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| Event type

Decathlon, Men

Date25 – 26 July 1952
StatusOlympic
LocationHelsingin Olympiastadion, Helsinki
Participants28 from 16 countries
FormatScoring by 1950 point tables.

Though Bob Mathias had been the upset winner in 1948, by 1952 he was dominant in the decathlon and a heavy favorite. He was now undefeated in nine career decathlons, and had set world records in 1950 and at the 1952 AAU/Olympic Trials. The US team also included the 1948 bronze medalist, Floyd “Chunk” Simmons, and an 18-year-old high schooler, Milt Campbell, who finished second at the Olympic Trials in his first career decathlon. The Americans swept the medals, with Campbell second and Simmons repeating his bronze medal effort. But the 1952 Olympic decathlon was simply a coronation for Mathias, who became the first man to defend the decathlon gold medal. In the process he broke his own world record, and defeated Campbell by over 900 points. He effectively retired after Helsinki, although he returned in 1956 to win a military decathlon, ending his career undefeated in 11 competitions. Mathias was also a star football player at Stanford, competing in the Rose Bowl. He later had a brief Hollywood career and then served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

PosNrAthleteNOCPointsPoints (1962 Tables)Points (1985 Hand Tables)Points (1985 Auto Tables)100 metresLong JumpShot PutHigh Jump400 metres110 metres HurdlesDiscus ThrowPole VaultJavelin Throw1,500 metres
11039Bob MathiasUSA788777317580758910.96.9815.301.9050.214.746.894.0059.214:50.8GoldWR
21040Milt CampbellUSA697571326948698610.76.7413.891.8550.914.540.503.3054.545:07.2Silver
31041Floyd SimmonsUSA678870696903694811.57.0613.181.9251.115.037.773.6054.694:53.4Bronze
4468Vladimir VolkovURS667470306868690211.47.0912.621.7551.215.838.043.8056.684:33.2
5749Sepp HippGER644968826705674311.46.8513.261.7551.316.145.843.5054.144:57.2
6708Göran WidenfeltSWE638868506661667911.46.7611.611.9451.316.139.533.5049.364:38.6
7707Kjell TånnanderSWE630867976607661611.46.9012.971.8552.615.839.303.5052.794:57.2
8752Friedel SchirmerGER611866476464651311.76.3712.691.8050.516.037.013.5054.004:47.6
9206Geoff ElliottGBR604465426353639211.46.4412.401.7553.015.734.214.1049.565:03.6
10467Sergey KuznetsovURS593765236349636211.47.0911.711.6552.816.441.043.6043.194:42.0
11636Hugues FrayerFRA577263356168620811.66.8012.361.6551.315.440.023.4041.315:14.4
12977Brígido IriarteVEN577064006250628411.67.0611.661.6053.116.638.233.4055.554:49.8
13824Olli ReikkoFIN572563936170619811.36.6611.851.7050.318.830.723.5051.414:28.0
14826Eeles LandströmFIN569463126123614712.06.7011.751.7556.717.134.514.2057.615:01.0
15340Oto RebulaYUG564863126135617811.76.6412.901.6554.316.038.553.4051.395:01.8
16558Fernando FernandesPOR560462416088613211.56.5211.201.7051.215.834.273.0043.554:37.0
1785Hernán FigueroaCHI559262656087612611.76.3812.871.6052.816.438.083.5051.224:58.2
18865Max WehrliSUI556162366053607511.86.4812.731.6054.716.436.813.8051.084:58.6
19359Bob AdamsCAN553062466035604911.86.2212.011.7555.216.642.453.7044.834:57.0
20548Héctor RománPUR526460115834588411.76.4711.561.6552.716.432.983.4049.805:14.4
21550Reynaldo OliverPUR522859695817585911.96.1510.221.7053.416.729.953.5056.684:51.8
DNF825Erkki HautamäkiFIN12.16.3712.191.7053.916.337.203.4053.57
DNF635Ignace HeinrichFRA11.57.1012.831.8851.016.0
DNF82Carlos VeraCHI11.16.969.521.75
DNF630Georges BreitmanFRA13.85.439.281.501:03.9
DNF379Fotios KosmasGRE11.56.20
DNF466Pyotr KozhevnikovURS11.45.80
DNF28Pat LeaneAUS11.95.22
DNS19Ray WeinbergAUS
DNS78Edmundo OhacoCHI
DNS383Georgios RoumpanisGRE
DNS164Örn ClausenISL
DNS966Hércules AzcuneURU