Track and Field: The Long Jump
The long-jump is a very popular type of sport in track and field and requires a lot of skills. “Track and field is the general name for a particular group of sports in which people compete, including running, jumping, and throwing”( “GENERAL: Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary”). The main idea of the Long jump is that it is judged on how far the athlete can jump. It was an event in the Olympic Games of 708 BCE. Long jump can be also called broadcast. The long jump is a very popular and played sport all around the world.
“The long-jump runway is at least 40 meters (131 feet) in length with no outer limit, a takeoff board planted level with the surface at least 1 meter (3.3 feet) from the end of the runway, and a sand-filled landing area at least 2.75 meters (9 feet) and no more than 3 meters (9.8 feet) wide”. The jumper has to perform his takeoff before he touches the line. If the athlete touches the line the jump is disallowed, if the athlete jumps too far behind the line, his jump will be shorter and weak. The athlete runs on the runway to the jumping pit. The pit is made of soft sand.
To be able to do a long jump, you have to follow certain steps. Step 1 is run-up. The jumpers get speed and power before the takeoff. The jumper has to jump before the foul line. Step 2 is a takeoff. The athlete has a takeoff leg which supports the athlete’s weight. Step 3 is flight. The athletes thrust their legs in front of their bodies as long as possible. Then the athletes bring their hands forward as an ending position. Step 4 is landing. The athletes bring their heels up and head down towards their knees. Make sure you don’t full backward.
In the long jump, there are many champions. Ray Ewry was a person who won the standing long jump at the Olympics in 1900,1904,1906 and 1908. He also set a new world record for his standing long jump of 3.47 meters on September 5, 1904. The long jump was part of the first Olympics. The long jump has changed a lot over the years but is still included in track and field. Jumping events including the Long jump were held throughout ancient Greece. During the late 1800s, the United States included a long jump. Women did not complete in Long jump until the 1928s games in Amsterdam, Holland.
Performing the long jump can improve your strength and power, build muscle, prevent you from injury, improve biomechanics, and burn fat. The long jump can help you learn new skills for other sports and is a very fun sport to play with friends or family. The long jump has a lot of equipment such as takeoff markers, measuring boards, rake, sand smoothing, an aluminum sand trap, and a sand pit for landing. All of this equipment is very important in the long jump because they set the game and make it fair.
I think the Long jump is a very interesting sport to learn and perform because it teaches you new things, like how to perform the long jump and the steps of the long jump. I think that this sport is very nice because you can know your strengths and weaknesses in sport. Although the Long jump is a bit tricky, with time you will know how to perform it by practicing step by step.
Works Cited
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopedia. “Long Jump.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/sports/long-jump.
- “How to Perform a Long Jump?” ActiveSG, www.myactivesg.com/Sports/Athletics/Training-Method/Athletics-for-beginners/How-do-I-perform-a-long-jump.
- “Long Jump World Records.” Topend Sports, Science, Training and Nutrition, www.topendsports.com/sport/athletics/record-long-jump.htm.
- Ap. “U.S. Long Jump Champ Jarrion Lawson Suspended for Doping.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 31 Aug. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/american-long-jumper-jarrion-lawson-suspended-doping-positive-test-trenbolone/.
- Mackenzie, Brian. Long Jump, www.brianmac.co.uk/longjump/.
- “The Benefits of Jumping for Fitness: TruBe - TruBeLife ™.” TruBe, 22 July 2017, trubeapp.com/blog/personal-trainer/the-benefits-of-jumping-for-fitness/.
- “GENERAL: Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary.” Cambridge Dictionary, dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/English/general.
