Athletics
The umbrella sport of the Olympic Games — track running, road running, jumps and throws.
👥1 per team🌤both
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