Roman Šebrle

Roman Sebrle is a Czech retired decathlete regarded as one of the greatest combined-event athletes of all time. Originally a high jumper, he transitioned to the decathlon and made history in 2001 at Gotzis when he became the first decathlete ever to surpass the 9,000-point barrier, setting a world record of 9,026 points. His record stood for over eleven years.

Sebrle won the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics before claiming gold at the 2004 Athens Games, earning him the traditional title of "World's Greatest Athlete." He succeeded his compatriot Tomas Dvorak as world record holder, continuing a remarkable era of Czech dominance in the decathlon.

A panel of experts convened by the Wall Street Journal in 2008 also ranked Sebrle as the world's greatest athlete. He competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he finished sixth in the decathlon.