Heptathlon and decathlon leading contenders and predictions ahead of the 2024 Games
Here is your form guide to the decathlon and heptathlon at the Paris Olympics. Don’t forget to follow our coverage of the Games on our website and social media channels.
Check out our new podcast, too, plus our recently completed archive of vintage magazines.
The below statistics first appeared in our monthly print magazine, which you can buy here.
More Paris 2024 previews here.
Decathlon
Final: August 3
Defending champion/Olympic record: Damian Warner (CAN) 9018
World champion: Pierce LePage (CAN) 8909
World leader: Leo Neugebauer GER 8961
The 2024 rankings suggest a clear favourite, but many contenders qualified with their 2023 marks.
Leo Neugebauer (Getty)
Top contenders
Leo Neugebauer (GER) (8961 in 2024)
The NCAA champion and world leader was only fifth in Budapest, but he has improved significantly since then.
Johannes Erm (EST) (8764 in 2024)
The European champion set a 260-point PB in Rome and he too has advanced since his ninth place in Budapest and 11th in Tokyo.
Damian Warner (CAN) (8678 in 2024)
The defending champion won in Götzis this year and will be challenging again in his fourth Olympics.
Damian Warner (Bjorn Paree)
British Challenge: No Brits were near selection.
AW Prediction: 1 Neugebauer (GER) 8865; 2 Warner (CAN) 8812; 3 Erm (EST) 8756
Heptathlon
Final: August 9
Defending champion: Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) 6791
Olympic record: Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) 7291, 1988
World champion: Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR) 6740
World leader: Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) 6848
Nafi Thiam stands out as a big favourite and has her sights set on winning what would be a record third consecutive title.
Top contenders
Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) (6848 in 2024)
The champion in Tokyo and Rio also has two titles to her name, won the European title in Rome and is dominant on the rankings front, too.
Anouk Vetter (NED) (6642 in 2024)
The Olympic silver medallist has also won three world medals and a Götzis victory proved she will again challenge for honours.
Anouk Vetter (Bjorn Paree)
Auriana Lazraq-Khlass (FRA) (6635 in 2024)
Set a 400-point PB in taking European silver and, with home support, is bound to mount a big challenge.
Anna Hall (USA) (6614 in 2024)
Won the US Trials after coming back from injury but is a long way down on her 2023 form that produced a 6988 Götzis win and world silver.
Anna Hall (Getty)
British Challenge: The reigning world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson competes at her fourth Olympics after coming 13th, sixth and then having to withdraw in Tokyo with injury. Earlier this summer she withdrew partway through the European Champs heptathlon with a minor injury. Jade O’Dowda was seventh in Rome, a performance that secured selection.
Prediction: 1 Thiam (BEL) 6956; 2 Hall (USA) 6856; 3 Johnson-Thompson (GBR) 6687
» Subscribe to AW magazine here
The post Paris Olympic previews – combined events appeared first on AW.
