Purposes: To determine, from existing databases, the frequency of dropouts, and the "key events" during decathlon. Methods: This descriptive epidemiological retrospective study included results of decathlon competitions, which were collected and analyzed from data available on the Internet. Results: Ninety-two decathlon competitions were surveyed from 1991 to 2010. Twenty-two percent of decathletes did not complete decathlon (10.8% during first day, 11.4% during second day). Percentage of "no point mark" was important: in pole vault (6.1%), long jump (2.4%) and 110-meter hurdles (2.3%) during decathlon. Conclusion: Not completing a decathlon is common. Some events are crucial to the success of the competition, such as technical and explosive events (jumps and hurdles). Further prospective studies are needed to determine the causes of dropouts in combined events.
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