Professional sport kinds of sport

Ex. 5. Study the following information and make a list of the events:

TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS

A multifaceted sport, track and field includes a wide variety of walking, running, jumping, and throwing events. Both men and women participate, but the events for men and women are somewhat different.

When two teams compete, the contest is called a track meet. Track and field events, called athletics in England and some other countries, may take place outdoors or indoors. Most track meets take place in an open stadium that has a grass infield surrounded by an oval track measuring 400 meters (440 yards).

The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) is the governing body for track and field sports.

The most famous track and field competitions take place every four years during the summer Olympic Games.

RUNNING EVENTS

DASHES. The 100-meter dash, which attracts the "world's fastest humans," requires all-out speed over the entire distance of the race--often called sprinting. The 200- and 400-meter dashes are run around one or more turns. The 800- and 1,500-meter races are not technically sprints, though they require sprinter speed as well as endurance.

DISTANCE RACES cover 3,000, 5,000, or 10,000 meters. A marathon course measures 42,195 meters, or 26 miles 385 yards. Cross-country courses take runners over natural terrain and across natural barriers. Men generally race at least 12,000 meters cross country and women between 2,000 and 5,000 meters. Distance runners must have endurance, stamina, and mental toughness.

RELAY RACES are 4 x 100- and 4 x 400-meter sprint events. A relay is a four-member-team event in which each member runs an equal part, called a leg or split, of the total distance.

HURDLES. The 110-meter (100-meter for women) and 400-meter hurdles are sprint events with 10 flights of hurdles placed at intervals across the running lanes. The hurdles are a few inches higher in the shorter race for both men and women, but in both races the men's hurdles are higher than the women's.

STEEPLECHASE. The 3,000-meter steeplechase requires both the skills of a hurdler and the endurance and stamina of a long-distance runner. The race includes 28 barrier-hurdles and 7 water jumps. Runners are allowed to hurdle in the usual way or step onto the sturdy hurdles in order to clear them.

WALKING EVENTS. The most common walking events cover distances of 20,000 and 50,000 meters (20 k and 50 k). Walkers must maintain unbroken contact with the walking surface, heel-to-toe walking, and the supporting leg must be straight.

JUMPING EVENTS: the high jump, the pole vault, the long jump, the triple jump.

THROWING EVENTS: the javelin, the discus, the shot (a 16-pound ball for men and less than 9 pounds for women), the hammer throwing.

TWO-DAYS EVENTS: The decathlone (the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400-meter dash are held on the first day; the 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500-meter run, on the second). The heptathlon is a two-day event for women. The 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200-meter dash are held on the first day; the long jump, javelin, and 800-meter run, on the second.