Athletics
The field events in athletics are a diverse group of competitions that test an athlete's strength, power, agility, and precision. Unlike track events, which are races, field events involve measurements of distance or height to determine the winner. The primary field events are:
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Long Jump: Athletes run down a runway and jump into a sandpit, with the distance of the jump measured from the takeoff board to the nearest point of impact in the sand.
Source: World Athletics - Long Jump
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Triple Jump: Similar to the long jump, but with three phases: a hop, a step, and a jump into the sandpit.
Source: World Athletics - Triple Jump
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High Jump: Athletes jump over a horizontal bar, attempting to clear it without knocking it down. The bar is raised incrementally until only one athlete remains.
Source: World Athletics - High Jump
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Pole Vault: Athletes use a long, flexible pole to vault over a high bar. Similar to the high jump, the bar is raised incrementally.
Source: World Athletics - Pole Vault
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Shot Put: Athletes throw a heavy metal ball (the shot) as far as possible from a designated circle.
Source: World Athletics - Shot Put
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Discus Throw: Athletes throw a heavy disc (the discus) as far as possible.
Source: World Athletics - Discus Throw
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Javelin Throw: Athletes throw a spear-like object (the javelin) as far as possible.
Source: World Athletics - Javelin Throw
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Hammer Throw: Athletes throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire with a handle (the hammer) as far as possible by spinning in a circle.
Source: World Athletics - Hammer Throw
Athletics is a broad term encompassing a variety of sports involving running, jumping, and throwing. It is one of the oldest forms of sport and is a core part of the Summer Olympic Games.
Key components of athletics include:
- Track Events: Running races of various distances, hurdles, and relays.
- Field Events: Jumping events like long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault; and throwing events like shot put, discus, javelin, and hammer throw.
- Combined Events: Competitions like the decathlon (for men) and heptathlon (for women), which combine multiple track and field events.
More broadly, "athletics" can also be used as a general term for sports and physical activities.
For more detailed information, you can refer to these resources:
The title of "best runner" is subjective and depends on the criteria used for evaluation. Here are a few candidates often mentioned, each with their strengths:
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Usain Bolt:
Considered by many to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He holds the world records in the 100 meters (9.58 seconds) and 200 meters (19.19 seconds). World Athletics profile of Usain Bolt
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Eliud Kipchoge:
Widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner. He holds the official world record for the marathon (2:01:09) and ran a marathon in under two hours in an unoffical race. Eliud Kipchoge's website
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Hicham El Guerrouj:
A dominant middle-distance runner. He holds the world records in the 1500 meters (3:26.00) and the mile (3:43.13). World Athletics profile of Hicham El Guerrouj
The "best" depends on whether you value speed, endurance, or middle-distance prowess.
Neeraj Chopra won a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
He won the gold medal in the javelin throw event with a throw of 87.58 meters, becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in athletics at the Olympics.
Source: Olympics.com
The Poomima Trophy is related to Table Tennis.
It is awarded at the Senior National Table Tennis Championships in India.
Source: Sports Authority of India