AO1 Athletics based sport

100 metres

The 100 meter race is the shortest race out of all field and tracked races. Races are against time and against other competitors. The race usually includes 8 or 9 competitors. Conditions are critical as the race could not go forward unless there were good weather conditions.

Basics

100m sprint consists of a straight track the length of 100 meters roughly 109.36 yards. The aim is not only to win it is also to record times or personal bests.

Rules for 100m men’s Olympics

The length and width of the track has to be specified by the International Association of Athletics Federation otherwise known as the (IAAF). Any competitor of the event that has a false start will be warned once but on their second false start they will automatically be disqualified. When the race begins a gun will be fired and only then the sprinters can run. If the number of competitors is over 10 the race has to be split up into heats, the winners or best sprinters of the heat will then qualify into the next round. The track must be suitable so that the runners can run with spikes on the bottom of their shoes. Runners are not allowed to run on the inside curve of the track not even the line.

Training

Athletes\runners do a lot of different types of training that include working on acceleration speed endurance and strength and power training. They also work positioning at the beginning. A great way of practicing positioning is hip height. Hip height is an exercise that helps you get the right angle which is 90degrees at the start. In hip height there is a piece of string tied to two hurdles and it is at the correct height in which your hips should be in the starting position. If the athlete practising hit the string and pushes it up the he has gone too high but if he doesn’t even touch the string it means he is too low. Some athletes train at high altitude as the air is a lot thinner and there is a lot less oxygen so it forces the body to make more red blood cells which transports more oxygen to their muscles. As there is more red blood cells they still work at low altitude, making the athlete not get out of breath.

Athletes also do many stretches to keep them flexible and loos.

RECORDS 

The current record is 9.58 by Usain Bolt who is a Jamaican athlete. He also got the last two world records which were 9.69 and 9.72.