Emory student Nikki Boon to defend her title at Women’s Decathlon World Championships
August 6, 2026
Emory PhD student Nikki Boon will compete in the 2026 Women’s Decathlon World Championships on Aug. 8-9 at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio.
Boon is aiming to capture her second consecutive Women’s Decathlon World Championship after winning the title in 2025.
The Dronten, Netherlands, native is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience in Emory’s James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies. In addition to winning last year's Women’s Decathlon World Championship representing her home country, she was a standout on the Emory track and field team from 2023 to 2025 —which was her last year of NCAA eligibility, having started competing while pursuing her undergraduate degree in psychology at Coastal Carolina University.
As an Emory Eagle, in 2025 Boon set new NCAA Division III records in the pentathlon and heptathlon while winning national championships in both events. During her time competing for Emory, she earned six NCAA Division III All-America honors and still holds the program records in the heptathlon, pentathlon, long jump and 60-meter hurdles.
Boon has her sights set not only on defending her world title but also on becoming just the fourth woman to surpass the 8,000-point mark in the decathlon.
On Sunday, Aug. 9, from 6-8 p.m. ET, the All Women's Sports Network will air a two-hour special recapping the competition's first nine events, concluding with live coverage of the 1500m race — the decathlon's decisive final event, and the moment the World's Greatest Athlete is crowned.
Find more information on the Women’s Decathlon World Championships and discover where to watch the competition.
How ‘brainy’ Emory student Nikki Boon became the ‘World’s Greatest Athlete’
Get to know Nikki Boon, an Emory neuroscience PhD student, who won gold at the 2025 Women’s Decathlon World Championships. With it, she earned the official designation of “World’s Greatest Athlete,” complementing her selection as a 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honoree.
