Track and Field

100 Meters

Olympic Records

Men: 9.95 seconds (1968, Jim Hines, U.S.A.)

Women: 11.01 seconds (1976, Annegret Richter, West Germany)

The 100 meters is your basic all-out mad dash to the finish--making this the race of seconds and inches. In the 1896 Athens games, an American won the 100 meters in 12 seconds flat, just over two seconds off the current record.

Sprinters will do their dashing on a new synthetic eight-lane track recently installed at the Los Angeles Coliseum, site of the '84 track-and-field events. They'll be wearing six-ounce paper-thin spiked shoes made of nylon and calfskin, glove leather or kangaroo hide. Since it is likely that at the finish, top runners will be separated by no more than the thickness of an average paperback book, it is important to remember that judges will be watching torsos at the finish line--as opposed to feet, legs, arms, necks or heads.

Since the advent of sensing devices in the starting blocks, sprinters are no longer able to jump the gun; the pressure of the runner's feet holds open an electronic switch that beeps when more pressure is exerted--as happens in a false start.

The starting blocks are made of aluminum and have a built-in measuring gauge so that runners may place them where comfortable. A lock-in device immobilizes the blocks.

While legs are important at the start, you'll want to watch a runner's arms once the starter's pistol pops. The 100 is really an upper-body race. Close-elbowed arm pumping is how true power is generated.

Historical footnote: Future Dallas Cowboys star Bob Hayes won the 100 meters in the '64 Tokyo games by a seven-foot margin, the widest in Olympic history. Note, too, that in this same Los Angeles Coliseum, in the 1932 games, Polish-American Stella Walsh became the first woman to break the 12-second barrier.

Armchair tip: The "world's fastest human" should win the men's 100 meters at a top speed of 28 mph. The women's 100 meters could be won in just under 11 seconds.

200 Meters

Olympic Records

Men: 19.83 seconds (1968, Tommie Smith, U.S.A.)

Women: 22.03 seconds (1980, Barbel Wockel, East Germany)

Resembling the 100 meters in madness of dashery, the 200 takes a turn and is run from a staggered start. To guard against lost curve time, sprinters try to hug the inside of their four-foot lanes by leaning inward. Runners break the race into four parts: the start (featuring full-body lean with rear leg and opposite arm thrusting in sync); the acceleration (body straightening slightly, high knee action and pumping arms); full stride (racer more erect, running on toes); and finish (beginning 15 yards from the line with shortened stride and accentuated lean, chest and shoulders thrust forward).

Armchair tip: With this event usually won on the curve, watch for runners who best hug the inside of their lanes.

400 Meters

Olympic Records

Men: 43.86 seconds (1968, Lee Evans, U.S.A.)

Women: 48.88 seconds (1980, Marita Koch, East Germany)

The 400 runs from staggered starts. Acceleration takes place in the first 50 yards; by 200 meters, runners reach their planned set pace; at 300 meters, they hit the imaginary "wall"; in the last 100 meters, they break through the wall to the finish.

Most 400 runners prefer to draw one of the first three lanes, which places them on the inside of the track, where they can use the other runners as reference.

Historical footnote: In 1968, when Evans set his record, the top 12 men's 400-meter runners were all Americans.

Hurdles

Olympic Records

100-meter hurdles (women only): 12.56 seconds (1980, Vera Komisova, U.S.S.R.)

110-meter hurdles (men only): 13.24 seconds (1972, Rod Milburn, U.S.A.)

400-meter hurdles (men): 47.64 seconds (1976, Edwin Moses, U.S.A.)

400-meter hurdles (women): new event

There are three types of hurdles: 100-meter, 110-meter and 400-meter and ten hurdles in each race. The hurdles themselves are designed in an L shape (for safety purposes, to fall over easily) and vary in height from 36 inches (women's 400 meters) to 42 inches (men's 110 meters). Contrary to popular myth, hurdlers don't jump over hurdles--they step over them--and they may knock down an unlimited number of barriers without risking disqualification.

The 400-meter hurdles is considered a highly strategic event. By leaning his body low upon approaching each barrier, a hurdler is able to thrust his flexed leg over the barrier while moving his folded leg quickly past the lead leg. After clearing each barrier, the hurdler sprints between barriers at about a 14-stride average, eight feet to a stride. To compensate for time lost going around curves, he tries to take the barrier to the inside of the lane.

3000-Meter steeplechase (Men Only)

Olympic Record

8:08.2 minutes (1976, Anders Garderud, Sweden)

This 3350-yard (almost eight laps around the track) obstacle-ridden course consists of 28 hurdles and seven water jumps. Steeplers separate the event into three stages: hurdling, water negotiating and between-hurdles technique.

Relays

The 4 × 100--meter and 4 × 400--meter relays.

Olympic Records

Men (4 × 100--meter relay): 38.19 seconds (1972, U.S.A.)

