Track and Field Athletics

The Track and Field Athletics, better known as Track and Field, have changed significantly since their birth in Olympia around 776 B. C.

The Track and Field Athletics are one of the greatest events to watch. It is the greatest sporting event, drawing many spectators and creating much interest in at the summer Olympics. (Wallechinsky, 751) More athletes and more nationalities compete in Track and Field than in any other Olympic sport. Track and Field events have come a long way since the Ancient Greek Olympic games; many events have been changed or terminated and many new events have been added.

The Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius” is describing the Track and Field events in Latin. In English it means “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” which indicates the running, jumping, and throwing events. In the early years of Track and Field there were very few events; actually there was only one event at the beginning, the Stadion Footrace. The Stadion Footrace was a 200-yard sprint in which twenty competitors ran naked. (Alley, 19) Eventually, other events were added, but the introduction of the pentathlon marked a step towards Track and Field.

The Ancient Olympic Pentathlon included five events; long jump, javelin throw, discus throw, stadion footrace, and wrestling. Years later, when Track and Field spread out into other nations many new events were building up. As of today, all of the Track and Field events branch off from three categories: Track (running), Field, and Composite (competition that includes track and field events) events. In the track category the events are: 100, 200, 300, 400, 800, and 1600 meter dashes.

There are also the 3000, 5000, 10000 meter marathons and the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays.In the field categories the events are: discus, shot put, hammer, and javelin which are the throwing events. The jumping events in the Field category are long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault. Finally in the composite category the vents are: decathlon, heptathlon, and pentathlon.

(Belvel, 20) In the early years of Track and Field not many people took place in the events, but when it became more famous, many people took place in the events. In the Ancient Olympics, the winners of the Track and Field Pentathlon were considered to be the greatest athletes.Now in Track and Field the individual with the record in their event is considered as the best athlete to take part in that event. Usain Bolt, of Jamaica, that should ring a bell, he is the fastest and greatest athlete to take part of Track and Field along with Jesse Owens. Bolt and Owens are two of the greatest athletes to participate in the running events.

(Matthews, 31) Michael Powell should also ring a bell because he was the greatest long jumper to take part in Track and Field.Another name is Roman Sebrle; he was the greatest athlete to participate in the Decathlon. (Gifford, 7) Great athletes mean one thing: world records!!! Come on, who doesn’t like watching athletes break world records and create new world records. Now you should already know what Usain “Lighting” Bolt has done. He ran a 100 meter dash in less than 10 second; to be exact he ran it in 9.

58 seconds. Then he struck lightning again when he ran the 200 meter dash in 19. 19 seconds. Another record in the running events is the great performance of the Jamaican team in the 4x100 meter relay.They ran a total of 400 meters in 1 minute and 18 seconds.

Now some astonishing records in the field events; as you know the long jump is a hard sport, but Michael Powell, from USA, defined gravity when he jumped a total of 8. 95 meters. Now for the Composite Events, Roman Sebrle is like a king to the citizens of his homeland, Czech Republic. He is like the superman of Decathlon, not only does he have the record in Decathlon with 9026 points, but he got the high score in each of the events in the Decathlon.Though there are many other great records in Track and Field, but these are why the Track and Field Athletics is recognized as it is today. The Track and Field Athletics are one of the greatest events to watch.

It doesn’t matter if you watch it in the Olympics or IAAF World Championships or the World Indoor Championships. (“Track and Field Athletics”) Track and Field has had the greatest athletes to take part in it because it is the greatest thing/accomplishment you can put on your resume. “Citius, Altius, Fortius”.