The gold medalist in the Olympic decathlon is widely acknowledged to hold the title of "the world's greatest athlete." Frank Zarnowski, the world's foremost decathlon authority, explains why in the first comprehensive history of the event, The Decathlon. Zarnowski's colorful analysis heralds the athletes who have endured and conquered track and field's most grueling event. This book is packed with information, including complete results of every Olympic decathlon competition since 1912, world and American decathlon rankings from 1947 to 1987, and much more. You'll read all about decathletes who excelled in running, throwing, and jumping and won the laurels and medals proclaiming them to be the world's best. You'll also find the complete performance records of 22 sport legends in profiles of decathletes including Jim Thorpe, Bob Mathias, Rafer Johnson, Bruce Jenner, and Daley Thompson.