This weekend should have been the Götzis Hypomeeting in Austria. But since there was no decathlon to enjoy, the Decathlonpedia team decided to set themselves a challenge.

If you could design your fantasy decathlon, which athletes would you choose to compete in each event?  Easy, right? You would pick the athlete with the world best mark in each event: Damian for the 100, Ashton for the long jump and so forth. But that’s too easy, no? And also…a little predictable for true fans of the decathlon.

So, to make it a little more interesting, we introduced some rules:

- There can be 5 (not 10) decathletes in your fantasy decathlon team
- Each decathlete must do 2 events
- One decathlete must be from the 1980s, 1 from the 1990s, 1 from the 2000s and 1 from the 2010s
- The fifth decathlete can be a “wildcard” from any decade
- You can only include one world record holder

The rules certainly made it more interesting. After much blood, sweat and tears, several disqualifications, and a lot of arguing, who did the Decathlonpedia team choose for their fantasy decathlon teams?

TEAM OTTO

CHRISTIAN SCHENK (80s), FRANK BUSEMANN (90s), BRYAN CLAY (00s), JAN FELIX KNOBEL (10s), ERKI NOOL (wildcard)

100m:  Bryan Clay (10.35)
LJ:       Frank Busemann (8.07)
Shot:   Jan Felix Knobel (16.42)
HJ:      Christian Schenk (2.27)
400m:  Erki Nool (46.23)
110mH: Frank Busemann (13.45)
Discus: Bryan Clay (55.87)
PV:       Erki Nool (5.60)
Javelin: Jan Felix Knobel (76.36)
1500m: Christian Schenk (4:13)

TEAM DOMINIK

JÜRGEN HINGSEN (80s), FRANK BUSEMANN (90s), TOM PAPPAS (00s), DAMIAN WARNER (10s), ERKI NOOL (wildcard)

100m: Damian Warner (10.12)
LJ:      Frank Busemann (8.07)
Shot:  Jürgen Hingsen (16.57)
HJ:     Tom Pappas (2.21)
400m: Damian Warner (46.54)
110mH: Frank Busemann (13.45)
Discus: Tom Pappas (51.61)
PV:       Erki Nool (5.60)
Javelin: Erki Nool (71.91)
1500m: Jürgen Hingsen (4:15)

TEAM GABBY

DALEY THOMPSON (80s), EDUARD HÄMÄLÄINEN (90s), BRYAN CLAY (00s), CURTIS BEACH (10s), ANDREI KRAUCHANKA (wildcard)

100m: Daley Thompson (10.26)
LJ:      Daley Thompson (8.01)
Shot:  Eduard Hämäläinen (16.74)
HJ:     Andrei Krauchanka (2.22)
400m: Curtis Beach (46.72)
110mH: Eduard Hämäläinen (13.57)
Discus: Bryan Clay (55.87)
PV:       Andrei Krauchanka (5.30)
Javelin: Bryan Clay (72.00)
1500m: Curtis Beach (3:59)

TEAM REINIS

TORSTEN VOSS (80s), MICHAEL SMITH (90s), BRYAN CLAY (00s), ASHTON EATON (10s), ERKI NOOL (wildcard)

100m: Bryan Clay (10.35)
LJ:  Torsten Voss (8.02)
Shot: Michael Smith (18.03)
HJ:  Torsten Voss (2.11)
400m: Ashton Eaton (45.00)
110mH: Bryan Clay (13.64)
Discus: Michael Smith (52.90)
PV:  Erki Nool (5.60)
Javelin: Erki Nool (5.60)
1500m: Ashton Eaton (4:14)

TEAM ADAM

UWE FREIMUTH (80s), ERKI NOOL (90s), TOM PAPPAS (00s), ASHTON EATON (10s), LEONEL SUAREZ (wildcard)

100m: Ashton Eaton (10.21)
LJ:      Erki Nool (8.10)
Shot:   Uwe Freimuth (16.42)
HJ:      Tom Pappas (2.21)
400m: Ashton Eaton (45.00)
110mH: Tom Pappas (13.90)
Discus: Uwe Freimuth (51.54)
PV:       Erki Nool (5.60)
Javelin: Leonel Suarez (78.29)
1500m: Leonel Suarez (4:16)

THE FAVOURITES

Let’s analyse the selections. The most popular pick was 2000 Olympic Champion Erki Nool, appearing in 4 teams and chosen as a “wildcard” in 3 of them. But while the teams all deployed Erki in the pole vault, each team used him a little differently in his second event. Otto put Erki in the 400, Dominik and Reinis the javelin, and Adam the long jump. Does this make Erki the most versatile of the great decathletes?

