Athletics Vocabulary

word example sentence meaning

athlete Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis are a person who is skilled in track and
two of the greatest athletes of all field events; a sportsperson
time.

athletics Many people compete in athletics the sport of competing in track and
meetings while they are in school. field events

baton The worst mistake a relay runner a short stick or tube passed from
can make is to drop the baton. runner to runner in a relay race

bell lap The bell rang and I knew I only had the final lap in a distance race,
the 400 metres of the bell lap to go. signalled by the ringing of a bell

decathlon A decathlon competition is normally a men's athletic competition

held over two days. combining 10 track and field events

discus The discus throw is one of the a heavy, thick-centered disk; the sport
oldest events in athletics. of throwing the discus

false start She moved forward before the failed start of a race, usually caused
starting gun went off, and a false by a runner moving forward before
start was declared. the starting gun is fired

field Some athletes prefer track events an area of open land; events in
while others prefer the field events. athletics that involve throwing,
jumping and vaulting

foul If a long jumper's foot goes over the an unfair or illegal act, e.g. foul throw,
takeoff board, the jump will be foul jump
called a foul.

hammer Most athletes who compete in the a 16-pound metal ball attached to a
hammer throw are big and very wire for throwing in an athletic
strong. contest; the sport of throwing the
hammer

heptathlon Women who compete in the a women's athletic competition

heptathlon have to spend a lot of combining 7 track and field events
time training for all the different
events.

high jump Most athletes who compete in the sport in which competitors jump over
high jump are very tall and slim. a bar that is raised until only one
competitor can jump over it
hurdles The hurdles used in women's races upright frames, normally placed in a
are 10 cm lower than those used in series, that athletes jump over; a race
the men's events. over such frames

javelin Officials must be sure that javelin a lightweight, spear-like object; the
throwers have plenty of room in sport of throwing the javelin
which to compete.

lane Most running tracks have 8 lanes, each of a number of parallel strips
allowing up to 8 runners to compete marked on a running track for
in a race. athletes to run along

lap A 400-metre race is one lap of an one circuit of, or one time around, a
outdoor track, or two laps of an running track or a racetrack
indoor track.

long jump Carl Lewis was a champion an athletic event in which competitors
sprinter, but he was also a four-time jump as far as possible along the
Olympic champion in the long jump. ground in one leap

marathon Not many people become a long-distance running race of 26

marathon runners because it is miles and 385 yards (42.195 km)
such a difficult race.

middle-dista Many of the world's best a race distance of between 800 and
nce middle-distance runners come from 5,000 metres
Northern Africa.

pole-vault The pole-vault is one of the most an event in which competitors vault
technically difficult events in over a high bar with the aid of an
athletics, and also one of the most extremely long, flexible pole used to
exciting to watch. give extra spring

relay The relay races are some of the race between teams of runners in
few events in athletics which are which each team member in turn
team sports, not individual sports. covers part of the total distance

record The main goals for top athletes are the best performance in a sporting
Olympic medals, world titles, and event that has been officially
world records. measured and noted

shot put Many of the world's best an athletic contest in which a very
competitors in shot put come from heavy metal ball is thrown as far as
Northern and Eastern Europe. possible

sprint One of the sprint races that always a short, fast race run over a distance
creates a lot of interest is the 100 of 400 metres or less
metres.
starting Before the race, the sprinters small rigid blocks for bracing a
blocks sqatted down and positioned their runner's feet at the start of a race
feet in the starting blocks.

steeplechas When runners in the steeplechase a running race in which competitors

e go over the water jump, they're must clear hurdles and water jumps
trying not to fall over.

track An athletics track is usually oval in a prepared circuit for athletes to run
shape, 400 metres long, and it on; the sport of running on such a
usually has 8 running lanes. track

track and "Track and field" is the term used in athletics events that take place on a
field North America, while "athletics" is running track and on a field often
used in most other places. enclosed by the track

triple jump Most people who are good at the an event in which competitors leap as
triple jump are tall and lean, and far as possible by performing a hop, a
most are also good at sprinting. step and a jump