Heptathlon

The heptathlon ( gr. Heptathlon (έπταθλο)) is an Olympic athletics discipline of women, which will be held over two days of competition and in its present form since 1981. The counterpart for men is the decathlon (decathlon).

The seven disciplines in the women's age group:

• First day: 100 meter hurdles , high jump , shot put , 200 meters
• Second day: long jump , javelin throw , 800 meters

There is a point table for each individual discipline. The overall result is determined by adding up the seven individual values.

In international indoor athletics competitions, there is also a heptathlon for men. A pentathlon is contested for women accordingly. There are various national open-air and indoor heptathlons depending on age and gender .

history

The heptathlon emerged in 1981 from the pentathlon , which had been common since 1928 as a women's all-around. Like the heptathlon, the pentathlon was held over two days. The last four years from 1977 to 1980 were an exception, when the pentathlon was played on just one day of competition.

In the early days of the women's all-around competition, from 1928 to 1931, there was a three-way fight consisting of a 100-meter run , high jump and javelin throw that was carried out in one day .

At the beginning of the heptathlon era, the GDR female athletes determined the competition. They won all three medals at the World Athletics Championships in 1983 and held the world record from June 1981 to July 1986. Participation in the 1984 Olympic Games was denied to them by the GDR's Olympic boycott.

The point table was changed in 1985.

After all men's athletics disciplines were gradually approved for women by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) in the 1990s, the decathlon has also been a women's competition since 2004 . At international highlights, however, only the heptathlon is played.

One of the best-known and best-manned competitions is the Götzis all-around meeting . The record winner there is the Swede Carolina Klüft , who won five times in a row from 2003 to 2007.

Development of all-around disciplines for women
year	designation	First day of competition					Second day of competition
1928	Pentathlon	Shot put	Long jump				100 m	high jump	Javelin throw
1949			high jump	200 m			80 m hurdles	Long jump
1961		80 m hurdles	Shot put	high jump			Long jump	200 m
1969		100 m hurdles
1977				high jump	Long jump	800 m	-
1981	Heptathlon				200 m		Long jump	Javelin throw	800 m
1983			high jump	Shot put

Milestones

• First registered rating: 5691 points, Andrea Findeis ( GDR ), 15./16. September 1979 in Zabrze
• First official world record: 6716 points, Ramona Neubert (GDR), on 27./28. June 1981
• First heptathlon over 7000 points: 7148 points, Jackie Joyner-Kersee ( USA ), on 6/7. July 1986

Most successful female athletes

• Two Olympic victories
  • Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA), 1988 and 1992 (and Olympic runner-up 1984 )
• Three world championship titles
  • Carolina Klüft ( SWE ), 2003 , 2005 and 2007
  • Jessica Ennis-Hill ( GBR ), 2009 , 2011 and 2015
• Two world championship titles
  • Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA), 1987 and 1993
  • Sabine Braun ( GER ), 1991 and 1997
• Most successful German
  • Sabine Braun (GER), world champion 1991 and 1997 , world championship runner-up in 1993 , Olympic bronze medalist in 1992
  • Ramona Neubert (GDR), world champion 1983

With a long jump of 7.27 meters, Jackie Joyner-Kersee achieved the largest long jump ever achieved in a heptathlon. It also exceeded the 7000 point mark six times.

statistics

Olympic Games medal winners

year	gold medal	Silver medal	Bronze medal
1984	Glynis Nunn	Jackie Joyner	Sabine Everts
1988	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	Sabine John	Anke Behmer
1992	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	Irina Belowa	Sabine Braun
1996	Ghada Shouaa	Natallia Sasanovich	Denise Lewis
2000	Denise Lewis	Elena Prokhorova	Natallia Sasanovich
2004	Carolina Klüft	Austra Skujytė	Kelly Sotherton
2008	Natalia Dobrynska	Hyleas Fountain	Vacant
2012	Jessica Ennis	Lilli Schwarzkopf	Vacant
2016	Nafissatou Thiam	Jessica Ennis-Hill	Brianne Theisen-Eaton

