Markus Rooth of Norway celebrates after winning the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
PARIS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Markus Rooth clinched Norway's first gold medal at the Paris Olympics by winning the men's decathlon title on Saturday.
Rooth ended the competition, which consists of 10 events held over two days, with 8,796 points, 48 points ahead of second-placed Leo Neugebauer of Germany.
Grenadian athlete Lindon Victor claimed bronze, 37 points further back.
"I do not know how to describe it. It is surreal," 22-year-old Rooth said. "It has always been a dream to become an Olympic champion and in decathlon, it is like an ageing event. So to win the gold at 22, I did not expect it.
"I came here with the goal to have a better score than I had in Budapest [at the 2023 world championships]. I was in the top eight there so maybe I expected to be No. 5 or something. And I won."
He added: "In decathlon there are 10 events that have to go right, and that is the part of the game. It is unfortunate that (some of) my opponents got no heights [in the pole vault] and I do not think they deserved that. I think when you have done seven events, you deserve to get a score." ■
Markus Rooth of Norway celebrates after the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
Markus Rooth (front) of Norway reacts after the men's decathlon 1500m of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
Athletes compete during the men's decathlon 1500m of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
Markus Rooth of Norway celebrates after the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
Janek Oiglane (L) of Estonia and Daniel Golubovic of Australia react after the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Jose Fernando Ferreira Santana of Brazil reacts after the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Athletes compete during the men's decathlon 1500m of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Leo Neugebauer of Germany celebrates after the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
Makenson Gletty (front) of France reacts after the men's decathlon 1500m of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
Markus Rooth of Norway celebrates after winning the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
Athletes compete during the men's decathlon 1500m of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
Athletes compete during the men's decathlon 1500m of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jing)
Markus Rooth of Norway celebrates after winning the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
Markus Rooth of Norway celebrates after winning the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
Athletes compete during the men's decathlon 1500m of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
(L to R, bottom) Germany's Leo Neugebauer, Norway's Markus Rooth, Grenada's Lindon Victor and other athletes pose for a group photo after the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jing)
(L to R, bottom) Germany's Leo Neugebauer, Norway's Markus Rooth, Grenada's Lindon Victor and other athletes pose for a group photo after the men's decathlon of Athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jing)
Markus Rooth of Norway reacts after the men's decathlon 1500m of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)
Sven Roosen (front) of the Netherlands celebrates after the men's decathlon 1500m of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)
Janek Oiglane of Estonia competes during the men's decathlon javelin throw of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
Heath Baldwin of the United States competes during the men's decathlon javelin throw of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
Sven Roosen of the Netherlands competes during the men's decathlon javelin throw of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
Sander Skotheim of Norway competes during the men's decathlon javelin throw of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
Lindon Victor of Grenada reacts during the men's decathlon javelin throw of athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)
