Roman Šebrle (; born 26 November 1974) is a retired decathlete from the Czech Republic. He is considered to be one of the best decathlon athletes of all time. Originally a high jumper, he later switched to the combined events and is a former world record holder in the decathlon. In 2001 in Götzis he became the first decathlete ever to achieve over 9,000 points, setting the record at 9,026 points, succeeding his compatriot, Tomáš Dvořák, who had scored 8,994 points two years earlier. After placing second in the decathlon during the 2000 Summer Olympics, Šebrle won the gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Tradition dictates the winner of the decathlon holds the title of "World's Greatest Athlete". A panel of experts convened by the Wall Street Journal in 2008 also ranked Šebrle as the world's greatest athlete. That very same year, Šebrle finished 6th in the decathlon in the Beijing Olympics. Private life Šebrle was born in Lanškroun, Czechoslovakia. He studied at Gymnázium Františka Martina Pelcla () in Rychnov nad Kněžnou and at Gymnázium Pardubice. Then he studied an extension course of Information Science and Computer Technology. On 14 October 2000 Šebrle married Eva Kasalová, a former Czech athlete who competed on the track in the 400 and 800 metres. Their son, Štěpán, was born on 4 September 2002 and their daughter Kateřina on 30 January 2006. Sporting career Beginning When Roman Šebrle was six years old, he started playing football, but also occasionally took part in athletics competitions. In 1987 he broke his calf bone and shin bone on one leg in a collision with the opponent goalkeeper during a football match. After this incident he had his leg in plaster for 2 months and spent one year learning to walk. He competed in his first decathlon competition in 1991 in Týniště nad Orlicí, reaching 5,187 points. Then he met coach Jiří Čechák who convinced him to change school from Rychnov nad Kněžnou to Pardubice, where he joined the Track and Field Club in 1992. He improved his decathlon personal best to 7642 points, although he did just light training. TJ Dukla Praha In 1995 he started his two-year compulsory military service in the Czech Armed Forces. He joined the army sports club Dukla Prague and its group of decathletes led by coach Zdeněk Váňa, and has stayed a member since that time. Thus he is still