Medal winners at world championships

year	gold medal	Silver medal	Bronze medal
1983	Ramona Neubert	Sabine Paetz	Anke father
1987	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	Larissa Nikitina	Jane Frederick
1991	Sabine Braun	Liliana Năstase	Irina Belowa
1993	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	Sabine Braun	Svyatlana Buraha
1995	Ghada Shouaa	Svetlana Moskalez	Rita Ináncsi
1997	Sabine Braun	Denise Lewis	Remigija Nazarovienė
1999	Eunice Barber	Denise Lewis	Ghada Shouaa
2001	Elena Prokhorova	Natallia Sasanovich	Shelia Burrell
2003	Carolina Klüft	Eunice Barber	Natallia Sasanovich
2005	Carolina Klüft	Eunice Barber	Margaret Simpson
2007	Carolina Klüft	Lyudmyla Blonska	Kelly Sotherton
2009	Jessica Ennis	Jennifer Oeser	Kamila Chudzik
2011	Jessica Ennis	Jennifer Oeser	Karolina Tymińska
2013	Hanna Melnytschenko	Brianne Theisen-Eaton	Dafne Schippers
2015	Jessica Ennis-Hill	Brianne Theisen-Eaton	Laura Ikauniece-Admidiņa
2017	Nafissatou Thiam	Carolin Schäfer	Anouk cousin
2019	Katarina Johnson-Thompson	Nafissatou Thiam	Verena Preiner

See also

• Olympic medalists
• Medal winners at world championships

World record development

Abbr .: 100 H = 100 meter hurdles

Points	Surname	date	place	100 H (s)	High (m)	Ball (noun)	200 (s)	Far (m)	Spear (noun)	800 (min)
6716 (6788)	Ramona Neubert	June 28, 1981	Kiev	13.70	1.86	15.41	23.58	6.82	40.62	2: 06.72
6773 (6845)	Ramona Neubert	June 20, 1982	Hall / S.	13.58	1.83	15.10	23.14	6.84	42.54	2: 06.16
6836 (6935)	Ramona Neubert	June 19, 1983	Moscow	13.42	1.82	15.25	23.49	6.79	49.94	2: 07.51
6867 (6946)	Sabine Paetz	May 6, 1984	Potsdam	12.64	1.80	15.37	23.37	6.86	44.62	2: 08.93
7148	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	July 7, 1986	Moscow	12.85	1.88	14.76	23.00	7.24	49.86	2: 09.32
7158	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	2nd August 1986	Houston	13.18	1.88	15.19	22.87	7.03	50.12	2: 09.69
7215	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	17th August 1988	Indianapolis	12.71	1.93	15.65	22.30	7.00	50.08	2: 20.70
7291	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	September 24, 1988	Seoul	12.69	1.86	15.80	22.56	7.27	45.66	2: 08.51

(in brackets the corresponding number of points according to the new point table introduced in 1985)

World best list

The list shows all athletes with a score over 6598 points, the dates refer to the second day of competition. Status: October 3, 2019

Abbreviations:

• First day of competition: 100 H: 100 meter hurdles; High: high jump; Bullet: shot put; 200: 200-meter run
• Second day of competition: long: long jump; Spear: javelin throw; 800: 800-meter run

