The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα and ἄθλος. Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not by the position achieved. The decathlon is contested mainly by male athletes, while female athletes typically compete in the heptathlon.
A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek ἑπτά and ἄθλος. A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.
The women's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 26 to 27. The sixteen teams competed in a two-heat qualifying round in which the first three teams from each heat, together with the next two fastest teams, were given a place in the final race.
The men's triple jump competition at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens was held at the Olympic Stadium on 20–22 August. Forty-seven athletes from 35 nations competed. The event was won by Christian Olsson of Sweden, the nation's first victory in the event since 1948 and third overall. Marian Oprea won Romania's first men's triple jump medal with his silver. Russia earned bronze for the second consecutive Games, this time with Danil Burkenya taking the medal.
The women's hammer throw competition at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens was held at the Olympic Stadium on 23–25 August.
The women's javelin throw competition at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens was held at the Olympic Stadium on 25–27 August.
The men's decathlon competition at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens was held at the Olympic Stadium on 23–24 August.
Germany competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's fourth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics after its reunification in 1990. The German Olympic Sports Confederation sent the nation's second largest delegation to the Games since its reunification. A total of 441 athletes, 250 men and 191 women, competed in 27 sports, and were nominated by DOSB at four occasions.
São Tomé and Príncipe competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, which was held from 13 to 29 August 2004. The country's participation at Athens marked its third appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Sierra Leone competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's eighth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1968 Summer Olympics. The Sierra Leone delegation included two track and field athletes; Lamin Tucker and Hawanatu Bangura, both of whom were sprinters that were selected via winning an event in Freetown, as the nation had no athletes that met the "A" or "B" standards in any event. Bangura was selected as flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Neither of the two athletes progressed beyond the heats.
Mauritania competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. The country's participation at Athens marked its sixth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The delegation included two track and field athletes, Youba Hmeida and Aminata Kamissoko, who were both selected by wildcards after both failed to meet either the "A" or "B" qualifying standards. Hmeida was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Neither of the Mauritanians progressed beyond the heats.
Vanuatu competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, which was held from 13 to 29 August 2004. The nation's appearance at the 2004 Athens Games marked its fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
These are the official results of the Women's Pentathlon competition at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. There were a total number of 19 participating athletes, with the competition held on 24 July 1980. This was to be the last Pentathlon competition at this level as the Heptathlon subsequently replaced it in 1984 and became the multi-event competition for women.
Yuki Nakata is a Japanese track and field athlete who competes in the women's heptathlon. She represented Japan at the 2004 Summer Olympics and has competed twice at the World Championships in Athletics. She was the silver medallist at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships and the 2010 Asian Games and has won the heptathlon at the East Asian Games and the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships. With straight wins from 2002 to 2010, she is a nine time national champion and her best of 5962 points for the heptathlon is the national record for the event.
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.
The United States of America (USA) competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. 533 competitors, 279 men and 254 women, took part in 254 events in 31 sports.
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.
Magdalena Szczepańska is a retired Polish heptathlete. She won a silver medal at the 2004 European Combined Events Cup in Hengelo, Netherlands, and then represented her nation Poland in heptathlon at the Olympics in Athens a few months later, finishing in twenty-first place. Szczepańska trained under the tutelage of head coach Jerzy Skucha for the national team, while competing at AZS AWFiS Gdańsk.
Michaela Hejnová is a Czech former track and field athlete, specializing in the heptathlon. She has competed for the Czech Republic at the 2004 Summer Olympics and has won a bronze medal in heptathlon at the 2003 Summer Universiade in Daegu, South Korea. Hejnova set a personal best score of 6065 points at a national meet in Hradec Králové. While competing at PSK Olymp Praha in Prague, Hejnova trains for the national track and field team in heptathlon under the tutelage of her personal coach Martina Blažková.
The women's heptathlon event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 4 and 5 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. 24 athletes competed.
