Friday 24 August 2012

Olympic Sports

Some Olympic sports that may be asked in the Mains 2012. Last year I was quite trumped and also pleasantly surprised with the question on the different flags used in Formula One. Unfortunately I didnt know the answer, but in that same spirit there could be some questions on Olympic sports this time. So here goes...

Triathlon:  multiple-stage competition involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events: swimmingcycling, and runningThe course is a 1,500m swim, followed by a 43km bike, finishing with a 10km run.Triathletes compete for fastest overall course completion time, including timed "transitions" between the individual swim, bike, and run components. The world’s leading competitors take less than one hour 50 minutes to complete an Olympic-distance triathlon. 

Marathon: 42.2 km run.

Hurdles: 110m distance for men and 100m distance for women.



3000m Steeplechase is run over seven-and-a-half laps of the track. Athletes must jump 28 hurdles and seven water jumps, all equally spaced. In the Steeplechase the hurdles are wider and more solid than in Hurdles, allowing athletes to step on them if they wish. They are 0.914m high for the men’s race. The water jump features a hurdle, with a water pit immediately behind it. The water is 70cm deep closest to the hurdle, but the pit slopes upwards, so at the top there is little water.  
[In the film Paan Singh Tomar, we see that most athletes would prefer stepping on the hurdle and propelling themselves wide of the water, but Tomar would jump right across the hurdle :)]
The Decathlon consists of 10 elements spread over two days. It is exclusively a men's event.

  • Day 1: 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m.
  • Day 2: 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, 1500m
Athletes receive points relative to their performance in each element, with these scores added up over the course of the competition to determine the final placings.
The Heptathlon consists of seven elements held across 2 days. This is exclusively a women's event

  • Day 1: 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m.
  • Day 2: long jump, javelin throw, 800m
Athletes receive points relative to their performance in each element, with these scores added up over the course of the competition to determine the final placings. Compared to the men's Decathlon, the following events are missing: 100m, 400m and 1500m sprint, discus throw, pole vault. In their place we have 200m and 800m.
Modern Penthalon: includes riding (400m), fencing, shooting, running (3 km), and swimming (200m freestyle). The competitions are staged over a single day. The first element is fencing, in which athletes are required to fence against every other athlete. The fencing is followed by swimming (200m freestyle) and riding (jumping over a 12-jump course). Athletes are given a score for each element of the competition.After the first three elements, the athletes’ total scores are converted into a time handicap. The handicap determines the starting times for the combined event, in which athletes are required to shoot five targets within 70 seconds (three times) and run 1,000m (three times). The winner of the competition is the athlete who crosses the finish line first.

In the Pole Vault, athletes take a run up and use a pole to propel themselves over the bar. The pole can be any length or diameter, but must be smooth. Athletes plant the end of the pole into a box at the base of the landing area, and use their speed, momentum and the bend of the pole to get themselves over. The bar must stay on its supports. Athletes may begin jumping at any height or may pass, at their own discretion. If they fail three consecutive jumps, at any height or combination of heights, they are eliminated. Once each height has been completed or passed, the bar is raised, and the next set of jumps begins.
Cycling Events: 
  • Cycling BMXBMX (Bicycle Motocross) where cyclists maneuver tracks built up with jumps, bumps and tightly banked corners. This is the second appearance of the sport at the Olympics after being introduced in Beijing 2008.
  • Cycling Mountainbike
  • Cycling- Road
  • Cycling- Track
Source: www.london2012.com

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