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wejo
co-founder
What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:02PM Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
I'm at the cecathlon press conference and Ashton Eaton was asked if he was the best athlete in the world.

Trey Hardee interrupted and said, "Ashton is the best athlete that has every walked the planet, hands down."

He then added, "Just because you're fast it doesn't make you an athlete" and pointed out how Ashton used to fast and not a great decathlete.

Trey's main argument was by definition the decathlon world record holder is the best athlete in the world.

Then the next journalist who spoke said that Usain Bolt had declared himself the best athlete in the world.

I then started wondering what could Usain Bolt do in the decathlon.

He's a pretty big guy. I've seen him dunk a basketball. So that would point to a good high jump. The 100/400 speak for themselves. He's tall, I'm assuming he could lean to hurdle.

So with 3 months training (learning to vault) what could Bolt do?

With 2 years?
DOUMBIAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:08PM - in reply to wejo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
He'd probably set the WR by being insanely good in some events and being terrible in others. A 1200 point score in the 100, 400 and long jump is possible. Pole vault, not so much. And maybe decent scores in discus, javelin and shot put.
Polevaultguy
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:13PM - in reply to wejo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Interesting question but you're addressing a few events out of 10 that Bolt would exceed at. Pole Vaulting in 3 months? It's not so simple. Plus the dedication required to be the best in the world at a 10 event contest is not something that may naturally occur with Usain or any other great athlete that one plugs in and says they could excel at the decathlon.
dumb
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:16PM - in reply to DOUMBIAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

DOUMBIAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! wrote:

He'd probably set the WR by being insanely good in some events and being terrible in others. A 1200 point score in the 100, 400 and long jump is possible. Pole vault, not so much. And maybe decent scores in discus, javelin and shot put.


The problem with this theory is that based on the way decathlon is scored, you have to pretty damn good at everything to be a world beater and extreme excellence in a small number of events is not rewarded by the tables.
wejo
co-founder
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:24PM - in reply to dumb Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Usain was just asked who was better, "I'm a great athlete but to do 10 events espcialy the 1500 I have to give it to him."
totalguess
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:28PM - in reply to wejo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
My guess with a couple of years of training:
EVENT MARK POINTS
100m 9.90 1121
LJ 8.2 1112
SP 13.5 698
HJ 2.15 944
400m 46.15 1001
110mHH 13.80 1000
DT 40.0 665
PV 4.8 849
JT 55.0 663
1500m 4:30 745
Total = 8798
SkyArt
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:29PM - in reply to totalguess Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

totalguess wrote:

My guess with a couple of years of training:
EVENT MARK POINTS
100m 9.90 1121
LJ 8.2 1112
SP 13.5 698
HJ 2.15 944
400m 46.15 1001
110mHH 13.80 1000
DT 40.0 665
PV 4.8 849
JT 55.0 663
1500m 4:30 745
Total = 8798


he would probably do better in the 100m and much better in the 400m
Heard through the grapevine
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:32PM - in reply to wejo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Bolt would beat Eaton easily in the 100m (obviously) and would probably have an edge in the 400m. Arguments could be made as far as the hurdles and LJ, either way. There's absolutely no reason to believe Bolt could beat Eaton in any of the other events, even if he trained at them hard enough to lessen his existing advantage in the sprints.

Anyway, Bolt will never try it -- and why should he? -- but if he did I'd put money on Eaton.
Ness Paula Jeff Poo
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:48PM - in reply to wejo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
God damn why is wejo still on Bolt's nuts? This was cute in 2008, now it's creepy. Is he required to make posts like this to receive Puma ad revenue?
insightlessness
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:53PM - in reply to SkyArt Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

SkyArt wrote:

[quote]totalguess wrote:

My guess with a couple of years of training:
EVENT MARK POINTS
100m 9.90 1121
LJ 8.2 1112
SP 13.5 698
HJ 2.15 944
400m 46.15 1001
110mHH 13.80 1000
DT 40.0 665
PV 4.8 849
JT 55.0 663
1500m 4:30 745
Total = 8798


he would probably do better in the 100m and much better in the 400m[/quote]


I'm not so sure he would because the 400 comes at the end of day 1, and a 9.9 with a full day to follow is possibly a reasonable estimate. I think he would probably be terrible at the decathlon - from an international level perspective - just because it is the safest bet to assume he would struggle with all the throwing technique that he has likely never developed any coordination for. I doubt he would ever pick up the pole vault efficiently either, and the high jump would be challenging to pick up if he had all these other events he had to learn from scratch. I think the only event he would transition well into would be the LJ, and he might get ok in the hurdles.

Perhaps he is a natural at something else, but the odds on bet is that he wouldn't be because every event outside of the flat running requires so much coordination and technique.
Sprint Teezer
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:53PM - in reply to totalguess Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Your throws estimates are terrible. Bolt is 6'5".

SP: 15-16
HJ: 2.2
DT: 50.0
JT: 60.0


He would easily set the world record after a few weeks of technical training.

He is the best athlete in the world, clearly.
Came before the chicken
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 5:56PM - in reply to Ness Paula Jeff Poo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Would never have the dedication to train for everything, though it'd make a good video game showdown.

Is he the world's best athlete? Wejo: He can dunk a basketball so...
kozz
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 6:01PM - in reply to wejo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
As far as I know, Eaton has never played cricket. Bolt can play cricket.
Mnyahhhhh
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 6:05PM - in reply to kozz Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
The running events don't score great points do they?

Anyway, Michael Johnson of 1996 runs 19.10 on these new sprint loaded tracks and Bolt gets silver.
red devil
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 6:12PM - in reply to Mnyahhhhh Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Bolt will be playing for Man Utd next season.
His Friend
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 6:31PM - in reply to red devil Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

red devil wrote:

Bolt will be playing for Man Utd next season.


It's possible, he isn't very good at soccer.
0bi
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 6:40PM - in reply to wejo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Eaton is the superior athlete (best athlete in the world mind you) not even debatable imo.
Bolt could do a decent deca with training he does has top fast twitch talent, I dont think he has all the tools needed to be a world class deca-athlete though.
0bi
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 6:41PM - in reply to 0bi Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Much less be in the caliber of Eaton.
raw thang
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 7:11PM - in reply to wejo Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

wejo wrote:

He's a pretty big guy. I've seen him dunk a basketball. So that would point to a good high jump. The 100/400 speak for themselves. He's tall, I'm assuming he could lean to hurdle.

So with 3 months training (learning to vault) what could Bolt do?

With 2 years?


How does a 6'5" guy being able to dunk point to a good high jump? How does his being tall relate to your thinking he could learn to hurdle? If anything, his height would be a severe detriment in the 110 hurdles.

Contribute something, moron.
word up
RE: What Could Usain Bolt Do in the Decathlon? Is He a Better Athlete than Ashton Eaton? 8/9/2012 7:16PM - in reply to raw thang Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
I'd be worried if Bolt couldn't dunk. This is not one of the distinguishing factors of why he is a good athlete.
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