Athletics

Athletics is a collection of sports events that involve running, throwing and jumping. It is also known as 'track and field' or 'track and field athletics.'

The word 'athletics' is derived from the Greek word "athlos" that means "contest." In some languages like German and Russian, it is referred as "light athletics" to distinguish them from "heavy athletics," such as weight lifting, wrestling, etc.

DO YOU KNOW
Athletics was the original event at the first Olympics (ancient) 776 BC

• Athletics was the original event at the first Olympics (ancient) 776 BC
• Athletics was included in the first modern Olympic Games in the year 1896 and has been part of the program ever since, providing the backbone of the Olympics.
• Todays athletic events are organized around a 400 metre running track, on which most of the running events take place.
• Field events like vaulting, jumping, and throwing takes place in the field in the centre of the running track.

ATHLETIC EVENTS

• Track events: running events conducted on a 400 meter track.
  • Sprints: events up to and including 400 m. Common events are 60 m (indoors only), 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres.
  • Middle distance: events from 800m to 3000 m, especially 800 metres, 1500 metres, mile and 3000m. In the United States (especially high schools), distance events include 800 m, 1600 m (mile), and 3200 m (2 miles). (1 mile=1609.344 meters)
    • Steeplechase - a race (usually 3000 m) in which runners must negotiate barriers and water jumps.
  • Long distance: runs over 5000 m. Common events are 5000 m and 10000 m. Less common are 6, 12, 24 hour races.
  • Hurdling: 110 m high hurdles (100 m for women) and 400 m intermediate hurdles (300 m in some high schools).
  • Relays: 4 x 100 metres relay, 4 x 400 metres relay, 4 x 200 m, 4 x 800 m, etc. Some events, such as medley relays, are rarely run except at large relay carnivals. Most American high schools run the 4x100 and 4x400, with the 4x400 being the finishing event to the meet.
• Road running: conducted on open roads, but often finishing on the track. Common events are half-marathon and marathon. The marathon is the only distance run in major international athletics championships such as the Olympics.
• Race walking: usually conducted on open roads. Common events are 10 km, 20 km and 50 km.

TRACKS AND FIELDS
Indoor

• Held during winters.
• Tracks are of 200 meters mostly.
• Consists of four to six lanes.
• The 100 m and 110 m/100 m hurdles is replaced by the 60 m sprint and 60 m hurdles.
• The 5,000 m is the longest event commonly run indoors.
• Indoor meets the high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump and shot put.

Outdoor

• Held during spring and summer.
• The tracks are usually an oval shape track of 400 meters.
• The track consists of 6-10 lanes.
• Field events consists of the high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump and shot put.
• Also consist the javelin, hammer and discus throws.

Asian Games 2010

• India's gold run continue in athletics
  Indian women's continued their golden run in 4X400m relay event after sweeping gold at Asian Games 2010. The team of four female Indian sprinters set the track ablaze with their lightning speed and reached the finishing line in in 3min 29.02sec. This is their second consecutive gold in an international event after the Commonwealth Games 2010.
• Golden Thursday for India
  It was a golden Thursday for India at Asian games 2010 as the gold medal tally reached to double figures. Hurdlers Ashwini Chidananda and Joseph Abraham bagged gold medals in athletics at 400m events taking the gold medal haul to 9. After this, boxing struck for India as Vikas Krishan delivered the golden punch to take India's gold medal tally into double figures.
• Indian sprinters sweep gold and silver
  Indian athletic team started on a high node bagging a gold and silver in women's 10,000m. Ace Indian long distance runner Preeja Sreedharan clinched the country's fourth gold medal at Asian Games 2010. Kavita Raut also joined the party by sweeping a silver medal.
• Second gold for Indian athletes
  After a dream start in long distance run, India's women power in athletics was once again on a showcase as Sudha Singh fetched India's second gold medal in track and field events. With this gold medal, India has five golds in the kitty and has moved to eight spot in Asian Games medal tally.

