Robert Zmelík wasn’t unbeatable in every meet, but in Barcelona 1992, nobody else combined consistency, peak fitness, and mental resilience as well as he did. That’s why, on that stage, he was the best.
Christian Plaziat was unbeatable because he embodied the ideal decathlete profile that day: consistent, technically skilled, in peak shape, and mentally strong - plus energized by his home crowd.
Dan O’Brien’s journey - from dramatic setbacks like missing the 1992 Olympics to dominating world championships and securing Olympic gold - cements his legacy as one of the greatest decathletes ever.
The article, originally published on Decathlon 2000 and now updated, considers a “season ‐long” decathlon record by adding an athlete’s best event results from across several months to pinpoint the year they were likely in peak form,
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