decathlon

noun

de·​cath·​lon di-ˈkath-lən 

-ˌlän,

-ˈka-thə-

: a 10-event athletic contest

specifically : a composite contest that consists of the 100-meter, 400-meter, and 1500-meter runs, the 110-meter high hurdles, the javelin and discus throws, shot put, pole vault, high jump, and long jump

Did you know?

Decathlon from deca- and athlon, "contest", means "ten contests". The ancient Greek Olympics held five-contest competitions, or pentathlons, that were based on the skills needed in battle. The modern Olympic decathlon, which was born in 1912, consists of the 100-meter run, 400-meter run, 1500-meter run, 110-meter high hurdles, javelin throw, discus throw, shot put, pole vault, high jump, and long jump. The original winner was the legendary Jim Thorpe, who would later be judged the greatest American athlete of the 20th century. And ever since, the Olympic decathlon winner has been called the finest all-around athlete in the world.

Examples of decathlon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Grenada: The island nation in the eastern Caribbean needed just six athletes to win a medal, taking bronze in the men’s decathlon for an average of 0.1667 medals per athlete. —Mark Puleo and John Bradford, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024

That was Markus Rooth, who took gold in the men’s decathlon. —Mark Puleo and John Bradford, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024

And two classmates from UCLA, Johnson and Yang, would battle for gold in the decathlon. —Tim Genske, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

This excludes world-best decathlon performances and field events (hammer throw, shot put), which do not use a runway or the track. —Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French décathlon, from déca- deca- + -athlon (as in pentathlon)

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

decathlon

noun

de·​cath·​lon di-ˈkath-lən 

-ˌlän

: an athletic contest in which each competitor takes part in each of a series of 10 track-and-field events