Top Player in Athletics
Asbel Kiprop (Kenya)
Asbel Kiprop is a promising young track racer from Kenya. He belongs to a family which has a strong sports background. His father himself was also an athlete, who participated the 1987 All-Africa Games in Kenya. Kiprop started running at the age of 13. read more...
CWG 2010 Athletics Results

Event	Category	Results
Track	5000 m (Men)	Gold -Uganda Silver – Kenya Bronze -Kenya
Throws	Hammer Throw (Women)	Gold -Canada Silver – Wales Bronze -England
Throws	Shot Put (Men)	Gold -Canada Silver – Jamaica Bronze -Australia
Track	100 m (Women)	Gold -Nigeria Silver – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bronze -England
Track	100 m (Men)	Gold -Jamaica Silver – England Bronze -Trinidad and Tobago
Track	110 m H (Men)	Gold -England Silver – England Bronze -England
Jumps	Triple Jump (Women)	Gold -Jamaica Silver – Trinidad and Tobago Bronze -Canada
Track	400 m (Women)	Gold -Botswana Silver – Nigeria Bronze -Guyana
Track	1500 m (Women)	Gold -Kenya Silver – New Zealand Bronze -Scotland
Throws	Hammer Throw (Men)	Gold -South Africa Silver – England Bronze -England
Combined	Decathlon (Men)	Gold -Canada Silver – New Zealand Bronze -England
Track	10,000 m (Women)	Gold -Kenya Silver – Kenya Bronze -Kenya
Road	20 km Walk (Men)	Gold -Australia Silver – Australia Bronze -India
Road	20 km Walk (Women)	Gold -England Silver – Australia Bronze -Kenya
Jumps	High Jump (Men)	Gold -Bahamas Silver – Bahamas Bronze -Botswana
Jumps	Long Jump (Men)	Gold -Australia Silver – England Bronze – Ghana
Throws	Shot Put (Women)	Gold -New Zealand Silver – Trinidad and Tobago Bronze – Samoa
Track	3000 m Steeplechase (Women)	Gold -Kenya Silver – Kenya Bronze – Kenya
Track	400 m (Men)	Gold -Kenya Silver – Australia Bronze – Bahamas
Throws	Javelin Throw (Women)	Gold -South Africa Silver – Australia Bronze – South Africa
Combined	Heptathlon (Women)	Gold -England Silver – Canada Bronze – England
Throws	Discus Throw (Men)	Gold -Australia Silver – India Bronze – England
Jumps	High Jump (Women)	Gold -Canada Silver – Jamaica Bronze – Saint Lucia
Jumps	Long Jump (Women)	Gold -Canada Silver – India Bronze – Canada
Track	400 m H (Men)	Gold -Wales Silver – South Africa Bronze – Wales
Track	400 m H (Women)	Gold -Nigeria Silver – Scotland Bronze – Jamaica
Track	800 m (Men)	Gold -Kenya Silver – Kenya Bronze – Kenya
Track	200 m (Men)	Gold -England Silver – Jamaica Bronze – Wales
Throws	Discus Throw (Women)	Gold -India Silver – India Bronze -India
Jumps	Pole Vault (Men)	Gold -Australia Silver – England Bronze -England
Track	100m Hurdles (Women)	Gold -Australia Silver – Canada Bronze -New Zealand
Track	3000m Steeplechase (Men)	Gold -Kenya Silver – Kenya Bronze -Kenya
Track	800m (Women)	Gold -Kenya Silver – New Zealand Bronze -Canada
Track	200m (Women)	Gold -Cayman Islands Silver – England Bronze -Canada
Track	10000m (Men)	Gold -Uganda Silver – Kenya Bronze -Kenya
Throws	Pole Vault (Women)	Gold – Australia Silver – Cyprus Bronze – England, Canada
Throws	Javelin Throw (Men)	Gold – Australia Silver – New Zealand Bronze – India
Jumps	Triple Jump (Men)	Gold – Nigeria Silver – Cameroon Bronze – India
Track	4 x 100m Relay (Women)	Gold – England Silver – Ghana Bronze – India
Track	4 x 100m Relay (Men)	Gold – England Silver – Jamaica Bronze – India
Track	1500m (Men)	Gold – Kenya Silver – Kenya Bronze – New Zealand
Track	5000m (Women)	Gold – Kenya Silver – Kenya Bronze – Kenya
Track	4 x 400m Relay (Women)	Gold – India Silver – Nigeria Bronze – England
Track	4 x 400m Relay (Men)	Gold – Australia Silver – Kenya Bronze – England