Since 1922, 38 decathlon world records have been set - 8 at the Olympics, with the last in 1984—but score comparisons over time are difficult due to multiple changes in the points tables.
Ashton Eaton stunned the field in Beijing, setting a new world record of 9045 points to win decathlon gold at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics.
World Championships’ complete history reveals all-time records, winners, and the medal table, highlighting the most outstanding achievements and top nations throughout the event’s legacy.
Daley Thompson is a legend! He dominated the decathlon for nearly a decade, winning two Olympic gold medals, two European Championships gold medals and also became decathlon World champion. Between 1980 and 1986, he went undefeated in all
Dan O’Brien won an Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games (1996). He is triple decathlon World champion (1991, 1993, 1995) and a former World Record holder (8891 points scored in Talence 1992).
Roman Šebrle became the first decathlete ever to achieve over 9000 points, setting the World Record at 9026 points (Götzis 2001), succeeding his compatriot, Tomaš Dvorak, who had scored 8994 points two years earlier (Prague 1999).
Rafer Johnson, a multi-sport high school star who rose from poverty and discrimination, became one of the greatest decathletes in history, ultimately winning Olympic gold in 1960 after a dramatic final event against C.K. Yang.
Daley Thompson successfully defended his Olympic title, having also won the 1980 Moscow Games. The rivalry between Thompson and Jürgen Hingsen was one of the big storylines: both were world record holders in the early 1980s, and their duels
13th European Athletics Championships were held in Athens 1982. Daley Thompson’s 8743 points was a Championship record at the time and also stood as a world record.
Mykola Avilov delivered a commanding performance at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, winning the decathlon in dominant style with a new world record.
The discipline and training applied by decathletes have always been regarded by me as the ultimate in athletic dedication. Whilst it is of course always a huge honour for any decathlete to achieve the ultimate status of World Champion, I cannot help but regard all those who dedicate themselves to this most gruelling of athletic disciplines as Champions - unknown person