What happens if an athlete skips an event?
I · Intermediate · The events and the points · 2 of 7An athlete must at least attempt every event. One who does not try to start a race, or does not make a single trial in a field event, is treated as having abandoned the competition and may not take part in the events that follow. An athlete who tries and records nothing scores no points and carries on.
How it works
- The rule: "Any athlete failing to attempt to start or make a trial in one of the events shall not be allowed to take part in the subsequent events but shall be considered to have abandoned the competition."
- The result: they "shall not, therefore, figure in the final classification".
- Telling the referee: an athlete who decides to withdraw should inform the combined events referee at once.
- Trying is enough: the rule asks for an attempt to start or one trial. It does not ask for a valid result.
- No mark: three fouls in the long jump, or three failures at the first height in the high jump, leave the athlete with no points for that event. They have made their trials, so they continue.
- Effort inside an event: the usual rule that excludes an athlete for not competing with real effort is not applied to the individual events of a combined event.
- Marks already made: performances in the individual events stay valid for statistics whether or not the athlete finishes the whole competition.
Tricky cases
A decathlete fouls all three long jumps. Are they out of the decathlon?
No. They made their trials. They score nothing for the long jump and go on to the shot put.
An injured heptathlete does not go to the start of the 800 m. Do they keep their place on six events?
No. They are treated as having abandoned the competition and do not appear in the final placings.
Can a decathlete take one easy throw and then pass the other two to save energy?
Yes. One trial meets the rule, and the rule on real effort is not applied inside a combined event.
An athlete withdraws after five events with a personal best in the high jump. Does that high jump still count as their personal best?
Yes. Performances in the individual events are valid for statistics even if the athlete does not complete the combined event.
Why the rule exists
A combined event is one competition, not ten. An athlete who could leave out their worst event and rest would be doing something different from everyone else. Asking only for an attempt keeps that principle without throwing out an athlete for a bad day in one event.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 39.10 |
| Individual events | An athlete who does not compete with real effort may be excluded from the rest of the competition | TR 4.4.3 and note |
| Statistics | Marks from the individual events stand on their own | TR 11.4 |
| In the results | DNS for an event not started and DNF for one not finished | CR 25.5 |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 4.4.3, 11.4 and 39.10 and Competition Rule 25.5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).