Multi Events

Multi Events are competitions where athletes get together to compute in a variety of different sports. There are been many multi events through the years. The first multi event for sports was the Olympic Games, which was put together in 1896 by the International Olympic Committee. This first Olympics event took place in Athens, Greece. When it first started, there were only a few competitions, but the number has increased through the years.

The Nordic Games was a multi-sport event that started in the 20th century in Scandinavia. Since they took place in winter, it consisted of winter sports like cross-country skiing and speed skating. In the 1920s, many countries and groups set up multi-sport events. Unlike the Olympics, they were for a select group of athletes instead of everyone.

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A decathlon is an athletic event (of Greek origin) that consists of a combination of 10 track and field events. This is of Greek origin as the name implies- deka meaning ten and athlon meaning contest. The competition runs for two consecutive days with the winner being determined by his performance in all the events. The competitors are given points for each event rather than a certain rank or position. Performance of each competitor is judged by the total of points for all events. The decathlon if for male athletes. Female athletes that are interested in competing in sports have the option of joining the Heptathlon.

The purpose of a decathlon is to test the athlete's speed, endurance, strength, skill and personality. The decathlon has a total of ten events, with five being held on each of the two consecutive days. For the first day, the athletes compete in the 100-meter run, shot put, long jump, high jump and 400 meters. This day determines their speed, power and ability to jump with speed and power. The second day brings the 110-meter hurdles, discus, javelin, pole vault and 1,500 meters. To succeed on day two, the athletes need excellent endurance and skill.

Another multi-sport event is the Pentathlon, which was an athletic event in the Olympic Games and other games in Ancient Greece. This name is also from the Greeks meaning "five competitions". Unlike the decathlon, this is not a two-day event. The competitions consist of the long jump, javelin throw, discus throw, wrestling and stadion, which is a short foot race. In the ancient version of the pentathlon, each of these events was held as individual events instead of group events. Because contestants of the Pentathlon were considered only the most skilled athletes, they were considered as fit for battle.