The decathlon is an athletic competition consisting of ten track and field events. Games are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all.
Performance is judged on a points system in each event, rather than by the position achieved. The decathlon is contested mainly by male athletes, while female athletes contest the heptathlon.
On the first day of the competition, the participants compete in the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, and the 400-meter run. On the second day of competition the contestants participate in the 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and the 1500-meter run.
The first modern-day Olympic decathlon event dates back to 1912 and the Olympic games held in Stockholm, Sweden. Traditionally, the title of "World's Greatest Athlete" has been given to the man who wins the decathlon.
The first event on day one of competition is the 100-meter dash. The dash serves as a measurement for basic leg strength and speed.
The race consists of three to eight runners. The runners start in a crouched position and at the sound of the starting gun, push off the starting blocks, sprint for 100-meters and lean into the tape at the finish line.
The second competition of day one is the long jump. In the long jump, each participant gets three chances to perform his best jump.
An athlete runs toward the sand pit and plants a foot along the toe-board. If the competitor's foot steps beyond the eight-inch toe-board, the competitor receives a foul for that turn.
When the competitor lands in the sand pit, the jump is measured from the landing point to the toe-board. The best of the three jumps is counted as their score.
The third activity in the competition is the shot put. In this match, the participants push a 16-pound iron ball from a concrete throwing circle seven feet wide.
The objective is to "put" the iron ball as far as possible and land it within a sector that's 40-degrees wide. Athletes have three attempts to achieve the best possible score.
The fourth task is the high jump. This is where the participants run toward a raised bar and must push off of one foot to leap over the bar.
The bar height increases three centimeters at a time and the competitors are challenged to clear the bar as many times as possible. The participants are disqualified after three consecutive misses.
The fifth event is the 400-Meter Run. The run tests a participant's speed and endurance.
The race normally consists of 2 to 7 runners, and each runner must stay in her lane throughout the race. The first person to cross the finish line wins the race.
The 110-Meter Hurdle is the first even on day two of competition. Participants sprint over ten barriers or hurdles 42-inches high and placed 10 yards apart.
The athlete can only take three strides between each hurdle and cannot purposely knock hurdles down during the race. The first person to cross the line without violating any rules is declared the winner.
The second game of day two is the discus throws. Competitors throw the 8 1/4-inch diameter disc in an attempt to land it within a 40-degree sector.
The athlete turns 1 1/2 times within the 8 1/4-foot circle and must not step outside of the circle during the throw. The participant gets three attempts for the best possible score.
Game three of day two is the pole vault. The athlete uses a 14 to 15-foot fiberglass pole to swing himself over a crossbar.
The competitor runs towards the crossbar and plants the pole into a box designed to stop his movement and allow him to pull up and over the crossbar. The highest jump wins the competition.
The fourth game of day two is the javelin throws. Javelin participants hurl an 800-gram metal spear that measures 8 1/2-feet long towards a sector that measures 29-degrees.
When throwing the javelin, the athlete must not step out of the arc or he receives a foul. Again, the best score out of three attempts are used in the final scoring.
The 1500-meter run is the final event in the decathlon. The run makes up the longest endurance competition of the decathlon.
Participants run 3 3/4 laps around the 400-meter track. The winner crosses the finish line first; after which all scores from all events is calculated and the winner of the decathlon is declared.
Author Resource:-
Terry Daniels is an accomplished expert in health and fitness. He recommends the besttreadmills you can find in the market.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 