OLYMPIC GAMES | ATHLETICS
How many meters does an athlete cover in the long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and javelin?
From the long jumpers covering six meters to the spear throwers exceeding ninety meters, these are the distances the track and field athletes accomplish.
In track and field events, athletes bring together their speed, strength, and agility to propel themselves as far as they can from a designated takeoff point or to hurl an apparatus as far as possible.
The long jump and the triple jump are part of a group of events that measure jumping for distance, known as the “horizontal jumps.” This event has historical significance in the ancient Olympic Games and has been part of the modern Olympic event for men since the first Olympics in 1896 and for women since 1948.
How far do they jump in the long jump and the triple jump?
The Long Jump
The long jump involves a sprint, three quick steps, a jump from the board with one leg, and ends with both feet landing on the sand. Mike Powell set the men’s world record of 8.95 m (29 ft 4+1⁄4 in) in 1991. Some longer jumps have been recorded but were either wind-assisted or invalidated due to technical issues.
Galina Chistyakova of the former Soviet Union holds the world record for women. She leaped 7.52 m (24 ft 8 in) in Leningrad on 11 June 1988, a mark that has now stood for over 36 years.
The Triple Jump
The triple jump starts with a sprint and then three significant steps: a hop, a step, and a final jump before landing on the sand. Maintaining speed and control throughout the jump is challenging, and the athlete’s posture affects the length of the jump.
The triple jump has been a part of the modern Olympic event since 1896.
Jonathan Edwards holds the men’s world record with a jump of 18.29 meters (60 feet) in 1995. Yulimar Rojas holds the women’s record with a jump of 15.74 meters (51.64 feet) in 2022.8.29 meters (60 feet) in 1995, and Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela, who holds the women’s record with a jump of 15.74 meters (51.64 feet) in 2022.
How high do they jump in the pole vault?
Pole vaulting is a track and field sport in which an athlete uses a pole to jump over a bar. Originally used to overcome obstacles like ditches and fences, pole vaulting became a competitive sport in the 19th century. It has been an Olympic event for men since 1896 and women since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
In competition, each vaulter has three attempts to clear a specified height. A bar is set on two uprights and raised until a winner appears by elimination. Ties are broken based on a “count back” system, considering the fewest failures at the final height, throughout the contest, or the fewest attempts.
Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) was the first woman to jump 5.00 m in 2005, and later, in 2009, she set the current world record of 5.06m. Armand’ Mondo’ Duplantis (Sweden) holds the men’s pole vault world record of 6.24m, set in 2024.
How far do they throw the javelin?
The javelin throw is a track and field event in which athletes compete to throw a long spear-like object with a metal head as far as possible. It is held at the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games. Throwing a javelin requires a significant burst of speed and strength, so an athlete’s technique must be precise. Even the slightest flaw in technique can cause a throw to fall short or fail. Proper technique also ensures the safety of those around the throwing area, including officials, spectators, and athletes.
Originally, there were two versions oInitiallyt—one based on distance and another on accuracy, in which athletes had to hit a target.
The current women’s javelin world record holder is Czech athlete Barbora Spotakova, with a distance of 72.28m, which she has held since 2008. The current men’s javelin world record holder is Czech Jan Zelezny, who set the record in 1996 with a distance of 98.48m. The closest to that mark is Germany’s Johannes Vetter, who threw 97.76m in September 2020.