Track and Field is known for running events, but there is so much more going on within that oval! The long jump is not a new Olympic event. In fact, it was part of the original Ancient Greek pentathlon, the only jumping event of those games. Since ancient games were used to train for war, the long jump is supposed to simulate crossing obstacles in enemy terrain.
The ancient long jump was performed with the jumper holding weights with both hands and taking off from a very short runway. The weights were used to propel the jumper further by pushing them forward during the jump to add momentum. Due to the logistics, as well as the great force required to propel the body forward, it was one of the most difficult events of the ancient pentathlon.
Today, the long jump combines speed, agility and strength in a push to jump and slide as far as possible in a single jump. To have a successful long jump, competitors must have strong approach runs, correctly positioned strides for take off, and a solid landing. The last two steps are important because the contestants must get as close to the foul line as possible without crossing it.
To compete, participants run down a stretch of track to a foul line, where they jump as far as possible into a sand pit. Using the measurements on the side of the well, a mark is made where the indentation is recorded in the sand or gravel. The competitor with the furthest measure wins. Regardless of how far the jumper took off from the foul line, the distance is measured from the foul line.
As with most track and field events, the jumper has three rounds of which the best score is taken into account. In large school and high-level competitions, the final round is restricted to only the best jumpers. Generally, they allow the number of competitors to be one more than the available scoring positions.
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