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    Field events in athletics include throwing and jumping competitions. Throwing events include shot put, hammer throw, discus throw, and javelin throw where athletes throw heavy objects different distances according to specific techniques. Jumping events include long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and high jump where athletes run and leap or vault over a horizontal bar into a landing area. The high jump saw an evolution in technique when Dick Fosbury pioneered the backwards "Fosbury Flop" technique in 1968.

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    Field events in athletics include throwing and jumping competitions. Throwing events include shot put, hammer throw, discus throw, and javelin throw where athletes throw heavy objects different distances according to specific techniques. Jumping events include long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and high jump where athletes run and leap or vault over a horizontal bar into a landing area. The high jump saw an evolution in technique when Dick Fosbury pioneered the backwards "Fosbury Flop" technique in 1968.

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    385 views2 pages

    What Are Field Events in Athletics

    Uploaded by

    nailahbasae
    Field events in athletics include throwing and jumping competitions. Throwing events include shot put, hammer throw, discus throw, and javelin throw where athletes throw heavy objects different distances according to specific techniques. Jumping events include long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and high jump where athletes run and leap or vault over a horizontal bar into a landing area. The high jump saw an evolution in technique when Dick Fosbury pioneered the backwards "Fosbury Flop" technique in 1968.

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    What are field events in athletics?

    Introduction To Field Events

    Track and field events have a long and rich tradition, and are some of the oldest athletic contests
    in recorded human history. In 776 BC, at the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, there was
    only one sport – wrestling. Gradually, the Games expanded to include the javelin throw, the long
    jump and others. By 200 BC, these athletic contests were so popular, there were 4 separate
    festivals, with participants from neighbouring countries and cities, like Rome (The Panhellenic
    Games).

    In this second part, we will examine field events, which take place on a large field, as opposed to
    the running track. They can be classified as jumping and throwing categories.

    Shot Put

    In the shot put, you throw a heavy spherical object called the shot (it resembles a cannonball).
    First, rest the shot close to the neck, and keep it there throughout the motion. Next, release above
    the height of the shoulder, using only one hand, as far as possible. The shot has to land in the
    designated zone of the throwing area. The one that lands the furthest, wins.

    Hammer Throw

    The hammer throw involves a heavy ball attached to a strong wire. The ball is swung twice in the
    same spot, legs stationary. Next, you make three or four rotations with your body in a circular
    motion, with your feet engaged in a heel-toe movement. Then, you release the ball into the
    designated zone. Whoever can throw the hammer the furthest, wins the event.

    Discus Throw

    The discus is a heavy disc (like a frisbee) and weighs about 2 kg. You start in a circle 2.5 m in
    diameter, then spin in a counter-clockwise motion around one and a half times to build
    momentum, before you release it. Whoever throws it the furthest, will win. There are no form
    rules about how the discus is to be thrown.

    Javelin Throw

    The javelin is a spear about 2.5 m in length. You need to run within a predetermined area to
    build speed, and throw it as far as possible.
    This contest is unique for two reasons. First, the technique is determined by the IAAF (the
    International Association of Athletics Federations). The javelin must be held by the grip and
    thrown overhand, over your shoulder or upper arm.

    Also, you cannot release the javelin and turn, so that your back faces the direction of throw. The
    runway must be a standard size, 4m wide and 30m long. It must end in a curved arc, from which
    the throw will be measured.
    Lastly, the javelin tip must strike the ground before any other part, in the designated zone. Only
    then is the throw considered valid.

    Long Jump

    In this event, you run down a strip (the same sort of rubberized surface as running tracks), and
    jump as far as possible from a wooden board 20 cm wide. The board is built flush with the
    runway, and you leap into a pit filled with finely ground gravel or sand. If you start the leap with
    any part of the foot past the foul line, the jump is disqualified.

    Triple Jump

    Similar to the long jump, you have to run down the track and perform a hop, a bound and then a
    jump into the sand pit. According to the IAAF rulebook, "the hop shall be made so that an athlete
    lands first on the same foot as that from which he has taken off; in the step he shall land on the
    other foot, from which, subsequently, the jump is performed."

    Pole Vault

    In the pole vault, you sprint down a track, plant one end of the pole in the metal box, and catapult
    yourself over a 4.5m horizontal bar (without knocking it to the ground), release the pole, and fall
    onto the landing mattress. The pole can be of any length, diameter and made of any material, but
    the basic rules and technique state that you must not move your hands along the pole when it is
    upright; you must clear the bar feet first, and twist so that your stomach faces the bar, as you
    descend.

    High Jump

    To do the high jump, you do a short run up, leap from one foot over a horizontal bar, and fall
    onto a cushioned landing area. What is interesting was how jumping technique evolved in this
    event.

    Previously, different high jumpers used different methods, but at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic
    Games, an athlete called Dick Fosbury pioneered the backwards and head-first jump, and
    captured the gold. This technique is the standard for all high jumpers today, and dubbed the
    Fosbury Flop in his honor.

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