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Showing results for heptathlon. Search instead for hexathlon.

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.


heptathlon British  
/ hɛpˈtæθlɒn /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of heptathlon

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Ireland's Kate O'Connor moved into pole position for heptathlon gold with one event remaining at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, where Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson is out of medal contention.

From BBC Aug. 15, 2026

Katarina Johnson-Thompson ended day one of the heptathlon in 17th position overall but said she was "just happy to be here" after a difficult season dealing with injuries.

From BBC Aug. 14, 2026

Kate O'Connor has won Northern Ireland's first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the heptathlon at Scotstoun Stadium.

From BBC Jul. 29, 2026

O'Connor responded by running a dominant 24.14 seconds in the 200m to reclaim top spot of the heptathlon competition.

From BBC Jul. 28, 2026

She won multiple gold medals from the Olympics and world championships in the heptathlon and long jump while also setting world records.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 27, 2026

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