Contents
The heptathlon is a track and field event that consists of seven different events. The events are spread out over two days, with four events on the first day and three on the second.
Checkout this video:
Introduction
The heptathlon is a seven-event track and field competition for women that includes the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-meter dash, long jump, javelin throw, and 800-meter run. The 800-meter run is contested last, as it provides a “rest period” of sorts for the competitors between the grueling first six events.
The History of the Heptathlon
The first hint of a seven-event women’s competition came in the late 1960s when Czechoslovakian athlete Olga Fikotova won four events – the 100m, shot put, 200m and long jump – at the 1966 European Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Fikotova’s achievement was quickly forgotten, however, and it would be another decade before the concept of a women’s heptathlon was seriously considered by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the sport’s governing body.
In 1976, IAAF President Adriaan Paulen proposed the idea of a women’s pentathlon – comprised of the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 200m – to be held at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. However, this proposal was met with resistance from Eastern Bloc countries and Paulen’s idea was ultimately rejected.
A year later, Paulen revived his proposal for a women’s pentathlon at a meeting of the IAAF Council in Dusseldorf and this time it was unanimously accepted. The first women’s pentathlon would be held at the 1982 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Milan with Natalya Bochina becoming the first champion.
The Seven Events of the Heptathlon
The Seven Events of the Heptathlon are:
1. 100m Hurdles
2. High Jump
3. Shot Put
4. 200m Dash
5. Long Jump
6. Javelin Throw
7. 800m Run
The Scoring System of the Heptathlon
The Heptathlon is a seven-event track and field competition for female athletes. The events are spread over two days, with four events on the first day and three on the second. The events are the 100 meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put and the 200 meter dash on the first day, and the long jump, the javelin throw and the 800 meter run on the second day.
Thescoring system for the Heptathlon has changed several times over the years. The current system, which has been in place since 1986, gives points to athletes based on their performances in each event. The athlete with the most points at the end of the seven events is declared the winner.
The point values for each event are as follows:
100 meter hurdles – 1064 points (for a world record)
High jump – 932 points (for a world record)
Shot put –563 points (for a world record)
200 meter dash – 1077 points (for a world record)
Long jump – 854 points (for a world record)
Javelin throw – 700 points (for a world record)
800 meter run – 896 points (for a world record)
The Current World Record Holder for the Heptathlon
The current world record holder for the heptathlon is Kevin Mayer of France, with a points score of 9,126. He achieved this score at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
The heptathlon consists of seven track and field events, which are held over two days. The events are the 100 metre hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 metre sprint, long jump, javelin throw and 800 metre run.
The Future of the Heptathlon
The future of the heptathlon is looking very bright. With the recent success of American athletes in the event, it is likely that more countries will begin to field athletes in the heptathlon. This could lead to the creation of more competitions around the world and potentially even an Olympic event for the heptathlon.
Conclusion
A heptathlon is an athletic event that consists of seven different track and field events. The events are spread out over two days, with four events on the first day and three on the second.
The heptathlon was first contested at the modern Olympic Games in 1912, but it was not held again until 1964. The event is currently contested by women only. The men’s equivalent of the heptathlon is the decathlon.
The seven events in a heptathlon are as follows:
Day One
100 meter hurdles
High jump
Shot put
200 meter dash
Day Two
Long jump
Javelin throw
800 meter run
