The heptathlon is a combined event consisting of a mix of seven track and field disciplines.
The name derives from the Greek word for ‘seven’ – ‘hepta’ and the Greek word for ‘competition’ – ‘athlos’.
Competitors earn points for their performance in each discipline and the overall winner is the athlete who scores the most points.
It’s considered to be the ultimate all-round-test for female athletes.
The heptathlon was first introduced to the Olympics at the 1984 games in Los Angeles.
It replaced the pentathlon, which consisted of five events and was introduced in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson is Team GB‘s big medal hope for the heptathlon in Paris but she enters the Olympics struggling with a tendonitis issue.
She has won golds at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games but is yet to win a medal at the Olympics.
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill won gold for Britain at the 2012 London Olympics and silver in Rio.
What are the events?
Women compete in seven events across the heptathlon.
These consist of: 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin throw, 800m.
Heptathlon order of events
- Day one: 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200m
- Day two: long jump, javelin throw and 800m
How is heptathlon scored?
The points from each event are calculated using a heptathlon calculator.
The scoring system was devised by Dr Karl Ulbrich, a Viennese mathematician.
Who are the current medal holders?
At Tokyo 2020, gold was won by Belgian Nafissatou Thiam, silver was won by Dutchwoman Anouk Vetter and bronze also by the Dutch Emma Oosterwegel.
When is the heptathlon taking place in Paris and where?
Day one of the heptathlon will begin on August 8 at the Stade de France.
The action will then conclude on August 9.
Who holds the heptathlon record?
The world record for the heptathlon was set by team USA athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1988 at the Seoul Olympics.
She scored 7291.
Can men compete in the heptathlon?
Men do not compete in the heptathlon at the Olympics, they compete in the decathlon – which consists of ten events.
But men do compete in the heptathlon during the indoor season.
It is the men’s combined event in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics.