Athletics
We explain what athletics is and what disciplines this famous sport encompasses. Also, what are the Olympic Games?
Athletics finds its origin in the games that were held in Greece and Rome.
What is Athletics?
The word athletics comes from the Greek word athletes and means any individual who competes to obtain recognition. Known as the oldest sport, with a solid and organized structure, athletics consists of sporting events based on running, jumping, and throwing.
Athletics finds its origin in the games that were held in the public space of Greece and Rome. Ath athletics is the “natural sport” that implies the basics of human action in relation to what is necessary for human development. In other words, it refers to the human need to run, jump and throw to exercise as part of our body’s needs.
Athletics gather in the same stadium as in ancient times, and the races and competitions are divided according to the type of exercise. The performance of these athletic activities involves muscle exercise, mainly using force.
The main current tests are:
Races of different lengths,
Marathons that are measured according to the kilometers of the route,
March,
Jumps in height, length, and triple jump,
weight, hammer, discus, and javelin throws,
Decathlon and pentathlon tests combine different activities.
See also: Individual sports
Professional athletics disciplines
Athletics
The javelin throw consists of throwing a javelin as far as possible.
The tests that a professional athletics competition contains are:
Speed ​​races. They are one of the best-known athletic tests and have been found in every athletics competition since its inception. It consists of traversing a space that varies from 100 meters to 400 meters in the shortest time possible.
Long-distance races. Long-distance races consist of a distance course of more than 3000 meters. A long-distance runner must have well-developed abilities that allow him to possess physical endurance, resistance to fatigue, and resistance to pain.
Middle-distance races. These races receive this name since the distance to be covered is intermediate between speed and long-distance races. They consist of the space route with a distance between 800 meters and 3000 meters.
Races on routes or streets. They are not recognized as a discipline in the Olympics or other competitions. It consists of traveling a certain distance outside the track or athletics stadium. Instead, your route is specified in a town or city’s roads, highways, or streets.
Cross-country racing. Although it is not currently a test found in the Olympic Games, it was in previous editions. It consists of traveling a distance within a natural circuit without urban features. There are an individual or team modalities.
Hurdling. This test is attributed to the British and consists of jumping fences within a certain distance.
Race backward. Although it is not considered an Olympic sport, many athletes have recently exercised the practice of running in the opposite direction.
Pole vault. Also known as pole vault, it is a sport that consists of going over a horizontal bar by using a pole and the impulse obtained after traveling a distance of 30 meters.
Long jump. This discipline aims to achieve the maximum distance after a jump over a horizontal space through the momentum gained by a specific route.
Shot put. It consists of throwing a ball by a competitor to achieve a maximum distance.
Discus throw. It consists of throwing an object with a circular shape and a pronounced weight towards a maximum distance.
Javelin throw. It is based on throwing a weapon made from authorized material as far as possible.
