during the 2019 World Championships
I’m Gabby Pieraccini, and over the past six years I’ve built Decathletes of Europe into a leading independent source for combined events coverage worldwide.
My love for decathlon began watching the battles between Daley Thompson and Jürgen Hingsen in the 1980s, and I followed the event through the nineties, noughties and into the eras of Roman Sebrle, Ashton Eaton, Kevin Mayer and Damian Warner. Frustrated by the lack of quality combined events coverage, I launched Decathletes of Europe in Tallinn in February 2019 as a tribute to the European giants, but with an eye to combined events worldwide.
My analysis, previews, and features are read by athletes, coaches, commentators and fans globally. I’ve provided expert analysis to the BBC, been published by World Athletics, European Athletics, and Athletics Weekly, and served as combined events representative at the World Athletics Coaches Club expert panel during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and at World, World Indoor and World U20 championships.
As well as competition previews and reports, you’ll find features on athletes and analysis of policy developments in the combined events, such as world rankings. I advocate for the interests of combined events, particularly on field sizes, and I also promote the voices and experiences of female decathletes. I am an experienced public speaker and panel member, and expert in navigating and influencing decision-making structures. I am also a sports journalism mentor in the “Women in Journalism Scotland” network.
You can find me across multiple platforms:
Decathletes of Europe: In-depth combined events analysis, previews, rankings, and features
- Website: www.decathletesofeurope.co.uk
- Instagram: @decathletesofeurope
- Twitter/X: @decathletesofeu
- Substack: (coming soon)
The Decathlon Writer: my personal musings between decathlons on writing, travel, coffee and life as a decathlon writer
- Instagram: @thedecathlonwriter
- Substack: The Decathlon Writer | Gabby Pieraccini | Substack
How to support my work: If you’d like to support my work, you can subscribe to either of my Substacks or fuel my coverage with a coffee at ko-fi.com/thedecathlonwriter.
Throughout the year you’ll find me trackside on the international combined events circuit, or in the mixed zone at European and World championships. Please do say hello, and if you’d like to work with me, you can contact me here.