Athletics

The Olympic Games started on 776 BC in Olympia, ancient Greece, and lasted for more than a thousand years. As well as the Modern Olympics, the Games were held from 4 to 4 years. But, differently from the Modern Games, they always happened in Olympia.
With the Roman domination over the Greeks, the Games gradually lost their identity and they had their rebirth at the end of the XIX century. They’ll be disputed also this year in Athens 2004.
Athletics competitions are performed in a stadium composed by an oval 400-metres-track were the athletes run and by others structures for each speciality.
It is also possible to do competition under cover (this kind of competition are called indoor) and they are performed on a smaller track (200 metres) but it’s not possible to do all the specialities.
Runs are divided in flat, march and hurdles. Besides there are four kinds of throws: discus, javelin, putting the shot and hammer.
There is the high jump, the pole vault, the long jump and the triple jump.
There are also some competitions called “multiples” like the decathlon and the eptathlon that are composed by many competitions of runs, jumps, and throws.