Athletics includes several of the most popular sports spread across the world. Athletics competitions are held within the framework of the Olympic Games, various championships. as well as commercial and charitable competitions.
Athletics history
The first athletes should be considered the ancient Greek athletes participating in the first Olympic Games. In ancient Greece, the cult of the body was popular - athletic figures and physical health were glorified. Then such sports as running, long jumping, discus and hammer throwing appeared. Also, track and field exercises were used to train soldiers. The modern era of athletics began in the 18th century. The Age of Enlightenment brought new values, including the movement of anthropocentrism. Man was put at the head of everything that happened, and health and good appearance became an integral part of an enlightened city dweller. For the first time, competitions in running and jumping began to be held in large universities, and in 1896 they were included in the program of the revived Olympic Games. Athletics associations were originally purely amateur, but later professional organizations emerged.
The prevalence of athletics is due to the fact that training does not require special costs and conditions.
Track and field sports were not so popular in Russia. The first competitions took place only in 1908. But everything changed after the October Revolution. In the USSR, they began to pay great attention to military training, establishing universal military duty. The training program for the soldiers included track and field exercises. Also, sports standards had to be passed during the TRP exam. The popularity of athletics has grown so much that they began to call it the queen of sports.
Modern athletics
Modern athletics exercises include running sports, walking, throwing and jumping. The running types include sprint - short-distance running, middle-distance running and long-distance stayer running. It also includes hurdling and relay race, in which several athletes participate. Running can also include running - long-distance running on a hard surface (highway). The most famous race is the marathon. Another type is cross-country running, cross-country running.
At some competitions, athletics all-around are held, which includes several sports at once.
Race walking is an Olympic discipline. It differs from running in that the athlete's foot does not separate from the track surface when moving. Race walking has a specific technique, and athletes can develop a significant speed, sometimes even higher than when running.
Throwing in athletics includes exercises with the ball, disc, spear and hammer. These sports require athletes to have a lot of concentration, the ability to control their efforts and developed muscles capable of acting with great explosive power.
Track and field jumps are performed in long and high. High jumps can be performed with or without a pole.
