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