As for any other athletes, a big competition like Olympic Games or a World Championship is every season's highlight for a decathlete. In contrast to the usual smaller meetings, these competitions are seen by thousands of people, so once a year the decathletes are in the centre of attention themselves.
Defending champions:
- Olympic Games: Ashton Eaton - Rio de Janeiro 2016
- World Championships: Ashton Eaton - Beijing 2015
- European Championships: Thomas van der Plaetsen - Amsterdam 2016