decathlon
noun
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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
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
The other athlete, Tom Papas, had been named to three teams but only completed one full decathlon.
—Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2024
Marra wanted the Paris organizers to highlight the decathlon and heptathlon.
—Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 27 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Decathlon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decathlon. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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decathlon
noun
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