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| Event type

Decathlon, Men

Date5 – 6 August 1948
StatusOlympic
LocationEmpire Stadium, Wembley, London
Participants35 from 20 countries
FormatScoring by 1934 point tables.

The level of athletics competition after World War II was down somewhat, as would be expected. The 1948 Olympic decathlon was also affected by the absence of the man who was likely the best in the world in the late 40’s – Heino Lipp. Lipp was Estonian but his country had been annexed by the Soviet Union and since the USSR did not compete in the Olympics until 1952, he could not compete at London. In addition, Lipp was labeled by Soviet authorities as a risk to defect and it is likely he would not have been allowed to travel, even if the USSR had sent a team to London. In Lipp’s absence the favorite was probably the Frenchman, Ignace Heinrich. The 1948 AAU/Olympic Trials champion had been Bob Mathias, a 17-year-old who had competed in his first decathlon only two weeks before the AAU Meet. He had defeated Floyd )Chunk) Simmons and Irv )Moon) Mondschein, who had been 1-2 at the 1947 AAUs, but Mathias was thought to be too young to contend for the gold medal in London.

The Argentine, Enrique Kistenmacher, led after the first day with Heinrich second. The second day had miserable conditions, with cold, rainy weather present throughout. Mathias took the lead after the discus throw, although in that event, officials had lost the marker on his best throw, and he likely lost several feet, and points, because of that. He held on to win the event from there, with Heinrich placing second when he outran Simmons in the 1,500. Thru 2008, Mathias remains the youngest man to have won an Olympic gold medal in track & field athletics. Though Heino Lipp never was able to compete at the Olympics, when Estonia returned to the Olympics at Barcelona in 1992, he was chosen as the Estonian flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony.

PosNrAthleteNOCPointsPoints (1952 Tables)Points (1962 Tables)Points (1985 Hand Tables)100 metresLong JumpShot PutHigh Jump400 metres110 metres HurdlesDiscus ThrowPole VaultJavelin Throw1,500 metres
1615Bob MathiasUSA713963866826662811.26.61513.041.8651.715.744.003.5050.325:11.0Gold
2524Ignace HeinrichFRA697462646740655911.36.89512.851.8651.615.640.943.2040.984:43.8Silver
3617Floyd SimmonsUSA695062656711653111.26.72512.801.8651.915.232.733.4051.994:58.0Bronze
4432Enrique KistenmacherARG692962386726654210.97.08012.671.7050.516.341.113.2045.064:49.6
5611Erik AnderssonSWE687761306669648611.66.59512.661.7552.015.936.073.6051.044:34.0
6405Peter MullinsAUS673960166527633411.26.64512.751.8353.215.233.943.4051.325:17.6
7612Per ErikssonSWE673159676552639111.96.80011.961.8052.516.234.913.3056.704:35.8
8616Irving MondscheinUSA671559496538633111.36.81012.741.8351.616.638.743.5036.814:49.8
9445Edward AdamczykPOL671259406514633611.77.08013.201.7552.515.839.113.4043.705:01.4
10606Godtfred HolmvangNOR666358766492632412.16.75012.171.7052.916.438.113.4053.664:28.6
11607Per StavemNOR655256776348615312.06.70513.891.8056.016.441.063.2052.795:07.4
1246Örn ClausenISL644456616322611011.16.54512.871.8054.716.036.343.2044.165:07.0
13600Yrjö MäkeläFIN642155506255606411.96.20013.101.8054.317.536.123.2062.554:58.0
14499Pierre SprécherFRA640156246272613611.96.38012.221.6051.816.737.023.0058.794:34.0
15610Kjell TånnanderSWE632554996224601711.66.58012.501.8654.516.436.503.2043.655:04.8
16609Wacław KuźmickiPOL615352846105589812.06.56512.341.7054.317.638.063.2047.344:41.8
17601Hannes SonckFIN614252866082588311.96.71511.831.7555.216.834.713.4048.245:01.8
18618Davorin MarčeljaYUG614152486048585112.16.05012.191.7054.417.539.443.3055.344:55.2
19564Witold GeruttoPOL610651885951575612.15.90514.531.7055.417.041.803.0051.065:17.8
=20663Hernán FigueroaCHI602651985986578611.66.42512.171.7054.316.532.983.4043.055:06.4
=20430Hércules AzcuneURU602651975988578111.66.40510.871.8652.717.136.623.2038.315:09.0
22602Jacques CrétaineFRA582949585815560411.66.42510.781.6554.817.338.903.4043.265:20.8
23614Fritz NussbaumSUI580849895806564111.96.34511.021.6053.616.533.543.3046.135:02.6
24295Mario RecordónCHI573049405727558211.86.08511.451.7053.915.833.772.8038.064:54.8
25437Lionel FournierCAN559047465644545311.66.51010.421.6554.517.432.313.2042.395:12.4
26598Albert DayerBEL558646225580534912.05.82512.451.6557.119.541.543.0048.715:01.2
27613Oskar GerberSUI555846945582540311.95.96011.611.6054.816.834.323.2042.445:10.8
2828Ezz El-Din MoukhtarEGY503141575101500011.85.51011.021.5054.817.936.542.3544.595:08.4
DNF443Baldev SinghIND11.86.63010.051.7057.116.129.63
DNF604Josef SegerLIE12.35.9459.401.6555.718.728.60
DNF619Oto RebulaYUG11.66.53011.551.6055.3
DNF541Eduardo JulvePER11.66.66513.031.6553.5
DNF605René KremerLUX11.56.25511.671.6056.5
DNF603Gebhard BüchelLIE12.75.55010.361.40
DNF486Armin ScheurerSUI12.5
DNS149Rashad KhadrEGY
DNS334Fernando FernandesPOR