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Think track and field events are all about running? Certainly, many of the exciting events of track and field take place on the track, but the jumping events make up the exciting tests of skill that allow athletes to defy gravity, if only for moments at a time. These jumping events include the high jump, the pole vault, the long jump and the triple jump. Whereas the high jump and pole vault use a bar to measure how high a person can jump, the long jump and triple jump events measure how far a person can jump. It sounds easy enough, this jumping stuff, but in order to be a great jumper, athletes must have strong legs which can propel them to great speed for short distances. They also need perseverance, determination and good coordination. Do you have what it takes to be a good jumper? Let’s look a little deeper into the rules of the jumping sports.

The high jump competition asks athletes to jump over a crossbar that rests on two poles set 13 feet apart. The athlete runs towards the bar and leaps over-she or he is allowed 3 chances to clear the bar. Don’t worry- - the competitor is not expected to land on his or her feet- - there is a soft cushion called a pit on the other side of the bar to provide a safe landing spot. The athlete runs towards the bar and tries to clear it shoulder first, facing upwards. Then, the legs flop over and the person lands on the cushion. This technique is called the Fosberry Flop. If the competitor misses the bar all three times, she or he cannot move to the next round. Once the bar is cleared, it is raised slightly higher (less than one inch) and higher until every athlete misses three times in a row. The winner is the one who has cleared the highest bar, or else the one who has missed the fewest times.

The pole vault is a little bit different. The idea is the same as the high jump, but the athlete uses a flexible pole to propel him or herself over the bar. This allows the vaulter to reach much greater heights. The pole generally measures between 12 and 16 feet in length and is constructed nowadays of fiberglass. So, the pole vaulter holds the pole at its top and races down the runway where the vault box is dug into the ground. The athlete then digs the end of the pole into the vault box and propels upwards until he or she can clear the bar feet first, thrusting over the bar and landing on the cushion below. Like the high jump, the pole vault competition allows the athlete three tries to clear the bar. However, the height is increased by 3-6 inches at a time. Though this sport has traditionally been dominated by men, women pole vaulters competed at the 2000 Olympic Games, impressing many viewers and inspiring young girls to give the pole vault a try.

Now we come to the simplest track and field event-the long jump. Basically this competition measures how far an athlete can jump horizontally. Sound easy? It is easy to jump, but jumping far takes skill. First, the athlete runs down a strip measuring 150 feet in length, and springing from a takeoff board, leaps feet-first into the air. Then, landing in the sandpit, the jumper pivots forward so that the footprints, rather than the hand prints, can be measured. Again the competitors have three chances to make a great jump, and the top eight get to take three more jumps. Sprinters have the best advantages in this sport, since the propulsion of great speed helps the body to fly. The triple jump requires a competitor to hop, skip and jump as far as they can once they sprint to the end of the runway. This is done by taking off with one foot, landing on another, taking off on that one and landing with both feet, then finally propelling the body on a long jump which lands in the sand pit. Fast sprinting and excellent coordination are musts to succeed in this event. Give it a try!

So, the next time you are feeling jumpy, you can take what you’ve learned here and practice it in the field. Go for it!