London 2012 Olympics: The Most Intriguing Must-See Spectacles

During the 2012 Summer Olympics, if you want to see complete athletes with all-around talent perform, tune in to more than just basketball, soccer and swimming.

The Men's decathlon and the Women's heptathlon are two of the most intriguing spectacles to watch, as each Olympian must display elite skill in a number of differing events. In other sports an athlete may dominate at one type of event, such as sprinting the 100- and 200-meter dashes, but how would that same athlete perform in the field or distance running events?

It is the well-rounded athlete who should receive the attention, as they are truly deserving of global recognition.

In addition to the decathlon and heptathlon, the following are the events to watch, as they will provide an intriguing twist to this summer's Olympic games:

Gymnastics, Vault

One of the quickest, most exciting events in gymnastics, the vault, is also nail-bitingly risky.

For starters, it takes a lot of courage to sprint at near full speed toward a vaulting table and spring upward, ignoring the risk of injury that a slip or misstep might cause.

Then, once the athlete has taken flight, both the quick mid-air execution and the landing have to be flawless.

But perhaps the most impressive thing about the vault is how fast a gymnast must transition their momentum and go from running to balancing off the spring to performing a quick routine before finishing.

While all of this is going on the athlete must also possess excellent bodily control and poise in order to successfully complete the event.

Those who have experience as long-jumpers have a competitive advantage in this event. Experience in the long jump enhances one's feel for the steps in correlation to their speed and starting distance from the vault. 

Although it is a fast event, the vault still manages to display artistic beauty amidst the chaos that commences as the gymnast springs upward.

Modern Pentathlon

One of the most intriguing events in the history of the Olympics is the modern pentathlon. The pentathlon is composed of a diverse array of events that challenge an athlete's body and mind.

The activities that comprise this event are fencing, followed by swimming, then horseback riding, and finally a combination of running and shooting.

Fencing requires quick action, reaction and control. It is basically a fight with narrow swords, and each athlete is forced to work fast within limited space and utilize counter tactics to efficiently score.

Swimming is the next event, and although you won't see Michael Phelps in the pentathlon, these Olympians could feasibly provide the gold medalist with some real competition. Each competitor must possess fluid and quick motion in the water while maintaining a breathing rhythm. Swimming is arguably the most difficult event of the modern pentathlon, since swimming necessitates the use of most every muscle in the body.

The riding portion is perhaps the most cognitive event in the pentathlon, as athletes are paired with horses they are unfamiliar with. Competitors must display patience while feeling out their chemistry with the horses, all the while working to remain on the designated course.

The final portion of the pentathlon consists of the combination event, which pairs a three-kilometer run with shooting checkpoints throughout. Here, the athletes' ability to successfully shoot at targets while fatigued from the run challenges their focus and poise.

This entire event may not be as immediately exciting as the sprinting or swimming events, but attentive audiences will be treated to an exhibition of world-class talent nonetheless.

Decathlon/Heptathlon

The most well-rounded athletes in the Olympics compete in the decathlon (men) and the heptathlon (women). These competitions consist of 10 events and seven events respectively.

Both the men and the women compete in the high jump, long jump, shot put and javelin throw. To succeed at this combination of events, each athlete must possess great muscle memory.

Obviously practice and repetition of each event is required to develop the necessary skills, but only the most eclectic of competitors will earn medals. Attributes such as acceleration, top speed, upper-body strength and balance are all needed to perform, but stamina is key above and beyond all else.

The men's decathlon also includes the 400-meter dash and the 1500-meter run, while the women compete only in the 800-meter run. All of the field events are geared toward quick explosiveness, and athletes must have strong lungs to succeed in their respective races.

Rounding out the decathlon are the 110-meter hurdles, 100-meter run, pole vault and discus.

The heptathlon also consists of the 100-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash.

John Rozum on Twitter.