2008 Olympic Champion Bryan Clay was also a popular choice, picked for 3 teams, but again used in a number of different ways. Otto had Bryan kicking off his decathlon in the 100m and coming back for the discus the next day. Gabby also used Bryan in the discus but then had him do a throws double in the javelin. And Reinis focused on Clay’s speed, fielding him for the 100m and 400m. So, Bryan came through strongly as a versatile choice.

Atlanta silver medallist Frank Busemann, 2003 World Champion Tom Pappas and Double World and Olympic hero Ashton Eaton also appeared in two teams. Frank was selected only for the long jump and hurdles, Tom was primarily used for his high jumping, but also appeared in the discus and hurdles. And despite his enormous long jumping talents, Ashton featured only on the track - in Reinis’ and Adam’s teams in the 400m, and then in the 100 for Adam and the 1500 for Reinis.

THE SECRET WEAPONS

Beyond the most popular choices, each team had some secret weapons in their team that no-one else had picked. Otto’s choice of the 1988 Olympic Champion Christian Schenk in the high jump and 1500m seemed sensible. But his choice of Jan Felix Knobel in the shot and javelin was truly inspired and rumour has it that Otto breached the 10000 points mark in his decathlon… Furthermore, Otto kept his decathletes fresh by making sure that they each only did one event on each day. 

Dominik played some familiar names in strategic positions, with 5 time Götzis champion Damian Warner in the sprints, and German legend Jürgen Hingsen in the shot and 1500.  Gabby’s team was the most diverse of all, using 4 decathletes that appeared in no other teams. King Daley tackled the 100 and long jump, Eduard Hämäläinen made a comeback in the shot and hurdles, Andrei Krauchanka delivered in the vertical jumps, and Day 1 and Day 2 were finished off by 4-minute busting 1500m supremo Curtis Beach.

Adam ordered Uwe Freimuth out of retirement to compete in the heavy throws but brought his decathlon team right back into the present day with the 2020 world lead Leonel Suarez in the javelin and 1500m. But the most jaw dropping of all the choices came from Reinis. 1987 World Champion Torsten Voss put in a solid 2 events, in the long jump and high jump. But the performance from the 1991 Tokyo silver medallist Michael Smith…well. A 52m discus and an 18m shot. That is worthy of a fantasy decathlon.

WHO DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT?

Four of the five teams used a world record holder: Jürgen Hingsen, Daley Thompson, and Ashton Eaton (Otto apparently did not need one). But other than Ashton, there was no sign of the more recent world record holders. No Kevin Mayer. No Roman Šebrle. No Tomas Dvořák. No Dan O’Brien. No Czechs (Adam!)

Six Germans: Busemann, Knobel, Schenk, Hingsen, Voss and Freimuth.
Four Americans: Clay, Pappas, Beach and Eaton.
Two Canadians: Warner and Smith.
One Brit: Daley.
One Estonian: Erki.
One Cuban: Leonel.
One Belarussian: Krauchanka.
And one Hämäläinen.

Five guys from the 80s: Daley, Jürgen, Torsten, Christian and Uwe.
Four from the 90s: Frank, Eduard, Erki and Michael.
Three from the 00s: Bryan, Tom, Andrei…
Five from the 10s: Damian, Curtis, Jan Felix, Ashton, Leonel…and Andrei (still going)

Seventeen guys from 4 decades in 5 Fantasy Decathlonpedia Teams.

Which is your favourite Fantasy Decathlonpedia team?

And who would be in your Decathlon Fantasy Five?