Women (4 × 100--meter relay): 41.60 seconds (1980, East Germany)

Men (4 × 400--meter relay): 2:56.16 (1968, U.S.A.)

Women (4 × 400--meter relay): 3:19.23 (1976, East Germany)

The 400-meter relay is run in lanes from staggered starts, with each member of the four-person team running a quarter of the distance. Usually, the first runner is the team's quickest starter; the second is fastest on a straightaway; the third (sometimes the slowest of the team) is almost always a skilled curve negotiator; the fourth has the best kick.

Strategy and teamwork are the hallmarks of the relay events. Of crucial importance is the passing of the baton. There are two techniques: upward thrust (receiver holds palm inward with thumb separates from the fingers) and downward thrust (palm held upward with thumb and fingers forming a V). Passes are made at hip height, with arms at full extension. Note: If a baton is dropped, the runner who dropped it must recover it.

There are two relay zones: the ten-meter exchange zone and the 20-meter acceleration zone. Receivers begin their run in the 20-meter acceleration zone but can receive the baton only in the ten-meter zone. The baton weighs three pounds, two ounces, is 11 to 11-3/4 inches long and is made of aluminum or alloy.

Unlike the 4 × 100--meter sprint, the 4 × 400--meter relay is run in lanes by the first runner and by the second runner as far as his or her exit from the first curve. Because of this no-lanes rule, baton receivers on the third and fourth legs must be alert for runners arriving anywhere within the ten-meter exchange zone. Relay teams sometimes try to psych out the competition by juggling the order of runners at the last moment.

Historical footnote: The U.S.A. has won the 4 × 100--meter relay 13 out of the past 15 times.

800- and 1500-Meter Runs

Olympic Records

Men (800-meter run): 1:43.50 (1976, Alberto Juantorena, Cuba)

Women (800-meter run): 1:53.42 (1980, Nadyezhda Olizaryenko, U.S.S.R.)

Men (1500-meter run): 3:34.91 (1968, Kip Keino, Kenya)

Women (1500-meter run): 3:56.58 (1980, Tatyana Kazankina, U.S.S.R.)

The 800-meter (two laps around the track) run, requiring speed and stamina, is considered one of the best indicators of all-round running ability. Competitors begin in staggered starts and run around the track in lanes until the end of the first turn, when they suddenly break for the inside lane--the shortest route to the finish. Strategy for the 800-meter is relatively simple: Don't take an early lead (as in stock-car racing, runners follow in the "draft" created by the leaders); never pass on a turn; never let a leader get ahead by more than ten meters; don't be intimidated by jostlers (this is very physical); and save enough kick for the final 100 meters.

The 1500-meter (the metric mile) is one of the glamor runs of the Olympics, having produced such legends as Jim Ryun, Kip Keino and Paavo Nurmi. The 1500 starts at the head of the backstretch down a straightaway from a "waterfall" start designed so that competitors on the inside don't have unfair advantage. Runners begin by sprinting for the inside position and eventually fall in behind the leader in single file.

The most popular (and often precarious) 1500 strategy is to back off the pace and make a challenge to the front runners at the last possible moment. The finishing kick can come with as much as 300 to 400 meters to go. When passed, runners will often take position alongside the right shoulder of the runner who went by to prevent others from following in his path. A runner must be two strides ahead of a competitor he has passed before being allowed to cut back to the inside lane.

3000-, 5000- and 10,000-Meter Runs

Olympic Records

Women (3000-meter run): new event

Men (5000-meter run): 13:20.34 (1976, Brendan Foster, Great Britain)

Men (10,000-meter run): 27:38.35 (1972, Lasse Viren, Finland)

Endurance is the key in the long-distance runs. Runners compete against one another and (continued on page 188)Track and Field(continued from page 170) also against "the wall" (also called "the bear")--the psychological breaking point that most runners face after a few miles. Strategy in both of these races (and presumably in the new women's 3000-meter) will consist of grabbing the lead early and trying to hang on to it, taking a spot in the middle of the pack and making a move later or running from the rear of the pack and waiting for a lengthy final kick. In the last straightaway, a runner cannot change lanes unless he or she is about to pass another runner.

Marathon

Olympic Record

Men: 2:09:55 (1976, Waldemar Cierpinski, East Germany)

Women: new event

Currently the most fashionable and talked-about event on the Olympic track-and-field agenda, the marathon traditionally covers just over 26 miles of varied terrain. Marathoners wear special spike-less racing flats with heel cushions built up three quarters of an inch and soles with built-in "waffles" for traction. Most runners wear white (to reflect the sun) nylon shorts with pockets to carry candy bars and extra shoelaces. This year's marathoners will be treated to a particularly scenic course: The official starting point will be Santa Monica College, and six miles of the course will run along the cool Pacific Ocean, eventually (and dramatically) ending at the Coliseum in time for the closing ceremonies. The most important marathon strategy consists of sticking to a strictly defined game plan and being able to step up the pace for the last quarter.

