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Track & field events

16 questions · Sports

All about Track & field events: The decathlon has 10 events. The heptathlon has 7 events. The classic steeplechase is run over 3000 m. A marathon is 42.195 km long. Triple jump: hop, step, jump. The 100 m is the shortest Olympic sprint. The classic sprint relay is 4×100 m. The classic middle distances are 800 m and 1500 m. Race walking (e.g. 20 km walk). Good to know: The decathlon winner is traditionally called the 'king of athletes'. The heptathlon replaced the earlier women's pentathlon in 1981. The course has fixed barriers and a water jump. The odd distance dates back to the 1908 London Games course. The 'hammer' is really a ball on a steel wire. Since the 1960s almost everyone uses the 'Fosbury flop', going over backwards. Modern fibreglass poles launch vaulters over five metres high. The shot is pushed from the neck, not thrown. The discus throw dates back to the ancient Olympic Games. The javelin throw also comes from antiquity. Hop, step, jump: three leaps without a break. The 100 metres crowns the 'fastest human in the world'.

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8 of 16 questions with answers

How many events make up the men's decathlon?

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10

How many events make up the women's heptathlon?

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7

What is the standard distance of the steeplechase?

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3000 m

How long is a marathon?

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42.195 km

Which throwing event uses a metal ball on a wire?

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Hammer throw

Which event: a run-up and jump over a bar with no equipment?

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High jump

Which jumping event uses a long flexible rod?

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Pole vault

Which event: a heavy ball is put (pushed), not thrown?

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Shot put

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