Athletics

The umbrella sport of the Olympic Games — track running, road running, jumps and throws.

👥1 per team🌤both
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What is Athletics?

Athletics ("track and field" in North America) covers running (sprints, middle- and long-distance, hurdles, steeplechase, relays), jumping (long, triple, high, pole vault), throwing (shot put, discus, javelin, hammer) and combined events (heptathlon, decathlon). It anchors every Summer Olympics and its world governing body, World Athletics, oversees the World Championships every two years.

Quick facts

Category

Athletics

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

both

Country of origin

🇬🇷 Greece

Estimated origin

Ancient Olympics (776 BCE); modern IAAF founded 1912

Olympic

Yes

Popularity

global

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-20.verified