The long jump is a track and field event where athletes try to jump as far as possible. It is an ancient Olympic event and requires building up stamina and speed. Athletes are given several attempts, with the longest legal jump serving as the final score. The record is nearly 30 feet.
The long jump is a track and field event in which an athlete tries to jump as far as possible. Competition in the long jump is open to men and women, although they usually compete in separate events. It is also an ancient Olympic event, among the original events of the Olympic races held in ancient Greece. The basic format of the long jump has changed little since then, although a deeper understanding of human physics and anatomy has led to improvements in technique and training.
Both running and standing starts are used for the long jump, although most events use a running start. The athlete builds up a short burst of speed with a run on a runway before launching off the take-off board located directly in front of a large piece of sand. The point where the lifter first touches the ground is known as the mark, due to the mark left in the sand by the lifter’s feet, and is used to measure the distance the lifter has jumped.
Training for the long jump requires building up stamina and speed so that the athlete can perform well on multiple long jump attempts and run as fast as possible to the jumping area, thus building momentum. Working on your board approach and form in the air is also an important aspect of training. Learning to approach correctly is one of the most challenging parts of training for the long jump.
In competition, an athlete is given several attempts at the long jump, with the longest legal jump serving as the athlete’s final score. The number of attempts can vary, depending on the venue, but three is typical. A long jumper will be disqualified if any part of his feet clears the take-off board before jumping, as the distance of the jump is measured from the foul line directly in front of the take-off board. Bringing a body part over the board before initiating the long jump could give the athlete an unfair advantage.
The long jump was called the long jump, probably to further distinguish it from the high jump. However, many athletes compete in both events, as they require similar athletic ability and physical control. Numerous combined events such as the decathlon also include both jumps. As of 2007, the record for the long jump was nearly 30 feet (8.95 meters), by Mike Powell of the United States.
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