20- and 50-Kilometer Walks (Men Only)

Olympic Records

20-kilometer walk: 1:23:35.5 (1980, Maurizio Damilano, Italy)

50-kilometer walk: 3:49:24 (1980, Hartwig Gauder, East Germany)

The oddest-looking of all Olympic track-and-field events, "race walking" is an art for the most rugged of athletes. Rules require that all competitors must have a part of one foot on the ground at all times and that the leg hitting the track be straightened for at least one second. The subjective nature of this call makes the 20-and 50-kilometer walks the hardest events for officials to judge.

Javelin

Olympic Records

Men: 310'4' (1976, Miklos Nemeth, Hungary)

Women: 224'5' (1980, Maria Colon, Cuba)

The lightest implement in throwing events, the spear-shaped javelin used in men's competition is 8'10-1/4' long and weighs one pound, 12 ounces; the women's javelin is 7'6-1/2' long, one pound, 10.16 ounces. The shaft of the javelin itself is made of metal alloy or wood.

Rules state that the spear must be thrown above the shoulder or the upper part of the throwing arm and not slung or hurled sidearm. Each competitor is allowed three qualifying trials and six final tries. There are three commonly used grips: The javelin is held on the palm with index finger and thumb behind the cord grip or on the palm between the index and second fingers or against the index finger on the same side as the thumb.

There are four steps to javelin chucking: the run-up (a distance of some 120 feet to build momentum), the carry (there are three positions for holding the javelin: above the shoulder, closer to shoulder level or with arm down and extended back), the approach and braking and the throw. The spear is whipped forward on the throw behind the strength of the rear leg.

Shot-put

Olympic Records

Men: 70'0-1/2' (1980, Vladimir Kiselyov, U.S.S.R.)

Women: 73'6-1/4' (1980, Ilona Slupianek, East Germany)

Perhaps the most disciplined of Olympic field sports, shot-put takes place within a sunken seven-foot circle.

The shot itself is a brass or iron ball, weighs 16 pounds and is five inches in diameter; the women's version is four and a quarter inches and weighs 8.8 pounds.

There are several popular shot-putting techniques, all of which are permissible as long as the ball is pushed and not thrown and as long as no part of the athlete's body leaves the seven-foot circle. The shot also has to land in a 45-degree circle.

Most shot-putters hold the ball at the base of their middle three fingers, using the thumb and the small finger for support. Putters begin by standing at the back on the circle with the shot tucked under the neck, just beneath the jaw.

The most popular technique is called the O'Brien shift (after the U.S.A.'s Parry O'Brien, the first shot-putter to turn his back to the landing area). In it, the putter bends down over his right leg before going into "the glide"--a drive off the right leg that results in the right foot's landing near the center of the circle and the left foot's slamming against a four-foot-wide stop-board at the front of the circle. The O'Brien shift (which takes three seconds) ends when the shot is let go at a 40-degree angle off a fully extended right hand.

Discus

Olympic Records

Men: 224' (1976, Mac Wilkins, U.S.A.)

Women: 229'6' (1980, Evelin Jahl, East Germany)

The discus is a highly technical event requiring skill, talent, balance, timing and strength. Working within a U-shaped cage shared by hammer throwers and comprising six or more panels of synthetic netting or steel wire, competitors hurl the discus through an opening in the cage into a legal-throw sector marked by chalk lines.

Discus throwers begin by standing--feet 12 to 20 inches apart--at the back of an eight-foot-plus-diameter circle looking away from the direction of the throw. The throw begins with a running rotation, a counterclockwise movement that shifts the weight from the right foot to the left with the discus extended behind the whirling body. As the thrower finishes the full turn with his right foot back on the ground, the whirling motion is quickly increased. With his feet now 36 inches apart, he turns his shoulder and whips around his throwing arm. The thrower releases the discus with a hard wrist snap; a 30-to-35-degree angle is considered ideal.

The discus itself is made of fiberglass or hardwood and weighs four pounds, six ounces (the women's discus weighs just over two pounds).

Hammer throw (Men Only)

Olympic Record

268'4' (1980, Yuri Sedykh, U.S.S.R.)

Known in layman's circles as the ball-and-chain event, the hammer comprises a 16-pound ball, a wire shaft and a handle: total length, 3'11'. The hammer has a head of solid iron or a shell filled with lead. Throwers wear a fingerless leather glove with a reinforced palm.

Standing at the rear of a seven-foot circle in a netted cage, the slinger grips the handle with both hands and turns his back to the throwing line. After a series of bent-knee preliminary swings, the first turn begins when the hammer's head is at its lowest point; the second turn is made faster than the first to increase velocity; and by the third turn, the thrower is a blur of action. As the final turn is completed, both feet are on the ground and the hammer is ripped from the thrower's hands with a last-second forearm flick.

