Decathlon 2000 › Championships › European Athletics Championships › European Championships Colombes 1938
 1 votes

European Championships Colombes 1938 (0)

Oct 31, 2026
The 1938 European Athletics Championships decathlon in Colombes, near Paris, saw Sweden’s Karl Olof Bexell claim the European title with a championship record of 7214 points under the original scoring system (6687 by the 1985 tables). Poland’s Witold Gerutto secured silver, while Switzerland’s Josef Neumann took bronze in a competition that also featured the early withdrawal of defending champion Hans-Heinrich Sievert.
P Athlete Nation Points Results By 1985
1 Karl Olof Bexell SWE 7214
CR		 11,5 - 6.67 - 13.62 - 1.75 - 53,2
15,7 - 43.64 - 3.80 - 52.60 - 4.49,2		 6687
2 Witold Gerutto POL 7006 11,4 - 6.18 - 14.76 - 1.83 - 53,3
16,3 - 41.86 - 3.50 - 58.80 - 5.21,6		 6459
3 Josef Neumann SUI 6664 11,6 - 6.54 - 12.57 - 1.60 - 50,1
16,9 - 36.82 - 2.90 - 60.10 - 4.45,4		 6228
4 Rudolf Glötzner GER 6492 11,6 - 6.50 - 12.42 - 1.70 - 53,3
16,9 - 34.83 - 3.50 - 55.18 - 4.47,2		 6173
5 Raymond Anet SUI 6118 11,5 - 6.14 - 10.21 - 1.65 - 51,8
15,7 - 32.80 - 3.30 - 44.68 - 4.42,0		 5918
6 Jerzy Pławczyk POL 5946 12,0 - 6.56 - 11.12 - 1.83 - 55,1
16,7 - 36.64 - 3.20 - 50.65 - 5.46,5		 5665
7 Jean Balezo FRA 5503 11,5 - 6.75 - 11.84 - 1.65 - 55,2
18,2 - 30.89 - 3.00 - 37.50 - 5.12,8		 5360
8 Hervé Mahé FRA 5346 12,2 - 5.73 - 12.13 - 1.70 - 57,9
19,3 - 35.52 - 3.10 - 49.84 - 5.15,2		 5138

CR - championship record
By 1985 - points calculated according to the 1985 scoring tables

Didn’t finish:
Hans-Heinrich Sievert (GER), Émile Binet (BEL)

Historical note: Defending European champion Hans-Heinrich Sievert returned to the decathlon in 1938 but failed to finish, leaving the title open for a new champion. Four years after taking bronze in Turin, Poland’s Jerzy Pławczyk also returned, finishing sixth in Colombes.

Please log in to add your comment!

Read more
European Championships all-time decathlon records, champions and medal table
The European Championships historical archive showcases all-time decathlon records, champions and medal table, highlighting the continent’s greatest performances and leading nations throughout history.
Olympic Games Berlin 1936
Glenn Morris crowned his brief decathlon career with a world record of 7900 points at the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games on 7–8 August. Robert Clark won silver with 7601 points and Jack Parker took bronze with 7275, completing an American medal …
World best decathletes by season – top 10 points ranking
This historical men’s decathlon ranking highlights sustained success in the world’s annual top 10 lists. Athletes earn 10 points for first place, nine for second and so on down to one point for tenth. Career totals reflect both outstanding …
Search: Colombes 1938 Karl Olof Bexell
Smart links
  • 2026 Decathlon rankings
  • Top decathletes
  • Men’s decathlon all-time list
  • Men’s decathlon top performances
  • World record progression
  • Estonian decathlon all-time list
  • Combined events calculator
  • Articles by country
  • Articles by year
  • Training • Fan Zone
  • Explore stories
  • Follow latest updates via RSS
    • So they said
    Only thing we know how to do..FIGHT! That’s what this decathlon has been for me the whole time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way - Garrett Scantling at the Tokyo Olympics
    Read more »
    Latest comments
    Janek Salmistu wrote on Oct 23, 2026
    Bryan Clay hit a hurdle and was first disqualified, but the decision was later reversed. He then fouled all three...
    Read more »
    GOUSSET wrote on Oct 19, 2026
    Hello, il me semble avoir déj communiqué l'article que nous avons publié sur DECAPASSION en 2024 (avec mon fils...
    Read more »
    Sonnemann,Gunther wrote on Sep 03, 2026
    ob eine Bewertungstabelle Mehrkampf gut ist, sehe ich an den bewerteten Leistungen nach Punkten. Ich bitte deshalb alle, eine Aufstellung...
    Read more »
    Gabby Pieraccini wrote on Aug 29, 2026
    To respond to Richard's point, women now use the correct version of the decathlon, as per the national and world...
    Read more »
    Olympic Games
    All-time records and champions 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
    World Athletics Championships
    All-time records and champions Top 3 athletes’ combined scores 1983 1987 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2025
    European Athletics Championships
    All-time records and champions 1934 1938 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1969 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2022 2024 2026
    European Cup Combined Events Super League
    All-time records and champions 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 2014 2015 2017 2019
    European Cup Combined Events Final / A Final
    All-time records and champions 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989
    Commonwealth Games
    All-time records and champions 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026
    Pan American Games
    All-time records and champions 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
    Universiades
    All-time records and champions 1961 1963 1965 1967 1970 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2025
    U23 European Championships
    All-time records and champions 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
    U20 World Championships
    All-time records and champions 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2021 2022 2024 2026
    U20 European Championships
    All-time records and champions 1970 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025
    Goodwill Games
    1986 1990 1994 1998 2001
    Friendship Games
    Moscow 1984