Statistics by Yoshiaki Oikawa (ATFS/JAPAN) & Néstor Calixto
The champions and record-holders of the Decathlon have been considered heroes since the beginnings of the event as we know it today (1911) and since its first appearance in the Olympics (Stockholm, 1912). Today, decathletes are viewed as the most complete athletes in track and field. In the past, they were revered as the best athletes in the world.
Throughout the history of the sport, statisticians have compiled the world records in the Decathlon (and the women’s Heptathlon from 1981 onwards), but they have never denoted the historical progression of the best scores in each of the ten events of the Decathlon or the seven events of the Heptathlon.
Today, DecaAmerica brings you, for the first time in history, the Progression of the Best Results in Decathlon and Heptathlon by Event. We believe we’ve achieved a mostly complete progression of all the events, but there are surely some our records have missed. However, with your help we can continue to improve our collection.
We hope you enjoy these unique statistics, which are an inseparable part of the history of Decathlon and Heptathlon.
| 100m Hurdles |
| Record | Wind | Points | Athlete | Nation | Hepta Score | Venue Nation | Meeting | Date |
| 13.8h | nwi | 973 | Tatyana Shpak | URS/UKR | 5922 | Donyetsk URS | | 29.05.1980 |
| 13.5h | nwi | 1015 | Zoya Spasovkhodskaya | URS/RUS | 5888 | Pyatigorsk URS | | 12.07.1980 |
| 13.58 | +0.8 | 1039 | Ramona Neubert | GDR/GER | 6670 (WR) | Halle GDR | NC | 23.05.1981 |
| 13.53 | +0.5 | 1046 | Sabine Everts | FRG/GER | 6349 | Bruxelles BEL | ECp/sf | 11.07.1981 |
| 13.36 | -1.5 | 1071 | Sabine John | GDR/GER | 6005 | Birmingham GBR | ECp | 29.08.1981 |
| 13.18 | nwi | 1097 | Sabine John [2] | | 6581 | Magdeburg GDR | | 22.05.1982 |
| 12.65 | +1.5 | 1178 | Yordanka Donkova | BUL | 6139 | Sofia BUL | NC | 03.07.1982 |
| 12.65 | +0.5 | 1178 | Yordanka Donkova [2] | | 6187 | Sofia BUL | ECp | 10.09.1983 |
| 12.64 | +0.3 | 1179 | Sabine John [3] | | 6946 | Potsdam GDR | | 05.05.1984 |
| 12.62 | +2.9 | 1182 | Eunice Barber | FRA | 6889 | Arles FRA | | 04.06.2005 |
| 12.54 | +1.3 | 1195 | Jessica Ennis-Hill | GBR | 6955 | London GBR | OG | 03.08.2012 |
|
| High jump |
| Record | Points | Athlete | Nation | Hepta Score | Venue Nation | Meeting | Date |
| 1.86 | 1054 | Christine Stanton | AUS | 5596 w | Perth AUS | | 21.02.1981 |
| 1.89 | 1093 | Marion Weser | GDR/GER | 6070 | Halle GDR | NC | 23.05.1981 |
| 1.89 | 1093 | Sabine Everts | FRG/GER | 6523 | Mannheim FRG | vURS | 09.06.1982 |
| 1.89 | 1093 | Sabine Everts [2] | | 6445 | Athína GRE | EC | 09.09.1982 |
| 1.89 | 1093 | Judy Simpson | GBR | 6259 | Athína GRE | EC | 09.09.1982 |
| 1.89 | 1093 | Sibylle Thiele | GDR/GER | 6309 | Neubrandenburg GDR | NC | 21.05.1983 |
| 1.89 | 1093 | Kristine Nitszche | GDR/GER | 6241 | Neubrandenburg GDR | NC | 21.05.1983 |
| 1.89 | 1093 | Judy Simpson [2] | | 6132 | Götzis AUT | | 28.05.1983 |
