1. Athletics
S1&S2 course work

2. Athletics Task: Name 5 events within athletics.
Can you name any top international athletes??
Track and field athletics is a collection of sports events that involve running, jumping, throwing and walking. Organised athletics are traced back to the ancient Olympic games from 776 BC, and most modern events are conducted by the member federations of the IAAF. The athletics meeting forms the backbone of the modern summer Olympics and other leading international meetings.

3. Athletics Track events: Field events: 100m 200m 400m 800m 1500m 3,000m
Marathon
Steeplechase
Hurdles
Power walking
Field events:
Jumping:
Long jump
Triple jump
High jump
Pole vault
Throwing
Javelin
Shot putt
Discus
Hammer

4. Meets/competition Olympics every 4 yrs
Commonwealth games every 4 yrs patterned after the Olympics.
World championships every 2 yrs (odd yrs)
World indoor championships

5. Track events See BBC sport website for some running highlights.
Track events cover lots of different distances.
Sprints anything up to 400m
Middle distance 800m- 3000m
Long distance events 3000m+

6. Sprints Athletes use starting blocks to begin a race
The starter will say ‘Take your marks’, ‘set’….Then fire the starting gun.
Athletes must remain in their own lane at all times.
The first runner to pass the finishing line with their torso wins.
Starting a race before the gun has went off will result in a false start. A race is only allowed 1 false start, whoever causes the 2nd false start will be disqualified.
200m and 400m races start staggered to allow for the curve of the track.

7. Sprint technique On balls of feet Push hard off the ground High knees
Fast stride
Arms backwards and forwards action
Drive elbows back
Elbow bend 90 degree
Appearance of being Tall, Relaxed and Smooth with maximum Drive.

8. Middle/long distance Middle:
Is all about pacing yourself
Having enough energy to last for a long period of time.
Arm action slower
It is important to have a comfortable stride and rhythm
The foot strikes the ground less on the ball of the foot and more to the back of the foot.
The knee has some flex.
Leg movement is smooth.
Swing arms from shoulders in a comfortable back and forward movement. Arms and shoulders should be relaxed.
Head straight; focus ahead ten to fifteen meters.
Middle:
Competitors do not use starting blocks. Runners may not touch the ground with their hands at the start. In the 800, starting positions are staggered to equalize the length of each lane on the curved track. Runners must remain in their lanes until the end of the first turn. Stamina is important in all middle distance events, as is strategy, as runners must conserve some energy in order to finish strong.

9. Relay race
Is one of the most exciting races to watch in the Olympics. This is the only team event in athletics.
4 runners in a relay team. Runners exchange a baton over 4x100m or 4x400m distance.
Can you name 3 countries that have won gold in this event??

10. Field events Comprise of the jumping and throwing events:
Name the events below:

11. Jumps Jumping for distance: Long jump Triple jump Jumping for height:
High jump
Pole vault

12. Long jump
The long jump is a power event that comprises of the following four phases:
Approach run up
Take off
Flight through the air
Landing
To achieve maximum distance in the long jump the athlete will have to balance three components - speed, technique and strength.
Run up should be rhythmic and very fast.
You must determine your take off foot before you start, sink hips and next to last stride must be long, explode vertically by swinging free limbs upwards
Hips high
Swing legs through
Extend heels as far away from take off line as possible
Sink heels into ground on landing
Continue to land forward, don’t fall back!

13. Long jump techniques
In the stride jump style the athlete maintains the take off position for as long as possible and only as the athlete comes into land does the take off leg join the free leg for a good landing position
The hang style -On take off the athlete drops the free leg to the vertical, which is then joined by the take off leg. The arms go overhead to slow down the rotation about the athlete's centre of gravity. The legs are then lifted upwards and forwards whilst lower the trunk. The arms swing past the legs during the landing phase to ensure a good leg shoot.
The Hitch-Kick -Following take off the free leg is straightened and swung back and down as the take off leg folds up beneath the hips and comes forward bent. The take off leg then continues forward, straightening for landing. The free leg completes its backward swing behind the hip and then folds up and moves forwards bent, to join the take off leg ready for landing

14. Long jump technique
stride
hang
hitch

15. Triple jump
Comprises of 4 phases: approach phase, hop phase, step phase and the jump phase.
The approach run for the Triple Jump is similar to that of the Long Jump and the objective is to create the greatest amount of speed that can be controlled throughout the triple jump hop, step and jump phases.

16. High jump
event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights.
Each competitor get 3 attempts to clear each height, if unsuccessful they get knocked out of the competition.
The technique used to get over the bar is called the Fosbery flop
Record is 2.45m men (Cuba)
2.09m women (Bulgaria)