At the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Ashton Eaton clinched his third straight decathlon crown with a meet‑record 8457 points, becoming the first male athlete ever to win three consecutive NCAA decathlon titles.
The piece explores a hypothetical decathlon record based on an athlete’s best performances over an entire season - rather than in the traditional two-day format.
Eaton’s 2012 win wasn’t just about points - it re-energized global interest in the decathlon and reminded everyone that the event demands speed, strength, endurance, and mental resilience in equal measure.