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The heptathlon is a seven-event track and field competition held over two days. The events in the heptathlon are the 100 meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, the 200 meter dash, the long jump, the javelin throw, and the 800 meter run.
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Introduction
The heptathlon is a track and field event that consists of seven different events. The events are spread out over two days, with four events on the first day and three on the second. The heptathlon was first introduced as a women’s event at the 1981 World Championships in Athletics.
The Seven Events
The Heptathlon is made up of seven events, which are the 100 meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, the 200 meter dash, the long jump, the javelin throw, and the 800 meter run.
100-meter dash
The 100-meter dash is the first event in the heptathlon. Because it is the only sprinting event, it puts athletes at a disadvantage if they are not strong sprinters. The 100-meter dash is also the shortest event in the heptathlon, so athletes have to be very fast to score well in this event.
Long jump
The long jump is one of the seven events in the heptathlon. The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes attempt to leap as far as possible from a take-off point. The name “long jump” was coined in 1891 by Dr. J.E. Caulton, an Englishman who also pioneered its use in athletics.
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving “throwing” or “putting” (throwing in a spinning motion) a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the fifth-century B.C. Myron statue Diskobolus; it was included in the ancient Pentathlon contest, introduced into the Panhellenic Games in 720 BC, and made part of the modern Olympic Games program in 1896.
High jump
The high jump is one of seven events in the sport of heptathlon, a women-only track and field discipline contested over two days. The other six events are the 100 meter hurdles, shot put, 200 meter dash, long jump, javelin throw, and the 800 meter run.
The high jump event in a heptathlon competition starts with a qualifying round, in which each athlete attempts to achieve a specified height. The number of athletes who successfully clear this height advance to the final round, where they compete head-to-head until only one athlete remains.
In order to win the high jump portion of a heptathlon competition, an athlete must have cleared the highest height at the end of the final round. If multiple athletes are tied for first place after the final round, then the tie is broken by comparing their second-best jumps.
400-meter dash
The 400-meter dash is the first track event in the heptathlon.
The 400-meter dash is a sprinting event, meaning that athletes run the entire distance as fast as they can. The length of the track is 400 meters, or one lap around a standard running track.
Athletes start the race in individual lanes and must stay within their lane for the entire race. The first athlete to cross the finish line wins.
110-meter hurdles
The 110-meter hurdle event is one of the seven events in the heptathlon. The110-meter hurdle race is run on a straight track and consists of 10 hurdles that are 3.5 feet (1.06 meters) high. The hurdles are placed 35 meters apart from each other, starting with the first hurdle placed 110 meters from the starting line.
Discus throw
The discus throw is one of the seven events in the sport of track and field – specifically, it is one of the four throwing events. The goal is to throw a heavy disc – called a discus – as far as possible.
The discus used in competition is nearly two pounds and approximately eight inches in diameter. It is made of metal (usually with a copper or aluminum core) and has a leather or plastic outer rim. The athlete stands inside a circle that is seven feet in diameter, and throws the discus from within this circle.
The athlete must stay within the circle until the discus has landed; if he or she steps out of the circle before the discus has landed, the throw will be declared invalid.
The Scoring
In the Heptathlon, there are a total of 7 events that are completed over the course of 2 days. The events are the 100m Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, 200m, Long Jump, Javelin Throw, and 800m. The Heptathlon is a points-based competition, meaning that each event is worth a certain number of points. The points are totaled up at the end of the 2 days to determine the winner.
The point system
The heptathlon is a seven-event track and field competition for women. The name derives from the Greek words for “seven” (hepta) and “contest” (athlon).
The events in the heptathlon are the 100 meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, the 200 meter run, the long jump, the javelin throw, and finally, the 800 meter run.
The point system used to calculate the score for each event varies. For example, in the javelin throw, points are awarded based on both distance and technique; in contrast, points for the 100 meter hurdles are only given based on time. The javelin throw is worth a maximum of 1,000 points while the 100 meter hurdles is worth just 100 points. The total score for a heptathlete is calculated by adding up their scores from all seven events.
In order to be eligible to compete in a heptathlon, athletes must be at least 16 years old. The world record for most points scored in a heptathlon is held by American Jackie Joyner-Kersee who scored 7,291 points at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
The tiebreaker
In the event of a tie, the athletes’ scores are compared using a points-scoring method. The athlete with the greater number of points is declared the winner. If athletes are still tied, the athlete who achieved the better result in the final event is declared the winner.
Conclusion
Athletes in a heptathlon compete in seven events over two days. The events are the 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meter dash, long jump, javelin throw, and 800 meter run. The order of the events changes each day.
