Track and field enthusiasts can compete in a heptathlon, which consists of seven different events. A heptathlete is a person who participates in the heptathlon.
Both the men’s and women’s heptathlons consist of seven events, but they are otherwise distinct from one another.
While the indoor men’s heptathlon has been around for a while, the outdoor women’s version was just introduced in the 1980s, making its Olympic debut in 1984.
Heptathlon at the Olympics
Olympic heptathlon is a seven-event track and field competition for women, similar to the decathlon for men. The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles were the first to feature the heptathlon.
Before the Olympics in 1984, only the pentathlon was offered to women as a substitute for the men’s decathlon.
The sport of women’s pentathlon debuted at the Olympics in 1964 and remained there until the Olympics of 1980.
Athletes from the Soviet Union and East Germany, which had dominated the sport at the 1980 and 1976 Olympics, dominated the competition.
Pentathlon Was Changed to Heptathlon
Pentathlon was renamed heptathlon in 1984 when the javelin throw and 800 metre run were added.
It was in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, where American Jackie Joyner-Kersee set the record for the heptathlon. Six Olympics later, Jackie’s score of 7291 points is still the all-time high and a world record.
She has won two gold medals (1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona) and one silver medal (1984 Los Angeles) to become the most successful athlete in the competition’s history.
A Heptathlon for Women
Over the course of two days, seven different events made up the women’s heptathlon. The first day of the competition featured the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200-meter races.
They ran the 800 metres, javelin throw, and long jump on the second day of competition. The rules for the competitions were similar to those of the individual competitions. The points were awarded using an official IAAF scoring chart.
A Heptathlon for Men
The alternative is a typically male-only indoor tournament. To put it simply, it is the men’s combined event at the IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships.
The first day of the men’s indoor heptathlon consists of the first four events, and the second day consists of the final three.
Both versions have equivalent scoring. International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
Its scoring tables determine how many points an athlete receives for his performance in each event (IAAF). The winner is the competitor who scores the most points over the course of the competition.
Conclusion
The heptathlon is a two-day athletic competition in which competitors take part in seven distinct track and field events. Women’s pentathlon was renamed to heptathlon after 1981’s Olympics.
Women’s heptathlon events are 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200m run on day one, and 800m run, long jump, and javelin throw on day two.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has devised a scoring table by which competitors are ranked in each event (IAAF).
