About
About
Aim of the game
Across the different events the aim is always the same: to outperform your opponents, whether in running, jumping or throwing
Why should you watch this?
Some of the greatest athletes of all time, such as Usain Bolt, will strive to achieve unprecedented feats amid a carnival of sporting challenges that encompass the Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger
Venues
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Fosbury flop
A high jump style developed by Dick Fosbury in the 1960s that sees athletes jump backwards over the bar – before this most jumpers used the ‘straddle’ technique
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False start
Starting an individual race before the starting pistol is fired, invalidating the start and resulting in disqualification
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Back straight
The 100m stretch on the opposite side of the track to the ‘home straight’ (which leads to the finish line), this is the area where middle and long-distance runners often mount attacks
Impress your friends
Flat races
Athletes race over distances of 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and 10000m. The two relay events (4x100m and 4x400m) are contested by teams of four athletes, each of whom runs one quarter of the total distance, passing a baton to their team-mate within a restricted area.
Obstacle races
Runners must jump over 10 evenly placed barriers (hurdles) that are 1.07m high for men and 0.84m for women in the 100m and 110m races, and 0.914m high for men and 0.762m for women in the 400m – bumping into or knocking over a hurdle does not result in a penalty, although it does slow down the athlete in steeplechase, athletes race over 3000m, jumping obstacles 0.91m high for men and 0.76m for women, some of which land into water pits that are 0.70m deep.
Height jumps
High jump - athletes must jump as high as possible over a horizontal bar, landing in a cushioned area. Each athlete has three attempts at each height – three consecutive failures (toppling the bar) result in elimination.
Pole vault - athletes must jump as high as possible over a horizontal bar. After a run-up, they jam a flexible fibreglass pole into a metal box at the base to take off, landing in a cushioned area. Each athlete has three attempts at each height – three consecutive failures (toppling the bar) result in elimination.
Distance jumps
Long jump - each athlete has three attempts to jump as far as possible. They build up speed on a runway around 40m long and jump into a sand pit.
Triple jump - each athlete has three attempts to jump as far as possible. They build up speed on a runway around 40m long. The take-off foot absorbs the first landing (the hop), the next phase (the step) lands on the opposite foot and the final part (the jump) finishes in the sandpit. The distance measured is from the edge of the board to the final landing.
Throwing events
Shot put - each athlete has three attempts to throw a round metal weight (shot) weighting 4kg (women) or 7.2kg (men).
Discus throw - athlete has three attempts at throwing a disc weighing 1kg (women) or 2kg (men).
Javelin throw - each athlete has three attempts to throw a metal-tipped javelin weighing 600g (women) or 800g (men).
Hammer throw - each athlete has three attempts to throw an iron ball weighing 4kg (women) or (7.2kg) men fixed to a steel cable (1.2m long).
Road events
At 42.195km, the marathon is the longest running event, traditionally taking athletes around the city. In walk, athletes race over 20km (man and women) or 50km (men) in short, rapid steps, ensuring that one foot is always in contact with the ground and keeping the extended leg straight from the moment the foot touches the ground until the other foot has moved ahead of it.
Combined events
Heptathlon and decathlon comprise a series of events over two consecutive days. The women’s heptathlon includes the 100m hurdles, 200m, 800m, high jump, long jump, shot put and javelin throw. The men’s decathlon combines the 100m, 400m, 1500m, 110m hurdles, long jump, high jump, pole vault, shot put, discus and javelin.
Stats
Top Medalists
| Men | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
FIN
Paavo Nurmi
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9 | 3 | 0 | 12 | |
|
USA
Carl Lewis
|
9 | 1 | 0 | 10 | |
|
USA
Ray Ewry
|
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
JAM
Merlene Ottey-Page
|
0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | |
|
POL
Irena Szewinska
|
3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |
|
JAM
Veronica Campbell-Brown
|
3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |
