On Thursday night, Ashton Eaton became only the third athlete in history to win the Olympic gold medal in the decathlon back-to-back. Eaton had previously won the gold medal in the decathlon during the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and he followed it up by winning the world title in the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. With his latest major victory, the 28-year-old phenom maintains his elite status as the world’s greatest athlete.
The decathlon consists of ten different athletic events in track and field: 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters, 110 meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and it ends with the 1500 meters. Eaton placed first in the 400 meters and long jump and second in the 100 meters and 110 meter hurdles, all of which helped to push him ahead of his competitors. Finishing with 8,893 points over the course of the two-day decathlon, Eaton ended up tying the Olympic record for most points scored.
France’s Kevin Mayer came in 59 points behind Eaton, earning the silver medal, and Canada’s Damian Warner took home the bronze medal.
Congrats to Ashton on his incredible achievement!
