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Long Distances Running & Jumps
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In antiquity, the Olympic program included a long distance race, the dolichos, in which athletes had to run a distance of almost 5000 metres as quickly as possible. The women's 10000 metre made its Olympic debut only in 1988, in Seoul, one year after it was included in the world championships in Rome. The women's Olympic 5000 metre was run for the first time in Atlanta in 1996, replacing the women's 3000 metre of the three previous Olympic Games.
The triple jump, a long jump preceded by a hop and a step was popularized by the English and Americans who codified the triple jump, performed from a running start, and the competition was part of the English athletics championships in 1875.
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It was on the program at the first modern Olympics in 1896. The first women's triple jump competition in the track and field world championships took place in 1993; at the Olympics in 1996. The long jump consists of covering the greatest distance possible by making an energetic jump at the end of a high speed sprint. The long jump was included in the first track and field competitions at Exeter College at Oxford in 1850 and has been an Olympic event since the first Modern Olympic Games, in Athens in 1896. The women's long jump has been part of the Olympics since the 1948 Games in London. From India, Anju Bobby George has made a remarkable achievement-she ranks 7th in the world. |
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The high jump consists of clearing a horizontal bar without knocking it down, using only the strength of one's body. The high jump became part of the Olympics in 1896 in Athens. The first women's competition took place in 1895 in the United States, and women competed in the Olympics for the first time in 1928 in Amsterdam.
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In preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games at Beijing, China was on top of the medals standings yet again at the 16th edition of the Asian Championships which was by far the most competitive since Fukuoka in 1998. Of the 15 gold medals that China won, 11 came from the women including three of the four throwing events. Olympic champion Liu Ziang expectedly won the men's 110 m hurdles, in a championship record time of 13.30. Bai Xue won the women's 5000 m. The Chinese won the distance double against some stiff competition from the Japanese and the Koreans.
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Apart from China and Japan having hogged the limelight lesser lights came up trumps. Saudi Arabian Hamed Al Bishi took the 200 metres and countryman Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily claimed the 400m hurdles on the last day to haul their country up in the standings and it could well have been one more gold had not the team been disqualified in the 4x400 metres relay. Saudi Arabia also had a gold winner in long jumper Ahmed Fayaz Marzouk (7.98m). The Saudi disappointment was in Moukhled Al-Outaibi, double gold winner at the Busan Asian Games, ending up with just the silver in the 10,000 metres and pulling out of the 5000m in which he had set an Asian record of 12:58.58 this season. Qatar proved strong in the middle distance and long distance events. Majed Saeed Sultan, 18, clocked a championship record of 1:44.27 in the 800 metres.
From 800 through to 10,000m, Qatar made a clean sweep. Ali Abubaker Kamal 22, took the 1500m, James Kwalia Chepkurui, formerly a Kenyan claimed the 5000 metres and Essa Ismail Rasheed, 18, another Qatari of Kenyan origin, the 10,000 metres. Athletes from Qatar have gained a lot from this meet looking forward to the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
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My
Point Of View
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Of all the sporting events which had taken place in 2005 Formula One will be remembered for a long time to come. What's more it was a splendid season for Renault's Fernando Alonso who became Formula One's youngest champion after finishing third at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Alonso, already the youngest driver to start a Grand Prix on pole position and to win a Formula One race, is also Spain's first champion.
The Oviedo-born driver, winner of six races so far this season, celebrated his 24th birthday in style recently. The previous youngest champion was Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the 1972 world championship aged 25 years, eight months and 29 days. It must be a great honour and privilege for Alonso who made his Formula One debut as a teenager with Minardi in 2001, was the first driver to win the championship for the Renault team. |
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I find it absolutely amazing to learn how youngsters are taking to sports and carving a niche for themselves. Apart from the name and fame the younger generation have whipped up millions of dollars to take home. Take the case of Michelle Wie, the newest Golf sensation, who was born in Hawaii but with a Korean background, is also eyeing the lucrative Asian market. Other youngsters like glamorous Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova ($20.9 million in endorsements) and Serena Williams ($14.4 million) earn more. Already one of the biggest attractions in the game, Wie made her debut as a professional in the Samsung World Championship at Palm Desert, California after her 16th birthday.
I for one think it was South Korean Pak Se-ri who became the most famous female golfer in her native country by capturing two majors in her rookie season of 1998, sparking a golf boom among Korean women.
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Wie, a veteran of 23 LPGA events, has yet to win a title at the highest level but has come desperately close this year with three runner-up finishes and a tie for third at the Women's British Open in July. Wie will become the second female to take on the men on Japan's JGTO Tour when she plays in the Casio World Open from November 24-27.
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Finally the mighty Australians conquered the World. It was a dramatic and sad end to the ICC World XI who could not match the pressure and power of the Aussies. The Australian cricket team was cock-a-hoop against World XI. The Australian brought about such intense consistency in the super series that one wondered whether it was the same Australian team which lost to England in the Ashes. I could not imagine how all at once they raised the level of competition and the motivation factor. It was unbelievable for me to observe that even the best bowlers in the world could not break the shackles of the Australian batting. In my estimation it only leads me to believe that the Aussies possess tremendous team spirit and are mentally tough in their approach. My word despite having won the Super Series 2-0 the Australian public still turned up in large numbers to cheer their favourites who made a clean sweep of the first of its kind Super Series.
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