| The 2008 World Olympics is just days away. The | | | | steeplechase track where athletes divert from the |
| Games will take place starting August 8 up to 24, in | | | | main track to negotiate the water jump. |
| Beijing. The Games will play host to the 28 summer | | | | For a grass track without a kerb, the inner edge shall |
| sports currently on the Olympic program: | | | | be marked with lines 5cm in width. It shall also be |
| Archery | | | | flagged at intervals of 4m. Flags shall be so placed on |
| Athletics | | | | the line as to prevent any athlete running on the line, |
| Badminton | | | | and they shall be placed at an angle of 60° with |
| Baseball | | | | the ground away from the track. |
| Basketball | | | | Flags approximately 25cmx20cm in size mounted on a |
| Beach Volleyball | | | | staff of 45cm long are the most suitable for this |
| Boxing | | | | purpose. |
| Canoe/Kayak Flatwater | | | | The measurement shall be taken 30cm outward from |
| Canoe/Kayak Slalom | | | | the kerb or, where no kerb exists, 20cm from the |
| Cycling BMX | | | | line marking the inside of the track. |
| Cycling Mountain Bike | | | | The distance of the race shall be measured from the |
| Cycling Road | | | | edge of the start line farther from the finish to the |
| Cycling Track | | | | edge of the finish line nearer to the start. |
| Diving | | | | In all races up to and including 400m, each athlete |
| Equestrian | | | | shall have a separate lane, with a width of 1.22m |
| Fencing | | | | ± 0.01m marked by white lines 5cm in width. |
| Football | | | | All lanes shall be the same width. The inner lane shall |
| Gymnastics Artistic | | | | be measured as stated in paragraph 2 above, but the |
| Gymnastics Rhythmic | | | | remaining lanes shall be measured 20cm from the |
| Trampoline | | | | outer edges of the lines. |
| Handball | | | | Field events |
| Hockey | | | | HIGH JUMP |
| Judo | | | | The minimum length of the runway shall be 15m |
| Modern Pentathlon | | | | except in competitions held under Rule 1(a), (b) and |
| Rowing | | | | (c), where the minimum shall be 20m. |
| Sailing | | | | Where conditions permit, the minimum length should |
| Shooting | | | | be 25m. The maximum overall inclination of the |
| Softball | | | | runway and take-off area shall not exceed 1:250 |
| Swimming | | | | along any radius of the semicircular area centred |
| Synchronized Swimming | | | | midway between the uprights and having the |
| Table Tennis | | | | minimum radius specified in Rule 182.3. The landing |
| Taekwondo | | | | area shall be placed so the athlete's approach is up |
| Tennis | | | | the inclination. |
| Triathlon | | | | The take-off area shall be level or any inclination shall |
| Volleyball | | | | be in accordance with the requirements of Rule 182.4 |
| Water Polo | | | | and the IAAF Track and Field Facilities Manual. |
| Weightlifting | | | | The landing area should measure not less than 5m |
| Wrestling | | | | long x 3m wide. It is recommended that the landing |
| Approximately 10,500 athletes are expected to | | | | area be not smaller than 6m long x 4m wide x 0.7m |
| participate in the Games, with around 20,000 | | | | high. |
| accredited media bringing this big event to the world. | | | | HORIZONTAL JUMPS |
| Athletics (or track and field) is, in many ways, the | | | | The minimum length of the runway shall be 40m, |
| embodiment of the Olympic motto, "Citius, | | | | measured from the relevant take-off line to the end |
| Altius, Fortius", meaning faster, higher, stronger. | | | | of the runway. It shall have a width of 1.22m |
| Track and Field is about running faster, jumping higher | | | | ± 0.01m and shall be marked by white lines |
| and throwing further than your competitors. | | | | 5cm in width. |
| There are standards that should be followed as | | | | The landing area shall have a minimum width of 2.75m |
| mandated by the International Association of | | | | and a maximum width of 3m. It shall, if possible, be |
| Athletics Federations (IAAF). The playing field, for | | | | so placed that the middle of the runway, if |
| one should be standard. And China believes that its | | | | extended, would coincide with the middle of the |
| National Stadium has met these standards. | | | | landing area. |
| What are the standards anyway, let's have a look at | | | | THROWING EVENTS |
| the IAAF requirements shall we? | | | | The rim of the circles shall be made of band iron, |
| Track events | | | | steel or other suitable material, the top of which shall |
| (the following is lifted from | | | | be flush with the ground outside. The ground may be |
| The length of a standard running track shall be 400m. | | | | a concrete, synthetic, asphalt, wood or any other |
| It shall consist of two parallel straights and two | | | | suitable material surrounding to the circle. |
| bends whose radii shall be equal. Unless it is a grass | | | | The interior of the circle may be constructed of |
| track, the inside of the track shall be bordered by a | | | | concrete, asphalt or some other firm but not slippery |
| kerb of suitable material, approximately 5cm in height | | | | material. The surface of this interior shall be level and |
| and minimum 5cm in width. | | | | 1.4 - 2.6cm lower than the upper edge of the rim of |
| If a section of the kerb has to be temporarily | | | | the circle. |
| removed for field events, its place shall be marked | | | | In the Shot Put, a portable circle meeting these |
| with a white line 5cm in width and by cones or flags, | | | | specifications is permissible. |
| minimum height 20cm, placed on the white line so | | | | The inside diameter of the circle shall be 2.135m |
| that the edge of the base of the cone or flag pole | | | | (±5mm) in the Shot Put and the Hammer |
| coincides with the edge of the white line closest to | | | | Throw and 2.50m (±5mm) in the Discus |
| the track, and placed at intervals not exceeding 4m. | | | | Throw. |
| This shall also apply to the section of the | | | | |