Information Sheet - Field Athletics Equipment

High Jump

Aim and method:

to sprint then leap over a crossbar which is placed at progressively greater heights.Jumps are measured from the ground to the underside of the crossbar.

Equipment:

The rigid crossbar is generally made of lightweight metal. It weighs less than 2kg and rests on metal posts 4m apart.Jumpers now land on a plastic foam cushion, which has replaced the old sand pit!.

Pole Vault

Aim and method:

As with high jump, but athletes attempt to clear the crossbar with the aid of a flexible pole.

Athletes sprint down a runway holding on to one end of the pole then digging the other end into a box or slot in the ground and swinging upward towards the crossbar. Doing a virtual handstand on the pole, they thrust their body facedown across the bar.

Vaults are measured electronically from the ground to the upper side of the crossbar.

Equipment:

Prior to the 1940s, poles were made of wood and bamboo.With bamboo unavailable from Japan during World War II, metal was used.In the 1960s, an idea came from deep-sea fishing rods: lightweight fibreglass was used instead of metal. Fibreglass is a mixture of glass – made from the mineral quartz - and resin.

Then in 1995, fibreglass with carbon was introduced.Poles are generally 4 – 5 metres long and weigh approximately 3.6 kg.Prior to World War II, the crossbar was made of steel. It is now constructed of fibreglass.

Long Jump

Aim and Method:

to sprint along a runway and leap forward as far as possible into a sand pit.Distance is measured from the front edge of the take-off board to the closest mark in the sand made by the jumper.

Equipment:

At the ancient Games, jumpers held dumb-bell shaped lead or stone weights called halteres to increase their momentum and jump further. These are not allowed in the modern Olympics.

In the past. measuring tapes were used, but today Electronic Distance Measurements (EDMs) use an infra-red beam at the take-off board and a reflector at the athleteÂ’s landing point to more accurately measure the distance jumped. Judges look at plasticine imprints to check if the jumper has over-stepped the take-off.

Triple Jump

Aim and Method:

to sprint along a runway and using a hop, a step and a jump, propel oneself forward into a sand pit. The athlete first uses the hop (taking off and landing on the same foot) then the step (taking off and landing on different feet) then the jump, landing on both feet.

Equipment:

Distances are measured as for the long jump.