Decathlon Scoring Tables - 1962 Scoring Tables

1962 Scoring Tables

In the years following the implementation of the 1950 tables, controversy arose, in regard to the highly progressive character of the tables. Specifically, the tables conferred a distinct advantage on decathletes who were specialists in individual events, with passing, but not stellar, performances in the other events, while putting well-rounded athletes at a relative disadvantage. To remedy this problem, Axel Jörbeck, of the Swedish athletic federation, devised new tables that were actually regressive in throwing events, while retaining their progressive character in track events. The rationale behind the changes was the proportion between kinetic energy imparted to a throwing implement and the square of its initial velocity - and therefore distance travelled - so that a progressive or even linear table caused unfairly large increments in the score for throwing events.