A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek επτά and ἄθλος. A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.
The pentathlon or women's pentathlon is a combined track and field event in which each woman competes in five separate events over one day. The distance or time for each event is converted to points via scoring tables, with the overall ranking determined by total points. Since 1949 the events have been sprint hurdling, high jump, shot put, long jump, and a flat race. The sprint hurdles distance was 80 m outdoors until 1969 and thereafter 100 m; in indoor pentathlon the distance is 60 m. The flat race was 200 m until 1976 and thereafter 800 m. In elite-level outdoor competition, the pentathlon was superseded in 1981 by the heptathlon, which has seven events, with both 200 m and 800 m, as well as the javelin throw. Pentathlon is still contested at school and masters level and indoors.
The Women's Heptathlon at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Saturday August 6 and Sunday August 7. The winning margin was 63 points.
The Women's Heptathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Stadium Australia on Wednesday 23 September and Thursday 24 September.
The women's heptathlon event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics took place from August 25–26, 2007 at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan. The competition is notable for having the highest number of competitors (39) in the World Championships history. The winning margin was 200 points.
These are the official results of the Women's Heptathlon competition at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. There were a total number of 34 participating athletes, including ten non-finishers. The competition started on Monday August 16, 1993, and ended on Tuesday August 17, 1993. The winning margin was 40 points.
These are the official results of the women's heptathlon competition at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome, Italy. There were a total number of 25 participating athletes, including six non-finishers. The competition started on 31 August and ended on 1 September 1987. The winning margin was 564 points. As of 2024, this is the only time the heptathlon has been won by more than 400 points at these championships.
The Women's Heptathlon competition at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, Finland started on Monday 8 August 1983 and ended on Tuesday 9 August 1983. There were a total number of 26 participating athletes, including six non-finishers. The winning margin was 52 points.
The 33rd edition of the annual Hypo-Meeting took place on 26 May and 27 May 2007 in Götzis, Austria. The track and field competition, featuring a decathlon (men) and a heptathlon (women) event, was part of the 2007 IAAF World Combined Events Challenge.
The 32nd edition of the annual Hypo-Meeting took place on May 27 and May 28, 2006 in Götzis, Austria. The track and field competition, featuring a decathlon (men) and a heptathlon (women) event was part of the 2006 IAAF World Combined Events Challenge.
The 27th edition of the annual Hypo-Meeting took place on May 26 and May 27, 2001 in Götzis, Austria. The track and field competition, featuring a decathlon (men) and a heptathlon (women) event, was part of the 2001 IAAF World Combined Events Challenge. Roman Šebrle set a world record in the men's decathlon with 9026 points.
The 25th edition of the annual Hypo-Meeting took place on May 29 and May 30, 1999 in Götzis, Austria. The track and field competition, featuring a decathlon (men) and a heptathlon (women) event, was part of the 1999 IAAF World Combined Events Challenge. Tomáš Dvořák set a new meet record with a total number of 8738 points in the men's decathlon.
Odile Ahouanwanou is a Beninese heptathlete, who also specialises in the 100 metres hurdles; she holds Beninese records in both events. She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2015 African Games and two African Championships in Athletics, and won a silver medal in the heptathlon at the 2015 African Games.
Morgan Lake is a British high jumper. She won the silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and placed fourth at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Lake finished sixth in the 2017 World Championships in Athletics and fourth in the 2018 World Indoor Championships.
Combined events at the Summer Olympics have been contested in several formats at the multi-sport event. There are two combined track and field events in the current Olympic athletics programme: a men's decathlon and a women's heptathlon.
The women's heptathlon competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was won by Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium on 12–13 August.
The women's heptathlon at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Beijing National Stadium on 22 and 23 August.
The women's heptathlon at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 5–6 August.
The women's heptathlon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships was held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, from 2 to 4 October 2019. The winning margin was 304 points.
The women's heptathlon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships was held at the Hayward Field in Eugene on 17 and 18 July 2022. The winning margin was 80 points.
