Rules to play Olympic Decathlon

1. The decathlon is a 10 event spectacle featuring the pole vault, high jump, long jump, javelin, shot put, discus, 110 meter hurdles, 100 meter dash, 400 meter run, and wait for it a 1500 meter run. .....

Wrestling was once part of the show

2. The decathlon wasnt always 10 events long. The sport started in ancient Greece as an all around test of an athletes ability, also known as the pentathlon. The battles: long jump, discus, javelin, sprint, and a wrestling match (pre pre pre WWF style). .....

Talk about back to back to back

3. Athletes get a minimum of 30 minutes rest in between events. Factor in stretching, refueling, and finding the bathroom, and it can feel as quick as a Formula 1 pit stop. .....

Girls sit this one out

4. The decathlon is still just for the boys. Women compete in their own grueling multi event competition known as the heptathlon, which includes the same events as the mens, minus the 1500 meter run, discus throw, and pole vault. .....

The score matters most

5. Decathletes are actually competing against a scoring table not each other directly. At the end of all events, the athlete with the highest score wins. So a good decathlete must score well in each event rather than just dominating a few (easier said than done, of course). .....

Ten thousand is the goal

6. A perfect score in the decathlon is 1,000 points in each event for a cumulative score of 10,000 points. But dont be looking for the perfect score card in London its never been done. .....

Theres an American on top

7. Ashton Eaton recently broke the world record with a whopping 9,039 point total in the Olympic Trials (perfect timing). Safe to say hes the favorite headed into these Games (and representing the USA!). .....

Decathletes aim for greatness

8. In 1912, the USAs Jim Thorpe became the first winner of the decathlon and was allegedly declared the greatest athlete in the world by King Gustav V of Sweden. Later, it surfaced that he broke amateur rules by playing professional baseball (is there anything this guy couldnt do?). His Olympic titles were later reinstated after his death. .....

Beginners luck happens

9. Bob Matthias, the youngest Olympic champion in the decathlon, was just 17 years old when he competed for the U.S. in the 1948 Games. Talk about beginners luck it was only his third attempt at the 10 event competition. .....

Youve only got one shot well three

10. For the javelin, discus, long jump, and shot put, athletes only get three attempts each, with the best of those recorded as their final score. .....

Its a marathon of sorts

11. They might not be traditional endurance athletes, but decathletes can sure go the distance. Decathlons usually run about 6 8 hours for each day of competition. .....

Decathletes are fast on their feet

12. The fastest 100 meter run in a decathlon (non wind aided) was 10.21 seconds by Ashton Eaton at the 2012 Olympic trials. Compare that to the world record of 9.58 seconds set by Usain Bolt at the 2009 Track and Field World Championships. Not bad for someone who also competes in nine other events! .....

One event can cost you big time

13. Just ask Dan OBrien, who was set to go to the Olympics in 1992. In a shocking turn of events, he missed his opening height on pole vault three times in a row, meaning zero points for the event, and the bitter pill of watching his Olympic dreams disappear. .....

Talk about some luggage

14. Decathletes can have up to 5 7 pairs of shoes for their sprinting, jumping, throwing, and running events. .....

Americas got talent

15. The U.S. has had 11 decathlon gold medalists since 1912, including Bryan Clay in the 2008 Summer Games. Thats the most of any country. Watch out, world. .....

The competition

16. The mens decathlon consists of ten events that are held on two consecutive days. The first days events include, in order, a 100 meter run, the long jump, shot put, high jump and a 400 meter run. The second days events, in order, include the 110 meter hurdles followed by the discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and a 1500 meter run.The rules for each event within the decathlon are generally the same as for the individual events themselves, with .....

Equipment and venue

17. Each decathlon event takes place in the same venue, and uses the same equipment, as its individual Olympic Games counterpart. Check the links below for more details on each decathlon event. .....

Gold silver and bronze

18. Athletes in the decathlon must achieve an Olympic qualifying score and must qualify for their nations Olympic team. A maximum of three competitors per country may compete in the decathlon. Points are awarded to each athlete according to his time or distance, not his placement in the field, according to pre set formulas.If there is a tie in points after 10 events the victory goes to the competitor who out scored his rival in more events. If that t .....