| 1.89 | 1093 | Jane Frederick | USA | 6471 | Westwood CA USA | NC | 21.06.1983 |
| 1.92 | 1132 | Judy Simpson [3] | | 4798 (5) | Helsinki FIN | WC | 08.08.1983 |
| 1.96 | 1184 | Christine Stanton [2] | | 5700 | Adelaide AUS | | 25.01.1985 |
| 1.97 | 1198 | Tia Hellebaut | BEL | 6201 | Götzis AUT | Hypo | 27.05.2006 |
| 1.97 | 1198 | Nafissatou Thiam | BEL | 6423 | Zürich SUI | EC | 14.08.2014 |
| 1.98 | 1211 | Nafissatou Thiam [2] | | 6810 | Río de Janeiro BRA | OG | 12.08.2016 |
| 1.98 | 1211 | Katarina Johnson-Thompson | GBR | 6523 | Río de Janeiro BRA | OG | 12.08.2016 |
| 2.01 | 1251 | Nafissatou Thiam [3] | | 6806 | Götzis AUT | Hypo | 26.05.2018 |
| 2.02 | 1264 | Nafissatou Thiam [4] | | 6819 | Talence FRA | Décastar | 22.06.2019 |
|
| Shot put |
| Record | Points | Athlete | Nation | Hepta Score | Venue Nation | Meeting | Date |
| 15.23 | 876 | Nina Golovina | URS/RUS | 5930 | Pyatigorsk URS | | 12.07.1980 |
| 15.63 | 903 | Jane Frederick | USA | 6104 | Walnut USA | MSR | 23.04.1981 |
| 16.23 | 943 | Burglinde Pollack | GDR/GER | 5926 | Halle GDR | | 03.07.1981 |
| 16.60 | 968 | Natalya Grachova | URS/UKR | 5964 | Kishinyov URS | | 19.09.1981 |
| 16.78 | 981 | Svetlana Ovchinnikova | URS/BLR | 6193 | Moskva URS | NC | 01.08.1982 |
| 16.98 | 994 | Svetlana Ovchinnikova [2] | | 6125 | Leningrad URS | NCp | 19.07.1985 |
| 17.03 | 968 | Austra Skujyté | LTU | 6380 | Osaka JPN | WC | 25.08.2007 |
| 17.29 | 1015 | Natalya Dobrynska | UKR | 6733 | Beijing CHN | OG | 15.08.2008 |
| 17.31 | 1016 | Austra Skujyté [2] | | 6599 | London GBR | OG | 03.08.2012 |
|
| 200m |
| Record | Wind | Points | Athlete | Nation | Hepta Score | Venue Nation | Meeting | Date |
| 23.6h | nwi | 996 | Gabriela Ionescu | ROU | 5782 | Bucharesti ROU | | 26.08.1980 |
| 23.70 | +0.8 | 1010 | Ramona Neubert | GDR/GER | 6670 (WR) | Halle GDR | NC | 23.05.1981 |
| 23.64 | nwi | 1016 | Sabine Everts | FRG/GER | 6280 | Leningrad URS | vURS | 13.06.1981 |
| 23.58 | nwi | 1021 | Ramona Neubert [2] | | 6788 | Kyiv URS | vURS | 27.06.1981 |
| 23.53 | nwi | 1026 | Sabine Everts [2] | | 6365 | Lage FRG | NC | 08.08.1981 |
| 23.14 | +1.4 | 1065 | Ramona Neubert [3] | | 6845 (WR) | Halle GDR | vURS | 19.06.1982 |
| 23.04 | nwi | 1075 | Yordanka Donkova | BUL | 6139 | Sofia BUL | NC | 03.07.1982 |
| 23.00 | 0.0 | 1079 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | USA | 7148 (WR) | Moskva URS | GWG | 06.07.1986 |
| 22.85 | +1.2 | 1094 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee [2] | | 7158 (WR) | Houston USA | USOF | 01.08.1986 |
| 22.73 | +4.0 | 1106 | Anke Behmer | GDR/GER | 6805 | Götzis AUT | Hypo | 18.06.1988 |
| 22.30 | 0.0 | 1150 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee [3] | | 7215 (WR) | Indianapolis USA | OT | 15.07.1988 |
|
| Long jump |
| Record | Wind | Points | Athlete | Nation | Hepta Score | Venue Nation | Meeting | Date |
| 6.47 | nwi | 997 | Nadezhda Vinogradova | URS/RUS | 6217 | Kislovodsk URS | | 05.05.1981 |
| 6.82 | +2.0 | 1112 | Ramona Neubert | GDR/GER | 6670 (WR) | Halle GDR | NC | 24.05.1981 |
