1-
History & Essentials
2-
Track
3- Field
4- Diagram
of Track
5- Special
Events and Cross Country
FIELD
Field events include throwing
and jumping events.
Throws
The goal is to throw the different
objects, called weights, as
far as possible. These objects
are the discus, shot, and javelin.
In most competitions, the throwers
have three chances to throw
or “put” their implements.
The athletes with the top 8
or 10 furthest throws advance
to the finals, where they have
three additional chances to
increase their distance. If
a thrower steps out of the shot
or disc circle, or over the
javelin line, or if the implement
lands outside the boundary lines,
the throw is not marked. All
throws are measured by placing
a measuring tape at the edge
of the circle (discus and shotput)
or the end of scratch line (javelin
throw) and setting it where
the implement landed. The throws
are the most technical events
in track and field. Throwers
use their leg strength to spin,
run, and balance, and their
upper body strength to release
the weights.
Discus
The discus is a flat, round
object weighing about 2 pounds
for girls and 3.5 pounds for
boys. Discus throwers perform
a complex spin with their arms
spread out at shoulder height
and the discus held in one hand.
When the discus is released,
the energy from the rotational
pattern of the spin sends it
flying. The discus requires
technique, balance, speed, and
strength. The spin is the same
for all skill levels and for
both men and women, but the
release can differ. Some throwers
use the left foot as a block
and push against it with their
body so their energy goes into
the discus, while others reverse
and switch feet at the end to
give the discus an extra push.
Shot-Put
The shot is a round metal
ball, weighing about 9 pounds
for girls and 12 pounds for
boys. The shot is put
by using either the glide
or spin technique.
With the glide, the athlete
faces away from the throwing
area, crouches, and leans over
one foot. He then pushes back
and turns, uses his legs to
explode upwards, and releases
the shot at about a 40-degree
angle. The spin is similar to
discus, but the shot is held
with the arm bent at the elbow
and held close to the neck.
If the shot is in the right
hand, the thrower spins counterclockwise.
Javelin Throw
The javelin is a long metal
spear about 8 feet long and
1.5 pounds. The javelin thrower
gains speed on a runway and
throws the javelin before reaching
the scratch line at the end.
If the thrower steps over the
scratch line or the javelin
does not land with the metal
tip in the ground, the throw
is invalid. Javelin throwers
run sideways as they hold the
center of the javelin, or grip,
at an arms length away
from the head. Nearing the scratch
line, they perform a hopstep,
plant a foot, and release the
javelin.
Jumps
The jumping events are made
up of horizontal jumps (long
jump and triple jump) and vertical
jumps (high jump and pole vault).
In horizontal jump events, the
athlete that jumps the farthest
wins; in vertical jump events,
the athlete that clears the
bar at the highest height wins.
Jumping events are technical
and rely on both speed and jumping
ability.
Long Jump
The long jump is the simplest
jumping event. It requires speed
and the ability to leap forward.
The long jump takes place on
a runway with a sand pit at
the end. There is a board or
white line, which the athletes
cannot step over, 8 to 12 feet
before the sand pit on the runway.
Long jumpers are incredibly
fast, and convert running speed
into jumping distance. Some
athletes use the hitchkick,
where the athletes rotate their
arms and legs while in the air.
Others use the hang,
where they hold their arms and
legs back after takeoff then
snap forward and land on their
bottoms in the sand. The jump
is measured from the end of
the board to the closest point
at which the jumper lands in
the sand. Jumpers have three
attempts to log their best jump.
The top jumpers advance to the
finals and have three more attempts
to increase their distance.
Triple Jump
The triple jump is also known
as the hop, skip, and
jump. The goal is to keep
speed from the run through three
consecutive jumps. The athlete
usually has a short sprint and
takes off from a board placed
further from the sand pit than
in the long jump. The jump is
measured from the end of the
board to the closest mark the
athlete makes in the sand. The
triple jump has three phases.
In the first phase (hop), the
athlete cycles the foot he took
off the board with to land on
the same foot for the second
phase. The second phase (skip)
is the hardest, because it involves
holding the jump in the air
and landing on the opposite
foot. The last phase (jump)
is a powerful long jump that
ends with the hang technique.
The best jumpers can jump the
same distance for each phase,
hold each jump in the air as
long as possible, and quickly
push off the ground between
phases.
High Jump
In the high jump, athletes
have three chances to jump over
a bar. Each time an athlete
clears the bar, it is raised
and the athlete has three more
chances at the next height.
High jumpers run in a J-shape
towards the bar and use the
Fosbury flop technique,
in which they jump off their
outside foot when approaching
the bar, throw the head and
shoulders over the bar, arch
the back, and quickly bring
the rest of the body over the
bar and land on the pit (the
soft mats behind the bar and
poles). To clear
the bar, the athlete must jump
over the bar without knocking
it over. The bar can be hit,
but if it falls off, the athlete
must try again. If the last
two jumpers fail at the same
height, the athlete that cleared
the previous height in the fewest
attempts wins.
Pole Vault
Pole vaulting is also a jumping
event. The object of pole vaulting
is to use a long, skinny, fiberglass
pole to lift ones body
completely over a bar. Like
high jump, the bar usually starts
at a low height (7 to 8 feet
for women, 9 to 10 feet for
men), and the athletes have
three chances to clear the bar.
If they go under, around, or
knock over the bar, it counts
as a miss. Once an athlete has
three misses at the same height,
he is finished competing. If
any athletes clear the height,
the bar is raised three to six
inches, and the remaining athletes
continue. Athletes place their
hands near the top of their
poles and hold the pole near
their hips. The pole is held
at an upward slant, so the bottom
of the pole is in the air. The
pole vaulter sprints down the
runway and plants
the bottom of the pole into
a metal box on the ground in
front of the crossbar. The pole
bends as it propels the athlete
upwards. The athlete goes over
the bar upside down and feet
first, and the rest of the body
curls over the bar. The athlete
then falls and lands on the
pit.
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