heptathlon

American  

[hep-tath-luhn, ‑lon] / hɛpˈtæθ lən, ‑lɒn /

noun

1. an athletic contest for women comprising seven different track-and-field events and won by the contestant amassing the highest total score.

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heptathlon British  

/ hɛpˈtæθlɒn /

noun

1. an athletic contest for women in which each athlete competes in seven different events

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Other Word Forms

• heptathlete noun

Etymology

Origin of heptathlon

First recorded in 1985–90; hept- ( def. ) + (dec)athlon

Example Sentences

Katarina Johnson-Thompson shared bronze in a dramatic heptathlon finale on Saturday.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2025

Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson captured an emotional fourth global heptathlon medal in unprecedented circumstances as she shared world bronze with American Taliyah Brooks in a dramatic concluding 800m in Tokyo.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2025

It was in the Japanese capital four years ago, in a soulless stadium without spectators amid the coronavirus pandemic, that Johnson-Thompson's Olympic heptathlon hopes were shattered by injury during the 200m.

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025

Katarina Johnson-Thompson was eighth in the women's long jump with a best leap of 6.48m as she continues to build towards defending her world heptathlon title later this year.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2025

It was confirmed that Nafissatou Thiam had crossed the line with two seconds to spare, winning by only 36 points to become the first woman to win three Olympic heptathlon titles.

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2024