathlon in 1976 and later underwent a gender transition.

From Seattle Times

Smith says his work with two-time Olympic decathlon gold medallist Thompson is clearly paying off.

From BBC

Asked to recount the revelry of the day before, he grins like a man who has just completed a decathlon and is pretty psyched about his performance.

From New York Times

More About Decathlon

What is a decathlon?

A decathlon is an athletic competition in which athletes compete in 10 different track-and-field events.

Decathlon events are usually spread out over multiple days (unlike endurance competitions such as triathlons, in which the events happen directly after one another).

Which events are in a decathlon?

The traditional modern decathlon includes the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400-meter running race on the first day; and a 110-meter hurdles race, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500-meter running race the second day.

Athletes who compete in decathlons are called decathletes. They are often considered the world’s best all-around athletes due to their versatility and skill in multiple sports.

The decathlon at the summer Olympic Games (the Summer Games) is widely considered the highest level of competition, featuring the best decathletes from around the world.

Example: Most athletes are specialists—devoting all of their training to a single sport—but competing in a decathlon requires mastery of multiple sports.

Where does decathlon come from?

The first records of the word decathlon come from the early 1900s. Decathlon comes from a combination of the prefix dec-, meaning “ten,” and the Greek term âthlon, which means “prize” or “contest” and is also the basis of the words athlete and athletics.

The modern decathlon is based on a competition from the ancient Greek Olympic Games called the pentathlon, which featured five track-and-field events. In the 1900s, the decathlon was standardized for international competition so that it always features the same events in the same order with the same scoring format. The complicated scoring system has been updated many times.

The modern Olympic decathlon was originally a three-day event, but was shortened to two days in 1936.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to decathlon?

• decathlete (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with decathlon? 

• decade
• decagon
• athlete
• triathlon
• pentathlon
• heptathlon
• slackathlon

What are some words that often get used in discussing decathlon?

• race
• dash
• sprint
• long jump
• shot put
• high jump
• hurdles
• discus
• pole vault
• javelin

How is decathlon used in real life?

Athletes who compete in the decathlon are called decathletes, and they’re often considered the best all-around athletes in the world.

One hundred and eight years ago, Jim Thorpe shattered Olympic records in the decathlon and pentathlon.

Now, a group is pushing the International Olympic Committee to restore his status as the sole gold medalist in both events. https://t.co/x7renT1eIT

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 16, 2020

The World's Greatest Athlete does it again! Ashton Eaton defends his world title and sets a world record in the decathlon, 9,045 points.

— oregontf (@OregonTF) August 29, 2015

Finished my first decathlon with what is hopefully a new British record of 6878 (yet to be verified!)!It's a lot tougher than I thought!!

— Jess Taylor-Jemmett (@jesstaylor25) September 14, 2015

Try using decathlon!

Which of the following events is not a part of the Olympic decathlon?

A. running
B. swimming
C. pole vault
D. high jump