Sports Show Source: US Air Force Like running races, jumping competitions seems to be part of our DNA from the time we are kids. We like to see how high and far we can jump and who can do it best. There are four main track and field jumping events. Here is a description of each: High Jump In the high jump event, the athlete gets a running start and must jump over a bar without knocking it over. They land on a big soft cushion. Like many track and field events, there is a key element to doing well in this sport, which in this case is being able to jump high, but technique is very important as well. 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. All of these techniques and skills must be executed to perfection to pull of a good long jump. The long jump has been a popular track and field event since the Ancient Greece Olympics. The current men's world record is 29.4 feet by Mike Powell. That's one loooong jump! Pole Vault While all of the field events take require technique to excel, the pole vault may be the toughest to master. 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. The world record for the pole vault is over 6m (over 20 feet!) and is held by Sergey Bubka, probably the greatest pole vault athlete ever. 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). Running Events Athletes Field events are events that require jumping and throwing on the field except games. This events can be grouped into the two: The throws: Throws are all events that involve the throwing of some implement for distance. These implements are called missiles. Examples of athletic missiles are : The missiles are thrown or put within a specific circle and must land within a demarcated landing sector to make a good throw. A competitor is allowed three throws and the best is used to place him. The Jumps These are events that involve jumping for height over a raised object or jumping for distance from a marked spot on a flat surface into a demarcated pit. There are two types of jumps; Division of field events Examples events Jumps/ jumping events Triple jump / hop Step-jump Long-jump High jump Triple jump Throws/throwing events Examples of events: Javelin Shot put Discus Hammer *the run way and landing pit The ways of starting races There are two popular ways of starting races. There are:
The standing start The standing starts are used to start middle long distant races. Example of middle and long distant races are :
Methods
The assembly line
The crouch start The crouch start is used to start races such as 100m, 200m, 400m etc. There are three methods of crouch start
Rules of the crouch start
Field Events General Rules
High Jump
Pole Vault
Long Jump
Throwing Events
Athletic Equipment/ facility The field – The field should be level and large enough for field events. The grass can be natural or synthetic. The track – The track can be located in-door or out-door The costumes The wears include;
What 3 events are involved in athletics?Athletics comprises a variety of running, jumping, throwing and walking events.
How many types are there in field events?Field events are categorised as, throwing and jumping events. There are “combined events” which includes decathlon for men and heptathlon for women. Decathlon which is organised for men includes 10 events and Heptathlon for women includes 7 events.
What field events include?Field events are competitions which involve jumping and throwing: the long jump, the high jump, the javelin throw, the discus throw, the hammer throw, the pole vault and the shot-put.
Which event is included in athletics?Athletics is a wide collection of sporting events that are comprised of different physical activities like walking, jumping, running, and throwing. There are various types of events in Athletics- Sprints, long jump, triple jump, Relay races, and throwing events are the major ones.
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