Why are the records different in the World Championships in outdoor and indoor athletics?
It might surprise you, but the World Championships in outdoor and indoor athletics have different records even though they’re often in the same categories.
The World Athletics Championships have begun and with that, we’re almost certain to see new records being set in Budapest. The question is of course, why do records differ between indoor and outdoor events?
In the world of athletics, two different World Cups are held. The outdoor world championships, and the indoor world championships. Each of these is held on different dates and despite the many categories that are duplicated, the athletes who compete in both world championships usually have very different records. So, what exactly is the reason for this phenomenon? There are two obvious reasons why athletes achieve different records and why records achieved on outdoor courts or indoor courts are different.
The weight of gold 🥇
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100m world champion Noah Lyles breaks down on the podium after receiving gold medal: "So many times it's been empty, by myself, and now I have all these people"
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The weather’s the matter
One of the main reasons underlying the varying records is the meteorological aspect. On the outdoor tracks athletes have to adapt to the corresponding weather conditions and must use some strategies for each event. As one can imagine, the times achieved when the wind is against you while running, or the distance covered in the categories of jumping or throwing objects, would not be the same if these weather conditions did not exist.
Last year, @RCrouserThrows broke the indoor AND outdoor world records in shot put - later taking gold at the Tokyo Olympics. 🥇
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The track affects the record
The other important reason why there are different records between the outdoors and indoors is the track itself. The tracks vary depending on whether the competition is outdoors or indoors. The total distance of the outdoor tracks is 400 meters. A big difference if we compare them with the indoor athletics tracks, which have a distance of 200 meters, half that of outdoor tracks.
The difference in distance between them means that, for example, if a race of 400 meters is held, there are twice as many curves on the indoor track as on the one found outdoors. Also, the state of the ground is different. On outdoor tracks, you always run on a flat surface. On the other hand, indoor races present athletes with the added difficulty of curves that utilize camber; that is, an elevation on the inside and outside of the curve. This is in addition to the track having a smaller radius than those seen outdoors, therefore resulting in tighter curves. These features result in bigger demands on an athlete’s performance. Ultimately, it just flat out doesn’t make sense to use the same record system when it comes to indoor and outdoor events. So, now you know.