Using DECATHLON marks to determine the World’s Greatest Athlete

Insightful post, but do you realize you implied most decathletes could challenge Bubka's record?

mollyollie - good stuff here but I believe Bubka and Bo and prob Nehemiah would have been great decathletes had they chosen that route!

I don;t know if T&Fnews did an all decade list but

John Crist,Dave Johnson,Tim Bright and Gary Kinder would be the guys I'd expect to see on the '80s list and maybe in that order.

SserPrun95 wrote:

Interesting compilation. I've always thought that the decathlon lacked depth as the best athletes were pigeon holed as specialists early on. Looks like a fair number of those guys you listed could be 8500+ pt guys which gets you into the realm of being an animal.

Don't be naive: If you look at elite decathletes and compile their PRs in individual events, the totals are greater than 8500! A significant aspect of the decathlon - and its claim on the greatest athlete - is what marks are achieved under sustained duress.

Decathletes don't perform a single event with the ability to be as rested, hydrated, and energized as possible, like most track event competitors. Two things - their endurance to perform in the two day competition and their ability to cross train and avoid injury - are central to being a great decathlete, above and beyond genetic athleticism.

The OP did not say decathletes lack hand-eye coordination, just that the decathlon lacks tests of hand-eye coordination.

Hello Harry and forum fans. I see you have older Decathlon results. I need results of the 1962 US AAU Decathlon Championships, Tulare, California (June,1962) In particular I need the individual event results, especially last place Sam Goldberg, who went on to do some great things in deathlon history. Thanks in advance

I was going to post here for Glenn Davis. Anybody who doubts the ability of this man need only google youtube 1956 400 meter hurdles. I can only think what he would have achieved if he'd been born 30 years later. From what I understand he used to train with Rafer Johnson now and then and Rafer was only too glad he didn't have to compete with Davis. Let these potential marks sink in and remember today's decathletes are closer to their potential because they train 6-7 hours a day:

100 meter 10.3 (even with Ashton Eaton)- remember Davis was on dirt.

400 meter - world record 45.7 yards - 45.2 meters (ahead of any decathlete but I know Eaton is at 46).

1500 meter - a question mark but 1:52 880 shows real potential

110 hurdles: 14.3

long jump: 26 foot although I don't know where the documentation is

high jump: 6-8 a fantastic mark for the time when Dumas set the record a 7' in '56

shot: ?

discus: ?

Javelin: ?

pole vault: 14' remember poles were steel!

Why oh why did he have to go and waste the rest of his talent on football and the Lions?

Bottom line: he had talent that put him ahead of anybody.

Final word: Larry Snyder once said Davis was possibly a greater talent than Owens.

^

Had no idea Bubka was such a phenomenal athlete. 26'9" LJ?

I'm always amazed with decathletes and what they can accomplish. As a former high jumper, fast twitch muscles are involved with the approach and the takeoff. Fast twitch muscles don't fare very well with distance events.

And I will say it, the mechanics around the pole vault are almost incomprehensible to high jumpers. Sprinting is comparable, long jumping - sure, but pole vaulting. Yikes!

It's easier to get a pole vaulter to high jump.

https://wiseolmanager.com/2018/05/30/high-jump-approach-elements-of-approach/

Glenn Davis could have been the best ever. Rafer was intimidated by him (sort of). Remember he focused on the intermediate hurdles; not even a decathlon event.

On another note does anyone know about either Jan Lusis (68 Olympic Javelin champ) or Gerhard Stock (36 Olympic Javelin champ and third in the shot) as far as their decathlon efforts?

Have to second on Jeep Davis. One of the all time great T&F athletes. Could coach as well as compete. His double WR at 400: 45.7h and 49.2m is unprecedented; as though Warholm or Benjamin could also run in the low 43s as well as sub 47. Rafer Johnson has stated Davis had tremendous work capacity and hated trying Davis's beastly 400 meter workouts.

MollyOllie, awesome reply..... please post to the Matt Boling fanboy sites : )

To me, the decathlon has been revoltionized since it hit it's "high point" status wise: 1976 Bruce Jenner Gold Medal/World record performance. Bruce, like him or not, was the Tiger Woods of the decathlon and inspired many in the next generation (even if you saw "Can't Stop the Music"). Myself included

Ironically, Bruce was also the last decathlon Olympic Champion/World Record Holder "who didn't have a good event." (he also didn't have a bad event, for 1976)

Since Bruce, every world record holder is near, or is, world class in something and many have PB's could have placed in WC's, Olympics, Nationals etc (Even massive Jurgen Hingsen LJ'd over 8 meters). Up and comers Ayden Owens (400) and Ehammer(LJ) are world class. The level of the decathlon has got to the point where one must be a world class sprinter/jumper to even be considered for having world record potential. Mayer at his peak was simply amazing- 13.48/7.90 who can JT 73 meters.

It's sounds like you are from the "Dan and Dave" era ?

The future, for anyone to break Mayer's record, is for an Owens or Ehammer type to develop a second day that is equal or beyond their first day (As Mayer did). An easy thing to say and a very tough thing to do.

Thanks again for the detailed post.

Lol, and he died alone in bed and it took a day or two for a, housekeeper to find him

Wilt in 1956-1959 would have been a decent decathlon ham and egger...

You win the Olympic 100m you also win the title "Worlds Fastest Human" simply how it goes. The Olympic decathlon champion also wins the title "Worlds Greatest Athlete" and there really is no reason to debate this or try and use some other barometer. No ball player would be able to hang with a decathlete if talking greater athlete. And there are no athletes who weren't decathetes who belong with the great decathletes when it comes to the greatest athletes.

Lol. Love it. Or take the top 3 cross fitters and have them do a decathlon.

I will say this, take the top ten world decathletes and top ten athletes from any other sport and have a team competition across several sports none of them do. (think 1980s Superstars). Decathletes will kick ass. Most did tons of sports as kids (didnt specialize like basketball, baseball players do year round) and if they vault over 17 feet they do not have alot of fear factor.

As mentioned before, some past decathletes did excel in other sports... Jenner turned down pro water skiing to go to college for track. I knew a decathlete who would rival Laird Hamilton as a waterman/big wave surfer. Take ten decathletes bowling and explain its just like rolling a discus back to a teammate, someone will bowl 250. I'd imagine, with no training, world class decathletes would destroy any other sport (except NFLers) in Rugby Sixes. NBA might give them a good run though.