Athletics

Glossary
Bb The leg that follows the lead leg over the hurdle in
trail leg*
hurdling is called the trail leg.
The passing and receiving of the baton between
baton
runners, which should be as smooth as possible so Uu
exchange*
that it does not slow you down. The underarm throw is used for short distances
Cc underarm and is more accurate than the overarm throw. It
throw* involves a backward-forward swing of the hand to
changeover The area in which the changeover of the baton
release the ball.
zone from one runner to the next takes place.
Dd sprint* take-o
ff *
A baton exchange technique, where the receiving
hand is extended behind at hip height with the palm
downsweep*
facing up for the incoming athlete to pass the baton
into in a downward movement.
Ff
One of the three phases in the long jump, triple
jump and vertical jump where the athlete is in the
flight*
air. It involves swinging the arms forward and up to
propel the body forwards and/or upwards.
Fundamental movement skills, such as running,

tra
throwing, catching, kicking and striking, form the

il leg*
building blocks that underpin the learning of more throw*
fundamental rarm
movement skills complicated sports and movement skills. de

un
The fundamental movement skills involved in
athletics are running, throwing and jumping.
Hh
A throwing technique used by hammer throwers in
heave throw*
athletic competitions.

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 baton
e xc
Rr ha
ng

e*
The aim of a relay is to cover a certain distance as
fast as possible as a team.
Relays typically involve running around a circuit,
relay running
passing a baton between the different members of
the team, without dropping it.
There are usually four people in a relay team.
Ss
In order to always lead with the same leg when
hurdling, it is helpful to take the same number dow
of strides between each hurdle (an odd number, ns

we
ideally three strides, not including the foot you
stride pattern

ep
land on to clear the hurdle). This is known as your

ht*

*
stride pattern. Without a consistent stride pattern

flig
between the hurdles it is very difficult to improve
hurdle clearance or technique.
Sprinting involves trying to cover a short distance
sprint*
in the fastest possible time.
Tt
The take-off phase of any jump is the first part of
the jump where the athlete is preparing to leave the
ground. It requires the following action:
Bend ankles, knees and hips.
take-off* Keep eyes focused forward.

ve throw*
Swing arms behind body.
Straighten legs.
Both feet leave the ground together.

hea
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 A track event that involves running over obstacles Mm
hurdling* at speed. The obstacles or barriers are known
Middle-distance running events are the track
as hurdles.
races longer than the sprint races but shorter than
Ll the long-distance events. These include the 800
The landing is the final phase of a jump. When metres, 1500 metres and mile run.
carrying out any type of jump, it is important to A middle-distance runner needs to have a mix of
landing* middle-distance
know how to land safely and in control, so that you skills: the ability to sustain their running over fairly
running
do not injure yourself. long distances (aerobic capacity), as well as having
The lead leg is the leg which clears the hurdle first the speed and power to be able to accelerate in the
lead leg* finishing part of a race.
when hurdling.
Long-distance running also known as endurance Middle-distance runners are usually able to perform
running, is continuous running over longer distances. well at both the shorter or the longer distance races.
long-distance It requires stamina as well as mental strength. Pp
running The Olympic long-distance athletic events include Running at the right pace means you can keep
the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, the marathon and going at that speed for the desired amount of time.
the 3000 metres steeplechase.
Tips for learning how to pace yourself include:
hur 1. Try not to start off by running too quickly so
lan dli
n
di g* that you have to slow down or stop. Try to
ng

run at a consistent pace, whether that is fast,

*

pacing medium or slow.

2. Learn how it feels to run at different paces:
be aware of your breathing, your legs and the
overall feeling in your body.
3. Allow your body time to warm up and adapt to
the feeling. Try to get into a rhythm with your
lea

running.
d
leg*

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