Word: decathlon
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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With the waning light shining on his flapping chestnut hair, the beautifully sculpted Jenner had powered his way through the 1,500 meters, the last of the ten labors that make up the taxing, two-day decathlon competition. Too uproariously happy to notice that he had left several contestants crumpled about him in pain on the track, Jenner jogged, danced and leaped through his victory lap. Then embracing his tearfully grinning wife Chrystie, he exulted: "It's all over. We did it!" With the single-minded ambition that distinguishes Olympic champions-a characteristic that the two-week extravaganza...
Total Artistry. On Friday, Jenner roared through the five final events with a combination of speed and strength almost incomparably greater than any decathlon man before him. Smashing Avilov's record by 164 points, Jenner surpassed the long-presumed Olympic absolute of 8,500 points to score an astounding 8,618. Avilov, with 8,367 points, even gave up the silver medal, which went to West Germany's Guido Kratschmer...
...takes a decathlon athlete to truly appreciate what Jenner has done," summed up 1968 Decathlon Gold Medalist Bill Toomey. "It was total artistry, a beautiful composition." Citing the controlled intensity of Jenner's performance, Toomey added: "He was like a hand grenade ready to explode. And he held the pin until the Olympics. He was hungry, extremely motivated. That element was missing from a lot of American performances...
Because of the decathlon's schedule, the duel may well provide one of the Olympics' most electric moments. Avilov could have a substantial lead (150 to 200 points) after the first day's five events, but then Jenner should come on strong. "I'll be behind for nine events-it will be that close," says Jenner. The last event, the 1,500, is a Jenner specialty. The question: Under the lights as the evening wears on, and after two grueling days of tension, can Jenner win his race by a big enough margin...
Also decided by that time may be the second question: Who is the handsomer decathlon star? This too will be a close contest. "Have you ever seen a picture of Adam and Eve?" asks Avilov's wife Valentina, a former Olympic high jumper. "Well, Nikolai is Adam...