Points	Surname	place	date	100 H (s)	High (m)	Ball (noun)	200 (s)	Far (m)	Spear (noun)	800 (min)
9106	Single world records			12.20	2.09	22.63	21.34	7.52	72.28	1: 53.28
7291	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	Seoul	September 24, 1988	12.69	1.86	15.80	22.56	7.27	45.66	2: 08.51
7032	Carolina Klüft	Osaka	August 26, 2007	13.15	1.95	14.81	23.38	6.85	47.98	2: 12.56
7013	Nafissatou Thiam	Götzis	May 28, 2017	13.34	1.98	14.51	24.40	6.56	59.32	2: 15.24
7007	Larissa Turchinskaya	Bryansk	June 11, 1989	13.40	1.89	16.45	23.97	6.73	53.94	2: 15.31
6985	Sabine Braun 1st	Götzis	May 31, 1992	13.11	1.93	14.84	23.65	6.63	51.62	2: 12.67
6981	Katarina Johnson-Thompson	Doha	3rd October 2019	13.09	1.95	13.86	23.08	6.77	43.93	2: 07.26
6955	Jessica Ennis	London	4th August 2012	12.54	1.86	14.28	22.83	6.48	47.49	2: 08.65
6946	Sabine Paetz	Potsdam	May 6, 1984	12.64	1.80	15.37	23.37	6.86	44.62	2: 08.93
6942	Ghada Shouaa	Götzis	May 26, 1996	13.78	1.87	15.64	23.78	6.77	54.74	2: 13.61
6935	Ramona Neubert	Moscow	June 19, 1983	13.42	1.82	15.25	23.49	6.79	49.94	2: 07.51
6889	Eunice Barber	Arles	June 5, 2005	12.62	1.91	12.61	24.12	6.78	53.07	2: 14.66
6859	Natalia Schubenkova	Kiev	June 21, 1984	12.93	1.83	13.66	23.57	6.73	46.26	2: 04.60
6858	Anke Vater-Behmer	Seoul	September 24, 1988	13.20	1.83	14.20	23.10	6.68	44.54	2: 04.20
6845	Irina Belowa	Barcelona	2nd August 1992	13.25	1.88	13.77	23.34	6.82	41.90	2: 05.08
6836	Carolin Schäfer	Götzis	May 28, 2017	13.09	1.86	14.76	23.36	6.57	49.80	2: 14.73
6832	Lyudmyla Blonska	Osaka	August 26, 2007	13.25	1.92	14.44	24.09	6.88	47.77	2: 16.68
6831	Denise Lewis	Talence	July 30, 2000	13.13	1.84	15.07	24.01	6.69	49.42	2: 12.20
6815	Laura Ikauniece-Admidiņa	Götzis	May 28, 2017	13.10	1.77	13.53	23.49	6.64	56.17	2: 11.76
6808	Brianne Theisen-Eaton	Götzis	May 31, 2015	13.05	1.89	13.73	23.34	6.72	42.96	2: 09.37
6803	Jane Frederick	Talence	September 16, 1984	13.27	1.87	15.49	24.15	6.43	51.74	2: 13.55
6778	Natalia Dobrynska	Barcelona	July 31, 2010	13.59	1.86	15.88	24.23	6.56	46.71	2: 12.06
6765	Elena Prokhorova	Tula	July 23, 2000	13.54	1.82	14.30	23.37	6.72	43.40	2: 04.27
6750	Ma Miaolan	Beijing	September 12, 1993	13.28	1.89	14.98	23.86	6.64	45.82	2: 15.33
6742	Yorgelis Rodríguez	Götzis	May 27, 2018	13.48	1.86	14.95	23.96	6.58	48.65	2: 12.73
6741	Heike Drechsler	Talence	September 11, 1994	13.34	1.84	13.58	22.84	6.95	40.64	2: 11.53
6735	Hyleas Fountain	Des Moines	June 26, 2010	12.93	1.90	13.73	23.28	6.79	42.26	2: 17.80
6725	Erica Bougard	Götzis	May 26, 2018	12.80	1.86	13.02	23.31	6.62	41.97	2: 08.42
6703	Tatiana Blochina	Talence	September 11, 1993	13.69	1.91	14.94	23.95	5.99	52.16	2: 09.65
6702	Chantal Beaugeant	Götzis	July 19, 1988	13.10	1.78	13.74	23.96	6.45	50.96	2: 07.09
6695	Jane Flemming	Auckland	January 28, 1990	13.21	1.82	13.76	23.62	6.57	49.28	2: 12.53
6683	Jennifer Oeser	Barcelona	July 31, 2010	13.37	1.83	13.82	24.07	6.68	49.71	2: 12.28
6681	Kristina Savitskaya	Cheboksary	June 3, 2012	13.52	1.88	15.27	24.61	6.65	46.83	2: 14.73
6660	Ines Schulz	Götzis	July 19, 1988	13.56	1.84	13.95	23.93	6.70	42.82	2: 06.31
6658	Svetla Pishtikova	Götzis	May 31, 1992	13.41	1.75	14.72	23.06	6.64	43.84	2: 09.60
6649	Lilli Schwarzkopf	London	4th August 2012	13.26	1.83	14.77	24.77	6.30	51.73	2: 10.50
6646	Natalia Gracheva	Moscow	2nd August 1982	13.80	1.80	16.18	23.86	6.65	39.42	2: 06.59
6636	Anouk cousin	London	August 6, 2017	13.31	1.77	15.09	24.36	6.32	58.41	2: 19.43
6635	Sibylle Thiele	Moscow	July 7, 1986	13.14	1.76	16.00	24.18	6.62	45.74	2: 15.30
6635	Svyatlana Buraha	Stuttgart	17th August 1993	12.95	1.84	14.55	23.69	6.58	41.04	2: 13.65
6633	Natalia Roschtschupkina	Tula	July 23, 2000	14.05	1.88	14.28	23.47	6.45	44.34	2: 07.93
6623	Judy Simpson	Stuttgart	August 30, 1986	13.05	1.92	14.73	25.09	6.56	40.92	2: 11.70
6619	Liliana Alexandru-Năstase	Barcelona	2nd August 1992	12.86	1.82	14.34	23.70	6.49	41.30	2: 11.22
6619	Xénia Krizsán	Talence	June 23, 2019	13.36	1.78	14.29	24.38	6.23	53.27	2: 08.16
6618	Tatiana Chernova	Götzis	June 4, 2008	13.60	1.73	13.13	23.86	6.78	53.51	2: 12.11
6616	Malgorzata Nowak	Kobe	August 31, 1985	13.27	1.95	15.35	24.20	6.37	43.36	2: 20.39
6604	Remigija Nasaroviene	Bryansk	June 11, 1989	13.26	1.86	14.27	24.12	6.58	40.94	2: 09.98
6604	Irina Tyuchai	Götzis	May 28, 1995	13.20	1.84	14.97	24.33	6.71	43.84	2: 17.64
6599	Jessica Zelinka	Calgary	June 28, 2012	12.76	1.77	14.74	23.42	5.98	46.60	2: 08.95
6599	Austra Skujytė	London	4th August 2012	14.00	1.92	17.31	25.43	6.25	51.13	2: 20.59
6598	Svetlana Moskalez	Vladimir	June 17, 1994	13.20	1.82	13.78	23.56	6.74	42.48	2: 14.54
6591	Verena Preiner 2nd	Ratingen	June 30, 2019	13.42	1.80	14.34	23.96	6.16	49.58	2: 07.74
6357	Géraldine Ruckstuhl 3	Grosseto	July 21, 2017	13.96	1.77	13.89	24.80	5.78	58.31	2: 16.68

