# 1971 European Athletics Championships – Men's decathlon

The men's decathlon at the 1971 European Athletics Championships was held in Helsinki, Finland, at Helsinki Olympic Stadium on 11 and 12 August 1971.

## Medalists

| Gold | Joachim Kirst East Germany |
| Silver | Lennart Hedmark Sweden |
| Bronze | Hans-Joachim Walde West Germany |

## Results

| KEY: | DNS | Did not start | DNF | Did not finish | CR | Championships record | NR | National record | PB | Personal best | SB | Seasonal best |

### Final

11/12 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | 100m | LJ | SP | HJ | 400m | 110m H | DT | PV | JT | 1500m | Points | Notes |
| | Joachim Kirst | East Germany | 11.02 (w: 0.3 m/s) | 7.68 (w: 0.8 m/s) | 16.59 | 2.13 | 48.97 | 16.12 (w: 1.1 m/s) | 47.21 | 4.20 | 65.51 | 4:44.7 | 8188 (8196) | CR |
| | Lennart Hedmark | Sweden | 11.28 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 7.51 (w: 0.8 m/s) | 15.37 | 1.89 | 49.09 | 14.78 (w: 0.1 m/s) | 45.37 | 4.20 | 73.79 | 4:41.0 | 8054 (8038) | NR |
| | Hans-Joachim Walde | West Germany | 11.17 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 7.41 (w: 1.2 m/s) | 15.33 | 1.95 | 49.32 | 15.17 (w: 1.6 m/s) | 43.57 | 4.30 | 66.47 | 4:41.2 | 7927 (7951) | |
| 4 | Heinz-Ulrich Schulze | West Germany | 10.98 (w: -0.9 m/s) | 7.11 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 14.53 | 1.89 | 48.64 | 14.97 w (w: 2.4 m/s) | 42.80 | 4.30 | 63.93 | 4:34.1 | 7841 (7889) | |
| 5 | Sepp Zeilbauer | Austria | 10.96 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 7.38 (w: 1.7 m/s) | 13.49 | 2.04 | 48.79 | 15.06 (w: 0.1 m/s) | 39.70 | 4.00 | 58.95 | 4:27.5 | 7783 (7842) | NR |
| 6 | Peter Gabbett | Great Britain | 10.85 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 7.26 (w: 1.1 m/s) | 12.81 | 1.83 | 47.18 | 15.45 (w: 1.6 m/s) | 41.81 | 4.30 | 58.68 | 4:29.7 | 7692 (7754) | |
| 7 | Leonid Litvinenko | Soviet Union | 11.34 (w: -0.9 m/s) | 7.02 (w: -0.2 m/s) | 13.50 | 1.89 | 49.49 | 15.10 w (w: 2.4 m/s) | 42.82 | 4.10 | 63.27 | 4:19.6 | 7650 (7707) | |
| 8 | Boris Ivanov | Soviet Union | 11.28 (w: -0.9 m/s) | 6.92 (w: 1.0 m/s) | 14.15 | 1.92 | 50.63 | 15.21 w (w: 2.4 m/s) | 43.94 | 4.30 | 66.59 | 4:53.6 | 7554 (7601) | |
| 9 | Herbert Wessel | East Germany | 11.17 (w: -0.9 m/s) | 7.12 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 14.70 | 1.86 | 49.76 | 15.46 w (w: 2.4 m/s) | 44.52 | 4.60 | 55.70 | 4:57.8 | 7528 (7583) | |
| 10 | József Bákái | Hungary | 11.22 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 6.96 (w: 1.7 m/s) | 15.28 | 1.83 | 51.66 | 16.56 (w: 1.6 m/s) | 49.46 | 4.40 | 66.83 | 4:52.7 | 7520 (7569) | |
| 11 | Edward de Noorlander | Netherlands | 11.39 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 6.94 (w: 0.6 m/s) | 13.99 | 2.01 | 50.48 | 15.03 (w: 0.1 m/s) | 40.87 | 4.20 | 49.28 | 4:23.2 | 7478 (7562) | |
| 12 | Tadeusz Janczenko | Poland | 10.96 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 7.54 w (w: 2.1 m/s) | 13.65 | 1.98 | 50.17 | 16.61 (w: 0.1 m/s) | 42.61 | 4.40 | 55.41 | 5:03.2 | 7439 (7520) | |
| 13 | Yves Le Roy | France | 11.12 (w: 0.3 m/s) | 7.37 (w: 0.4 m/s) | 13.19 | 1.89 | 51.15 | 15.58 (w: 1.1 m/s) | 43.69 | 4.30 | 59.14 | 4:59.3 | 7395 (7453) | |
