Roman Šebrle became the first decathlete ever to achieve over 9000 points, setting the World Record at 9026 points (Götzis 2001), succeeding his compatriot, Tomaš Dvorak, who had scored 8994 points two years earlier (Prague 1999).
In 1997, Estonian sports enthusiasts founded the Erki Nool Fan Club, and about 200 members of this group accompany him to the various international competitions in which he participates. Erki won an Olympic gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games
The Decathlon's nice in that you get to know the other athletes. It's almost like everyone helps each other out. We're all out there trying to win, but at the same time there's a friendship there too. It's always fun going to meets and catching up with the other guys - Tom Pappas