| 6.82 | nwi | 1112 | Ramona Neubert [2] | | 6788 (WR) | Kyiv URS | vURS | 28.06.1981 |
| 6.90 | +1.8 | 1139 | Sabine John | GDR/GER | 6581 | Magdeburg GDR | | 23.05.1982 |
| 7.01 | -0.5 | 1176 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | USA | 7148 (WR) | Moskva URS | GWG | 07.07.1986 |
| 7.03 | +2.9 | 1182 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee [2] | | 7158 (WR) | Houston USA | USOF | 02.08.1986 |
| 7.25 | +2.3 | 1257 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee [3] | | 6979 | San Jose USA | NC | 24.06.1987 |
| 7.27 | +0.7 | 1264 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee [4] | | 7291 WR | Seoul KOR | OG | 24.09.1988 |
|
| Javelin throw (Old implement [until 1.4.1999]) |
| Record | Points | Athlete | Nation | Hepta Score | Venue Nation | Meeting | Date |
| 50.42 | 868 | Andrea Findeis | FRG/GER | 5691 | Zabrze POL | | 16.09.1979 |
| 60.60 | 1066 | Tessa Sanderson | GBR | 5742 | Birmingham GBR | | 10.05.1981 |
| 64.64 | 1145 | Tessa Sanderson [2] | | 6125 | Bruxelles BEL | ECp/sf | 12.07.1981 |
|
| Javelin throw (New implement [since 1.4.1999]) |
| Record | Points | Athlete | Nation | Hepta Score | Venue Nation | Meeting | Date |
| 50.08 | 862 | DeDee Nathan | USA | 6577 | Götzis AUT | Hypo | 30.05.1999 |
| 51.78 | 895 | Nathalie Teppe | FRA | 5937 | Praha CZE | ECp | 04.07.1999 |
| 52.55 | 910 | Nathalie Teppe [2] | | 5959 | Niort FRA | NC | 01.08.1999 |
| 54.82 | 954 | Ghada Shouaa | SYR | 6500 | Sevilla ESP | WC | 22.08.1999 |
| 56.29 | 982 | Margaret Simpson | GHA | 6154 | Brazzaville COD | AfrC | 15.07.2004 |
| 56.36 | 984 | Margaret Simpson [2] | | 6375 | Helsinki FIN | WC | 07.08.2005 |
| 56.96 | 995 | Sofia Ifantidou | GRE | 5947 | London GBR | OG | 04.08.2012 |
| 60.90 | 1072 | Barbora Spotáková | CZE | 5880 | Talence FRA | Décastar | 16.09.2012 |
|
| 800m |
| Record | Points | Athlete | Nation | Hepta Score | Venue Nation | Meeting | Date |
| 2:09.3h | 975 | Angelita Lind | PUR | 4406 | Mayagüez PUR | LAI | 07.12.1980 |
| 2:07.55 | 1001 | Ramona Neubert | GDR/GER | 6670 (WR) | Halle GDR | NC | 24.05.1981 |
| 2:06.72 | 1013 | Ramona Neubert [2] | | 6788 (WR) | Kyiv URS | vURS | 28.06.1981 |
| 2:06.16 | 1022 | Ramona Neubert [3] | | 6845 (WR) | Halle GDR | vURS | 20.06.1982 |
| 2:05.64 | 1029 | Anke Behmer | GDR/GER | 6524 | Helsinki FIN | WC | 09.08.1983 |
| 2:04.60 | 1045 | Natalya Shubenkova | URS/RUS | 6859 | Kyiv URS | NC | 21.06.1984 |
| 2:03.76 | 1058 | Anke Behmer [2] | | 6775 | Potsdam GDR | OD | 21.07.1984 |
| 2:03.61 | 1060 | Natalya Shubenkova [2] | | 6631 | Moskva URS | GWG | 07.07.1986 |
| 2:03.58 | 1061 | Nadine Debois | FRA | 6214 | Arles FRA | ECp | 05.07.1987 |
| 2:01.84 | 1087 | Nadine Debois [2] | | 6227 | Talence FRA | | 27.09.1987 |
| 2:01.23 | 1097 | Anna Hall | USA | 7032 | Götzis AUT | Hypo | 01.06.2025 |
|
| LEGEND |
| nwi |
No wind information |
| w |
Wind assisted mark |
| h |
Hand timing |
| WR |
Current World Record |
| (WR) |
Former World Record |