Athletics in the Olympics

The Athletics is one of the oldest Olympic sports and is one of four sports that were represented at all Olympic Games. Running competitions, discus throwing, long jump and javelin throwing were already part of the Olympic Games at the ancient Olympic Games . The modern Olympic program includes running, jumping and throwing competitions.

Competitions

There are 47 competitions in athletics at the Olympic Games - men 24 and women 23. In athletics, women were allowed to compete for the first time in Amsterdam in 1928 . Over time, the women's program has been aligned with the men's program.

In addition, there were disciplines that have been deleted from the program without replacement. Such as jumping competitions from a standing start (discipline up to Saint Louis 1904 / Stockholm 1912 ) or running through the terrain  (discipline up to Paris 1924 ).

Today is tug of war regarded as an independent sport, But from 1900 bis 1920 was it considered a discipline of athletics and was part of the Olympic program.

Overview competitions of men

After the 20 km walking distance was started in 1956 , there were no more changes in the Olympic program for men. Most of the former competitions differ only in length from the current competitions.

Athletics - Current Competitions
competition	96	00	04	06	08	12	20th	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20th	Games
	Men
100 m	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
200 m		•	•		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	28
400 m	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
800 m	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
1500 m	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
5000 m						•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	25th
10,000 m						•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	25th
marathon	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
110 m hurdles	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
400 m hurdles		•	•		•		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	27
3000 m obstacle							•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	24
4 × 100 m relay						•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	25th
4 × 400 m relay						•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	25th
20 km walking														•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	17th
50 km of walking										•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	20th
high jump	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
Pole vault	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
Long jump	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
Triple jump	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
Shot put	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
Discus throw	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	29
Hammer throw		•	•		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	28
Javelin throw					•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	26th
Decathlon						•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	25th
Athletics - Former Competitions
competition	96	00	04	06	08	12	20th	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20th	Games
	Men
60 m		•	•																												2
5 miles				•	•																										1
200 m hurdles		•	•																												2
2500 m obstacle		•																													1
4000 m obstacle		•																													1
2590 m obstacle			•																												1
3200 m obstacle					•																										1
Olympic relay					•																										1
1500 m walking				•																											-
3000 m walking				•			•																								1
3500 m walking					•																										1
10 miles walk					•																										1
10,000 m walking						•	•	•				•	•																		5
5000 m team		•																													1
4 miles crew			•																												1
3 miles crew					•																										1
3000 m team						•	•	•																							3
Cross-country run						•	•	•																							3
Cross-country team						•	•	•																							3
High jump from a standing position		•	•	•	•	•																									4th
Long jump from standing		•	•	•	•	•																									4th
Triple jump from standing		•	•																												2
Shot put (ambidextrous)						•																									1
Discus throw (ancient style)				•	•																										1
Discus throw (two-handed)						•																									1
Stone throwing				•																											-
Weight throwing			•				•																								1
Javelin throw (freestyle)				•	•																										1
Javelin throw (two-handed)						•																									1
Triathlon			•																												1
All-around			•																												1
Pentathlon				•		•	•	•																							3
Number of competitions	12	23	25th	21st	26th	30th	29	27	22nd	23	23	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	23	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24

Overview of women's competitions

When women first started in athletics in 1928 , there were 5 competitions (100 m, 800 m, 4 × 100 m relay, high jump and discus throw). Since then, the women's program has been steadily expanded and adapted to the men's program. There are only three differences between the women's program and the men's program: 100 m hurdles (instead of 110 m hurdles for men), heptathlon (instead of decathlon for men) and only one walking competition over 20 km (instead of two for the Men (20 km and 50 km)).

Athletics - Current Competitions
competition	96	00	04	06	08	12	20th	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20th	Games
	Women
100 m									•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	22nd
200 m												•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	19th
400 m																•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	15th
800 m									•						•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	17th
1500 m																		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	13
5000 m																								•	•	•	•	•	•	•	7th
10,000 m																						•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	9
marathon																					•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	10
100 m hurdles																		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	13
400 m hurdles																					•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	10
3000 m obstacle																											•	•	•	•	4th
4 × 100 m relay									•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	22nd
4 × 400 m relay																		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	13
20 km walking																									•	•	•	•	•	•	6th
high jump									•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	22nd
Pole vault																									•	•	•	•	•	•	6th
Long jump												•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	19th
Triple jump																								•	•	•	•	•	•	•	7th
Shot put												•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	19th
Discus throw									•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	22nd
Hammer throw																									•	•	•	•	•	•	6th
Javelin throw										•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	21st
Heptathlon																					•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	10
Athletics - Former Competitions
competition	96	00	04	06	08	12	20th	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20th	Games
	Women
3000 m																					•	•	•								3
80 m hurdles										•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•														8th
10 km walking																							•	•							2
Pentathlon																•	•	•	•	•											5
Number of competitions									5	6th	6th	9	9	9	10	12	12	14th	14th	14th	17th	18th	19th	20th	22nd	22nd	23	23	23	23

Overview of the mixed competitions

In Tokyo 2020 , a mixed competition in athletics will be held for the first time with a 4 x 400 meter relay.

Athletics - Current Competitions
competition	96	00	04	06	08	12	20th	24	28	32	36	48	52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	00	04	08	12	16	20th	Games
	Mixed
4 × 400 m relay																														•	1
Number of competitions																														1

Medal table (nation ranking)

Main article : List of Olympic champions in athletics / national rankings

Web links

• Official website of the IAAF