| 14 | Ryszard Katus | Poland | 11.17 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 7.06 (w: 1.8 m/s) | 12.93 | 1.86 | 50.83 | 14.52 (w: 0.1 m/s) | 40.20 | 4.30 | 55.59 | 4:48.2 | 7351 (7417) | |
| 15 | Roger Lespagnard | Belgium | 11.54 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 6.81 (w: 0.4 m/s) | 12.90 | 2.04 | 50.30 | 15.86 (w: 1.6 m/s) | 38.72 | 4.50 | 51.36 | 4:28.2 | 7328 (7406) | |
| 16 | Vasile Bogdan | Romania | 11.40 (w: 0.3 m/s) | 6.94 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 12.75 | 1.86 | 50.20 | 15.79 (w: 1.1 m/s) | 37.41 | 4.40 | 63.42 | 4:33.9 | 7317 (7376) | |
| 17 | Freddy Herbrandt | Belgium | 11.04 (w: 0.3 m/s) | 7.45 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 12.85 | 1.98 | 50.43 | 14.77 (w: 1.1 m/s) | 40.14 | 4.20 | 46.23 | 5:13.4 | 7248 (7328) | |
| 18 | Hannu Kyösola | Finland | 11.26 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 7.34 (w: 1.2 m/s) | 13.73 | 1.75 | 50.02 | 15.85 (w: 0.1 m/s) | 39.26 | 3.60 | 66.96 | 4:34.0 | 7282 (7322) | |
| 19 | Frank Nusse | Netherlands | 11.42 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 6.76 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 11.73 | 1.86 | 49.67 | 15.14 (w: 1.6 m/s) | 36.17 | 4.50 | 50.53 | 4:16.1 | 7239 (7311) |
| 20 | Régis Ghesquière | Belgium | 11.75 (w: 0.3 m/s) | 6.86 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 13.64 | 1.86 | 50.25 | 15.97 (w: 1.1 m/s) | 39.87 | 3.50 | 55.85 | 4:16.3 | 7063 (7157) | |
| 21 | Per Ovesen | Denmark | 11.46 (w: -0.9 m/s) | 7.04 (w: 0.4 m/s) | 13.52 | 1.86 | 50.81 | 16.25 w (w: 2.4 m/s) | 37.42 | 4.00 | 51.98 | 4:44.1 | 6947 (7051) | |
| 22 | Rafael Cano | Spain | 11.40 (w: -0.9 m/s) | 6.76 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 11.50 | 1.83 | 50.13 | 15.36 w (w: 2.4 m/s) | 32.52 | 3.80 | 46.55 | 4:44.0 | 6645 (6735) | |
| 23 | Franz Biedermann | Liechtenstein | 12.04 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 6.59 w (w: 3.2 m/s) | 10.10 | 1.75 | 52.99 | 16.52 (w: 1.6 m/s) | 28.83 | 4.20 | 47.75 | 4:45.2 | 6112 (6189) | |
| | Kurt Bendlin | West Germany | 11.06 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 7.45 (w: 1.6 m/s) | 15.03 | 1.83 | 48.65 | 15.45 (w: 0.1 m/s) | 45.45 | 4.60 | 69.97 | | DNF | |
| | Hans Smeman | Netherlands | 11.44 (w: -0.9 m/s) | 6.55 (w: 0.1 m/s) | 13.01 | 1.86 | 51.24 | DNF | 38.82 | NM | | | DNF | |
| | Nikolay Avilov | Soviet Union | 11.81 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 6.88 (w: 2.0 m/s) | 13.33 | 1.92 | 51.77 | 15.07 (w: 1.6 m/s) | | | | | DNF | |
| | Markku Juhola | Finland | 10.72 (w: 0.3 m/s) | 7.27 w (w: 2.2 m/s) | 13.58 | 1.70 | 48.02 | | | | | | DNF | |
| | Hans-Dieter Michalek | East Germany | 11.36 (w: -0.4 m/s) | 7.00 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 14.16 | 1.70 | | | | | | | DNF | |
| | Jorma Vesala | Finland | 11.48 (w: 0.0 m/s) | 5.85 (w: 1.4 m/s) | | | | | | | | | DNF | |
| | Ryszard Skowronek | Poland | DNF | | | | | | | | | | DNF | |

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 30 athletes from 16 countries participated in the event.
* Austria (1)
* Belgium (3)
* Denmark (1)
* East Germany (3)
* Finland (3)
* France (1)
* Hungary (1)
* Liechtenstein (1)
* Netherlands (3)
* Poland (3)
* Romania (1)
* Soviet Union (3)
* Spain (1)
* Sweden (1)
* Great Britain (1)
* West Germany (3)