The Decathlon is the supreme test of the all-round athlete and, after the Marathon, the event which comes closest to the Olympic ideal. Ten events in only two days, embracing speed, strength, courage and endurance demands that only the super athlete can hope to achieve the gold medal.
On the first day the athletes contest the 100m, long-jump, shot-put, high-jump and end the day with the 400m. Day two involves the 100m hurdles, discus, pole-vault, javelin and ends with the gruelling 1590m.
Over the years this competition has produced some epic feats of athleticism, among them the performance of Jim Thorpe, the American Indian who dominated the event in 1912;Ã Ã Bob Mathias, who at the age of 21, won his second Decathlon gold; and the thrilling struggle between C.K. Yang of Formosa and Rafer Johnson in 1960, when the gold medal was decided by a matter of yards.
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