High jump

Olympic Records

Men: 7'8-3/4' (1980, Gerd Wessig, East Germany)

Women: 6'5-1/2' (1980, Sara Simeoni, Italy)

The high jump is an event of simplistic charm: You have to go over the bar without knocking it off its supports. Thanks to the invention of "the Fosbury Flop" by American Dick Fosbury in the '68 Mexico City games, the high-jump record has been pushed nearly nine inches since the days of the old "straddle" style.

The event's phases are the approach, the take-off and the clearance of the bar.

The approach depends on whether the jumper is using the flop or the straddle method. Straddle jumpers start 50 feet from the bar and take seven strides before take-off; floppers start at 70 feet and run along a curved path.

The straddle is basically a forward pitch and roll. The chanciest part of it is making sure the trailing leg makes it over the bar.

The flop calls for a faster approach and a belly-up backward thrust over the bar. The key here is a well-arched back.

Jumpers wear special spiked shoes created specifically with the sole of the take-off foot built up for better leverage.

A jumper can pass on the lower heights and enter the competition when he or she feels the height is right. Jumpers get three tries at a given height. Miss all three and they're out.

Pole Vaulting (Men Only)

Olympic Record

18'11-1/2' (1980, Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz, Poland)

In pole vaulting, the athlete attempts to turn linear movement into upward movement by deriving energy from the plant and bend of the pole.

A vaulter grips the pole with both hands and sprints some 150 feet down a synthetic surface. Some three to four strides from the sunken planting area, he lifts the pole from his waist to directly over his head. Here, the bend of the pole begins. A second later, the vaulter rocks back as his legs go up to form a handstand in the air. With the pole now bent back, the vaulter thrusts up in an explosive motion that ends with a full handstand, the body turned toward the crossbar. Turning belly down to the bar, the vaulter gets legs over first, then hips and torso. Both arms push the pole away.

Until the 19th Century and the advent of bamboo, poles were made of hickory or ash. By the Forties, steel had replaced bamboo; and after World War Two, fiberglass came along and radically changed the sport, quickly adding a foot and a half to the existing world record.

Once a minimum is established, competitors can skip the lower heights, if they choose, and return at a higher height. In a tie at a given height, the man with fewer jumps wins the superior medal.

The landing pit, once consisting of sawdust and wood shavings, is now made out of foam rubber.

Long Jump/Triple Jump

Olympic Records

Long jump (men): 29'2-1/2' (1968, Bob Beamon, U.S.A.)

Long jump (women): 23'2' (1980, Tatyana Kolpakova, U.S.S.R.)

Triple jump (men only): 57'0-3/4' (1968, Viktor Saneyev, U.S.S.R.)

The goal of long jumpers is to convert horizontal force into an upward jump. Body language is employed to gain greater distance. There are four parts to the long jump: the run-up (in which the jumper starts from a relaxed posture and turns into flat-out sprint), the take-off (the jumper leaves the leaning position in the last three to four strides, rises erect and shortens the final stride), the flight (there are several mid-air positions) and the landing (arms thrust forward and rear end arched to get every fraction of an inch).

The three mid-air styles are sailing (legs together in a sitting position), hanging (a lead-leg-sweeping action) and the hitch kick (the jumper runs in place).

The triple jump is made up of three rhythmic actions: the hop, the step and the jump. After gaining speed on a runway, the jumper must hit a seven-and-three-quarter-inch Plasticine take-off board for proper projection and then jump in one continuous flow until reaching the moist-sand landing pit. Three qualifying jumps and six final trials are allowed.

Decathlon (men only)

Olympic Record

8617 points (1976, Bruce Jenner, U.S.A.)

The mystique of the decathlon is unsurpassed in Olympic competition. Each contestant is required to prove his skill in ten separate events: the 100 meters, the long jump, the shot-put, the high jump, the 400 meters, the discus, the 110-meter hurdles, the pole vault, the javelin and the 1500 meters. The competition is held over two days, with five events per day and a 30-minute rest period between events.

Much to the chagrin of many purists, the ten events do not carry the same point value; speed and leaping ability have greater value than power or endurance.

Chance also plays a role. Running-event heats, for example, are drawn by lots--therefore, a decathlete who is last to high jump may be first in the 400-meter sprint.

To stand a chance of winning, the decathlete must be heavily muscled, making the pole vault, the 400 meters, the 1500 meters and the javelin throw--traditionally not big men's events--nightmarish contests for these large individuals.

Heptathlon (Women Only)

In 1984, the women's pentathlon will become the seven-event heptathlon, incorporating the 100-meter hurdles, 800-meter run, long jump, high jump, shot-put, javelin and 200-meter dash.