An athletics track may have a jumping area, throwing area and other sectors.
Athletics is a set of sporting events that are divided into running , jumping and throwing . The first historical reference to athletics dates back to the year 776 BC. C. in Greece , with a list of the winning athletes of a competition, which is considered the oldest organized form of the sport .
In Greek we find the etymological origin of this term. Specifically, we can determine that it comes from athletes , which is defined as "that person who competes in a specific event for a prize." And all this without forgetting that said Greek word in turn emanates from the word aethos, which is synonymous with "effort."
athletics tests
Within athletics we find various types of tests. Thus, there are foot races (speed races, middle-distance races, long-distance or marathon races, hurdle races, relay races...); the high jump , long jump , pole vault and triple jump ; throws (shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, hammer throw...); athletic walking ; and combined tests . The latter are also known as decathlon and, as its name suggests, are made up of ten events: three throwing events, three jumping events and four racing events.
The main Olympic event of antiquity was a test known as stadium or stadion , which consisted of covering a distance of between 190 and 200 meters that separated two marble lines (representing the departure and the finish).
As the years went by, other athletic events appeared, such as the diaulos (a round-trip competition) and the pentathlon (which included discus and javelin throwing, running, long jump and wrestling).
The stopwatch is a very important element in athletics.
The Olympic Games
After conquering Greece in 146 BC. C. , the Romans continued to develop the Olympic events, although in 394 the emperor Theodosius abolished the games in a decision that lasted eight centuries.
In 1834 , the English agreed to impose a series of minimum marks to be able to compete in certain athletics events. Sixty-two years later, in Athens , the Olympic Games were restarted although with certain modifications.
Another important year for athletics was 1913 , when the International Amateur Athletics Federation (currently the International Association of Athletics Federations – IAAF ) was founded. Today, the IAAF is the governing body of athletics competitions worldwide, in charge of establishing the rules and granting official status to the marks obtained by athletes.
Other athletics events
It should be noted that, beyond the importance of the Olympic Games , it is not the only athletics championship or athletic competition of relevance. The Paralympic Games , in fact, are held every four years like the Olympic Games, calling for the main athletes with intellectual or physical disabilities.
The World Athletics Championships are another major event in this sport, which also has regional competitions: the European Athletics Championships , the African Athletics Championships , the Asian Athletics Championships , the Pan American Games and the South American Athletics Championships , among others.
Classification for these tournaments is usually established according to the marks achieved. An athlete generally aspires to improve his personal record and then, depending on his level, he may dream of achieving the national record . A few elite athletes are those who attempt to achieve a world record .
At the awards ceremony , competitors who reach the podium are awarded a gold medal (first place), a silver medal (second place), or a bronze medal (third place).
Obstacle races are athletics events.
The importance of training
The importance of athletic training is very great in the professional field. Athletes work every day to improve their resistance , speed , strength , flexibility and coordination , trying to optimize their technique to lower their marks, in some cases, hundredths of seconds.
Professional athletes, likewise, eat according to the precepts of sports nutrition and take care of their hydration. The prevention of sports injuries through warm-up, cool-down and stretching exercises and rest for recovery after training and tests are other aspects they consider.
athletics figures
There are many legendary athletes who have already gone down in the annals of athletics history. This would be the case of the following:
- Carl Lewis . He was an important American sprinter who, throughout his career, won nine medals (eight gold and one bronze medal) in world championships and ten Olympic medals, nine gold.
- Jesse Owens . Four gold medals were won by this North American athlete who was the great winner of the Berlin Olympics in 1936.
- Usain Bolt . Jamaican is this sprinter who is one of the references in recent decades. He has not only six Olympic medals and five world medals, but also various individual records in the 100 and 200 meter dashes.