¹ German record
² Austrian record
³ Swiss record

Nation ranking heptathlon

Every year, the IAAF compiles a world ranking of nations based on the evaluation of the world's best list in the heptathlon. The average value of the annual best performances of the three best athletes in each country is used as the decisive parameter.

Women

year First place Second place third place 2018  Austria 19114 points (Ø 6371) Ivona Dadic , Verena Preiner , Sarah Lagger  United States 18980 pts (Ø 6327) Erica Bougard , Allison Reaser , Alex Cochenour  Germany 18936 points (Ø 6312) 2017  Germany 19522 points (Ø 6507)  Netherlands 19332 points (Ø 6444)  United States 19250 pts (Ø 6417) 2016  United States 19319 pts (Ø 6440)  Germany 19268 points (Ø 6423)  United Kingdom 19211 pts (Ø 6404) 2015  Netherlands 19456 points (Ø 6485)  Germany 19313 points (Ø 6438)  United States 19246 pts (Ø 6415) 2014  Netherlands 19400 points (Ø 6467)  Germany 19135 points (Ø 6378)  Canada 18929 points (Ø 6310)

swell

• Eternal world best list of the IAAF, heptathlon women (engl.)
• Athletics annual world best list up to 20th place ( Memento from July 18, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
• Eternal's World rankings (Engl.)
• Progression of World best performances and official IAAF World Records, 2003 Edition, Monaco, 2003, p. 338 ff.
• Results from Götzis 2012-2015

See also

• List of Olympic team abbreviations
• Scoring (athletics)
• Decathlon

literature

• Zurgams (ed.): Time leaps . 35 years of all-around meeting Götzis. Bucher, Hohenems 2009, ISBN 978-3-902679-23-9 .

Web links

Wiktionary: heptathlon  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• All-around point calculator on Leichtathletik.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Austria's number 1 female heptathlete in the world