Athletic Events

Athletic Events (Olympic) Running Events Short Distance or Sprints In a track and field competition there are generally three different sprint distances: 100m, 200m, and 400m. A sprint race starts out with the runners in starting blocks in their lane. The official will say "on your marks". Next the official will say "Set". Then there is the bang and the race has started. The runner should exhale and run out of the blocks not jumping. The initial part of the race the runner is accelerating to top speed. Once top speed is achieved then endurance kicks in as the runner tries to maintain that speed for the rest of the sprint. Middle Distance The middle distance races are the 800m, the 1500m, and the 1 mile long runs. These races require different skills and tactics to win that the sprints. They rely more on endurance and pacing than just pure speed Long Distance There are three main long distance races: the 3000m, the 5000m, and the 10,000m races. These races are similar to the middle distance races, but the emphasis is even more on correct pacing and endurance. Hurdles A hurdles race is one in which obstacles are placed at intervals along the track that the runners must jump over on their way the finish line. Typical hurdle races are the 100m and 400m for women and 110m and 400m for men. Timing, footwork, and technique are key in wining hurdles events. Relays Relay races are where teams of runners compete against each other. There are typically 4 runners and 4 legs to the race. The first runner starts with the baton and runs the first leg handing off to the second runner. The hand off must typically take place within a given area of the track. The second then hands off to the third and the third to the fourth. The fourth runner runs the final, or anchor, leg to the finish line. Common relay races are the 4x100m and the 4x400m. Jumping Events High Jump In the high jump event, the athlete gets a running start and must jump over a bar without knocking it over, landing on a big soft cushion. Timing and leaving your feet at the right point as well as how you bend your body as you go over the bar are all important. There have been many techniques used for high jumping over the years, but the current, and most successful, is called the Fosbury Flop. The Fosbury Flop technique involves leading with your head over the bar (vs. leading with your feet) and twisting such that your back is to the ground and closest the bar as you go over it. Jumpers then land on their back. Long Jump Like many field events, the long jump involves more skill and technique than just being able to jump. First the athlete must have good speed as they sprint down the runway to prepare for the jump; next they must have very good footwork at the end of their run so they can launch as close to the line as possible without going over the line and faulting; third they must make a good jump; and lastly they must have proper form through the air and into the landing. Pole Vault In this track and field event, the athlete runs down the track holding a pole at one end. At the end

of the run the plant the far in of the pole into a metal box in ground and then propel themselves up and over a high bar using both a jump and the spring of the pole to gain height. They must get over the bar without knocking it off. They then land on a large soft mattress for safety. Triple Jump The triple jump is similar to the long jump, but there are three combined jumps that go into the total length. These are called the hop, the step, and the jump. The athlete will first run down the track gaining speed; at the start of the jump or take off point they will jump from one foot and land on that same foot (hop); they then jump again, this time landing on the opposite foot (step); next they jump as far as they can and land on both feet (jump). Throwing Events Discus In the discus event the athlete throws a round disc, typically made of plastic with a metal rim. The discus is thrown from a concrete circle that is about 8 feet in diameter. The athlete's feet can't leave the circle before the discus lands or the athlete will fault and the throw won't count. The athlete will spin around to gain momentum and speed and then release the discus in the proper direction. The athlete that throws it furthest from the front part of the circle (and within the legal area) wins. Javelin The javelin is something like a spear. The javelin must be thrown a specific way for it to be a legal throw. With the javelin an athlete has to: 1) Hold the javelin by its grip and nowhere else 2) Throw the javelin overhand (we're not sure underhand would work too well anyway) 3) They cannot turn their back to the target when throwing (this means they can't spin) When throwing the javelin, the athlete jogs down a runway to gain momentum and then must throw the javelin prior to crossing a line. The athlete cannot go over the line until the javelin lands which means the athlete needs to leave some extra space to slow down and have really good balance at the end of the throw. The athlete that throws it furthest (and within the legal area) wins. Shot Put In the shot put event athletes throw a metal ball. The shot is thrown from a concrete circle that is 7 feet in diameter. The front of the circle has a metal board called a toe board. The athlete cannot touch the top of the toe board or step over it during the throw. The athlete holds the shot close to his/her neck in one hand. The athlete must stay in a circle until the shot has landed. The athlete that throws it furthest from the front part of the circle (and within the legal area) wins. Hammer Throw In this track and field throwing event the athlete throws a metal ball attached to a handle and a straight wire about 3 feet long. The hammer is thrown from a concrete circle 7 feet in diameter (just like the shot put) but there is no toe board. Like the discus and the shot put, the athlete must stay in a circle until the hammer lands. The athlete spins several times to gain momentum prior to releasing and throwing the hammer. Balance is important due to the force generated by having the heavy ball at the end of the wire. The athlete that throws it furthest from the front part of the circle (and within the legal area) wins.

(Ducksters, 2019)