Ok I’m amazed at decathlon/pentathlon. How in the world do people get good at it? How are there enough hours in the day?

I think step 1 is to be a real freak of nature. Most of us are lucky if we're pretty good at one thing. Ever meet someone who can just play any sport? Grow up playing baseball, basketball, football, running, jumping throwing. Start track at a young age and do a mix of field and track events. I'm not sure where youth dec/pent is offered, but presumably you get started in that with a club asap, if not you start in college when you can get enough support. I imagine if you're a HSer who can sprint, hurdle, and do at least one good jump and one good throw, picking up the rest is a "relatively small" task, keeping in mind that these are the most athletic people on earth. Except pole vault. Idk how anyone ever does that.

Wiki says Ashton Eaton participated in football, basketball, track, soccer, wrestling, and taekwondo. His grandad and dad were football players. His mom was an "athlete" and a dancer. In HS he ran 48.6 and long jumped 24ft. His HS coach suggested he go to college where could get decathlon support and he ended up at Oregon.

So yeah, be a freak, an explosive freak at that, and play a lot of sports!

Have you heard of Jack? Of the Of the All Trades fame?

The ugly secret is, that they are not good at anything.

Eaton ran 45.00 for 400m. That's a stones throw away from national class. That's "good" to most.

The point is that they are the best across multiple events, not just one. Crouser can't hurdle like a decathlete, Holloway can't pole vault like a decathlete, Duplantis can't do a 1500m like a decathlete, etc.

watch caitlyns jenner untold on netflix

And 13.3- 110HH, 48.7- 400H, 17'8" - pole vault, 27" long jump.

Those are pretty darn good.

Damn what a buzzkill you are. No one chooses decathlon because they suck at everything.

Very interesting. So he was not an experienced decathlete before he went to Oregon. Of course he is incredibly gifted.

Why did you go through the effort of converting the PBs from his WA-profile?

I wonder how they group their weekly training. Must be very difficult.

Clown…go run an ultra…

The simple answer is that some people are just born differently. I've coached two athletes who could just do everything and they are simply born extraordinary athletes. They were also just always active - surfing and biking every weekend, climbing everything they could get on to, and constant pickup games of every sport at every hour of the day.

def correct for the first two examples, but Mondo probably could run a 1500 like many world class decathletes. Pierce Lepage who won World's this year has only run 4:31. Mondo is almost certainly capable of that. Mondo has the most potential of the examples you give to actually be a decent decathlete if he wanted to be

First they have to be able to get pole vault equipment and afford a good coach.

If you can't get that far, forget it. And it's not even an event anyone watches, except for 2 days every 4 years. Top elite veterans can maybe retire as TV commentators. Maybe.

I once coached a kid who placed at state in both the hundred and the 1500. He then placed at state in the short hurdles and the pole vault he wasn't the most gifted of all athletes but he was the hardest working athlete ever. He did what I told him never complained ran cross-country to get a good base. An absolute joy to coach. Went on to place 4th in the decathlon.

Why in the world would someone run both the 100 and 1500? Wouldn't they pick an event in the middle?

I think he was third in the 1500 6th in the 100 and he placed first or second in the long jump. Long time ago can't remember exactly. I also once coach the kid who placed in the shot put high jump and 400 at state. Placed in javelin, pole vault and hurdles another year. That kid was talented and worked hard.