Markus Rooth (born 22 December 2001) is a Norwegian track and field athlete. He won the gold medal in decathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the first gold medal for Norway in this event since 1920. He was also the 2023 European U23 champion.[2]
In 2020, competing in Bislett, Rooth finished on 8238 points in the decathlon, which places him second in the world U20 all-time standings behind only Niklas Kaul.[3]
In 2022, Rooth set a Norwegian record in the decathlon with 8307 points in competition in Grosseto, Italy.[4]
In 2023, Rooth had his Norwegian national record for the decathlon beaten by Sander Skotheim. However, with both men competing at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships, it was Rooth that triumphed with a new personal best, championship record, and national record score of 8608.[5][6]
He competed in the heptathlon at the 2024 World Athletics Championships in Glasgow in March 2024.[7] Competing in the decathlon at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome in June 2024, he was contending for a medal before having to pull-out of the competition after sustaining an injury during the pole vault aspect of the event.[8]
He won the gold medal in Paris at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the decathlon, finishing in first place overall with a national record tally of 8796 points.[9] His compatriot Sander Skotheim who had entered no jump in the pole vault but stayed in the competition to pace Rooth around the 1500 metres course, was later awarded the World Athletics fair play award.[10]
In January 2025, he was a winner at the 2025 Norwegian Sports Gala held in Trondheim, winning three awards in total, including the Norwegian Sportsman of the Year trophy as well as Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year and the Name of the Year award, which was voted on by members of the public.[11]
Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.
| Event | Performance | Location | Date | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decathlon | — | Paris | 2–3 August 2024 | 8,796 points |
| 100 metres | 10.71 (+0.9 m/s) | Paris | 2 August 2024 | 926 points |
| Long jump | 8.01 m (26 ft 3+1⁄4 in) (-1.1 m/s) | Rome | 10 June 2024 | 1,063 points |
| Shot put | 15.31 m (50 ft 2+3⁄4 in) | Espoo | 15 July 2023 | 809 points |
| High jump | 2.03 m (6 ft 7+3⁄4 in) | Espoo | 15 July 2023 | 831 points |
| 400 metres | 47.69 | Paris | 2 August 2024 | 924 points |
| 110 metres hurdles | 14.07 (-0.8 m/s) | Oslo | 12 June 2025 | 965 points |
| Discus throw | 49.80 m (163 ft 4+1⁄2 in) | Paris | 3 August 2024 | 866 points |
| Pole vault | 5.30 m (17 ft 4+1⁄2 in) | Paris | 3 August 2024 | 1,004 points |
| Javelin throw | 67.89 m (222 ft 8+3⁄4 in) | Oslo | 12 June 2025 | 857 points |
| 1500 metres | 4:29.66 | Espoo | 16 July 2023 | 747 points |
| Virtual Best Performance | 8,992 points | |||
He is related to the Rooth family of athletes from Oslo, with Andrea Rooth his cousin.[12][13]
| All-around | |
|---|---|
| Pentathlon |
|
| Decathlon |
|
European Athletics U23 Championships champions in men's decathlon | |
|---|---|
|
