The Decathlon sucks.Follow

It supposedly determines the "World's Greatest Athlete," yet too many of the events are either repetitive or silly. And it doesn't cover a broad enough range of disciplines.

Here's what it currently has:

• 100 m
- okay
• 400 m
- not significantly different enough from the 100m
• 1500 m
- not long enough to be a true "endurance" test
• High Jump
- good concept, but the bar is silly
• Long Jump
- really just a combination of 100m running speed with jumping, which we already have
• 110 m Hurdles
- maybe okay, but still just another running/jumping combo
• Shot Put
• Discus Throw
• Javelin Throw
- Three throwing events? Really?
• Pole Vault
- who dreamed this one up?

I think the decathlon should be representative of the attributes needed amongst as many sports/athletics possible. They should involve somewhat "practical" skills, or at least skills that were practical if we were still living in primitive society. And they should be close to "pure" if possible, ignoring arcane rules of technique or apparatuses.

I would posit the following events:

• 100m run
- pure sprinting speed
• 10km run
- long enough to actually test stamina
• Vertical Leap
- the way basketball does it: highest point they can touch with fingertips, minus their "standing reach"
• Weight Lift
- don't know much about weight lifting techniques. whichever one is most similar to the way someone would actually pick up an object.
• 200m swim
- sure, why not
• Javelin
- one throwing event can stay. this one most closely resembles primitive hunting/warring techniques
• Reflex Test
- could be something like firing foam projectiles randomly at the athlete, which they would deflect with sensors on their hands/feet. Or sensors that light up randomly like the peripheral vision eye exam, and must be touched as quickly as possible.
• Balance/Dexterity/Hand-eye
- this is a tough one. standing on one foot on a balance beam while juggling? riding a unicycle while shooting at archery targets? I don't know.

That leaves two. Some form of wrestling? Or maybe a second weightlifting event: one would be a single-rep maximum weight, the other would require 50 repetitions? Maybe hot dog eating?



Edit: sorry I can't stand the missing tags.

Edited, Aug 15th 2008 8:49pm by Darqflame

You missed Catching the Javelin and Dwarf Sniffing

We can add those to the Upperclass Twit of the Year competition.

It would be less interesting to watch, I'll give you that. But in determining the "World's Greatest Athlete" there shouldn't be three "see how far you can huck this" events.

Strength and Agility have nothing to do with being a good athlete? The various throwing events do test your Dexterity/Balance/Strength. I was never able to get the full technique down for Shot and Discus, and usually just ended up doing a half "beginners" technique for the events in track and field. Spinning to build momentum, while staying in the correct form and keeping track of where you are throwing.

Speaking of that. One day at an event, we were all doing our warm up throws, and one of the visiting schools' team was up doing their throws. Of course, they were idiots and were standing on the side of the field, rather than behind the thrower.

The shot put hit this guy right in the head, and he crumples to the ground. The rest of his team comes running up, and the guy stands up. At first he seemed fine, then about a second or two after standing up, blood starts pouring down his face (it appeared almost instantly).

They had to take him to the hospital to get checked out. I'm sure the blood was merely because it was a skin wound on the face/skull and there are so many blood vessels there. But that still must have hurt.

I suppose we could make up new ones

We did. That's what that modern pentathlon is. Although not so modern these days.

American Gladiators!

Hmm, sounds more like a Japanese game show...and I do enjoy those....

Nexa

I'm pretty sure these are the important skills needed for sabertooth tiger hunting.