View source for Paul Terek

{{short description|American Olympic decathlete (born 1979)}}
'''Paul Anthony Terek''' (born October 20, 1979, in [[Dearborn, Michigan|Dearborn]], [[Michigan]]) is an American Olympic [[decathlon|decathlete]]. He graduated from [[Franklin High School (Livonia, Michigan)|Livonia Franklin High School]] in [[Livonia, Michigan]]. His personal best in decathlon is 8312 points, achieved in July 2004 in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] at the [[2004 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|United States Olympic Trials]]. Terek won the bronze medal and was placed on the United States Olympic Team. Out of the ten decathlon events, Terek is strongest in the [[pole vault]], and he is comparatively weak in the [[100 metres|100 m]] and [[400 metres|400 m]] sprints.

Terek competed for the [[Michigan State Spartans track and field]] team, where he was a national runner-up in the indoor pole vault and decathlon in 2002.<ref name="Pole vault at the NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships">{{cite web |url=https://www.ustfccca.org/records-lists/meet-history-by-event?gender=1&series=3368&event=22 |title=Pole vault at the NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships |website=[[USTFCCCA]] |access-date=28 December 2024}}</ref><ref name="Decathlon at the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships">{{cite web |url=https://www.ustfccca.org/records-lists/meet-history-by-event?gender=1&series=3369&event=32 |title=Decathlon at the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships |website=[[USTFCCCA]] |access-date=28 December 2024}}</ref>

Terek is also a two-time USA champion in the indoor [[heptathlon]], 2003-4.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/USAIndoorTF/men/Hept.aspx | title=USA Indoor Track & Field Champions | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826024458/http://www.legacy.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/USAIndoorTF/men/Hept.aspx | archive-date=2022-08-26}}</ref>

In September 2010, Terek became the co-host of Living the Run, a health and fitness radio that airs on [[KXTK|ESPN 1280]] on the Central Coast of California. Terek and his co-host, Ryan Foran, are health and fitness advocates who are entertaining their fans while interviewing guests and sharing health and fitness tips and news on the weekly radio show.

In 2006, Terek participated in the [[Japanese television programs|Japanese televised]] [[obstacle course]] [[Sasuke (TV series)|Sasuke]], currently [[Broadcast syndication|syndicated]] in the United States as Ninja Warrior on the [[Esquire Network]]. Terek surpassed most of the other competitors but ultimately failed on the third stage obstacle, the Cliff Hanger, which requires traversal over a water pit with only small fingerholds to keep the competitor from falling into the water. Before the competition, his height and weight were recorded as {{convert|6|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} and {{convert|210|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. He was by far the heaviest of all the contestants, weighing almost 60 pounds more than most of them ([[Makoto Nagano]], who won the very same tournament, weighed only {{convert|62|kg|lb|abbr=on}} at a height of {{convert|162|cm|ft|abbr=on}}). It was said that Terek's weight was a factor in him falling from the Cliff Hanger early on. In the fall of 2007, Terek participated once again only to fail on the Jumping Spider obstacle in the first stage. He also helped oversee [[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4]]'s second American Ninja Challenge prior to the 20th Sasuke competition (although Terek himself did not compete in that tournament). He did return to SASUKE in 2009 for the 22nd tournament, but failed the First Stage again, this time on an obstacle called the Slider Jump.  The Slider Jump was again his downfall in the 24th tournament.

Prior to his SASUKE appearance in fall 2007, Terek competed in another Japanese televised show called "[[Pro Sportsman No.1]]" where he won the namesake's title.

In October 2010 he announced his retirement from international competition.<ref>Emons, Brad (2010-10-30). [http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20101030/SPORTS/101030005/Olympic-decathlete-Terek-retires Olympic decathlete Terek retires]{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.</ref>

==Achievements==
{| {{AchievementTable}}
|-

!colspan="5"|Representing the {{USA}}
|-
|2003
|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics - Men's Decathlon|World Championships]] 
|[[Paris]], [[France]]
|12th
|Decathlon
|-
|rowspan=2|2004
|[[Hypo-Meeting]] 
|[[Götzis]], [[Austria]]
|8th
|[[2004 Hypo-Meeting|Decathlon]]
|-
|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] 
|[[Athens, Greece]]
|21st
|Decathlon
|-
|rowspan=2|2005
|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics - Men's Decathlon|World Championships]] 
|[[Helsinki, Finland]]
|13th
|Decathlon
|-
|[[Décastar]] 
|[[Talence]], [[France]]
|12th
|[[2005 Décastar|Decathlon]]
|-
|2006
|[[Hypo-Meeting]] 
|[[Götzis]], [[Austria]]
|DNF
|[[2006 Hypo-Meeting|Decathlon]]
|-
|2007
|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] 
|[[Osaka]], [[Japan]]
|align="center" | 10th
|Decathlon
|}

==SASUKE results==

*17th competition (86): Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
*19th competition (98): Failed Jumping Spider - First Stage
*22nd competition (98): Failed Slider Jump - First Stage
*24th competition (82): Failed Slider Jump - First Stage

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{World Athletics||name=Paul Terek}}

{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's heptathlon}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2004 Summer Olympics}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terek, Paul}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American male decathletes]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Dearborn, Michigan]]
[[Category:Contestants on Japanese game shows]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:American male pole vaulters]]
[[Category:Michigan State Spartans men's track and field athletes]]