What is the Heptathlon ?
It’s an event in track and field that consists of four field events and three running events testing strength, speed, agility and endurance. The events span across two days and consist of the 100-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, 800-meter run, long jump, high jump, shot put and javelin throw. Usually the athletes that compete are mentally and physically strong to be able to even compete in that many events. The athlete that has stepped up at this event for the UC women’s track team has been Wilhelm. The sophomore has proven that she can compete with the elite by breaking the school record earlier this season with 5,067 points at the All-Ohio State Championships and qualifying for nationals. Wilhelm surpassed previous record holder Laura Valldeperas by 22 points. “I was really excited that I broke the record and qualified for nationals. I wanted to do better and score a little higher but I was satisfied,” said Wilhelm. To get to this point in her running career, it took her mental toughne
The Heptathlon is an athletic competition which amounts to athletes competing in seven different track and field events over a period of two days. The winner is determined by the athlete who essentially has competed the most successfully over the two days. An international scoring table is provided to evaluate and award points for each performance. The winner is the athlete who has the most points after the seven events. It is not so much that an athlete finishes first, second or third in one of the events so much as they run faster or jump and throw farther than their competition. In essence the athletes are competing against the scoring tables. On the First Day of competition athletes compete in the following events and order: 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200 meters. On the Second Day of competition they will compete in: Long jump, javelin and the final event, the 800 meters.
Definition: (courtesy of Wikipedia) n an athletics contest made up of seven events. From the Greek hepta (seven) and athlon (contest). The women’s heptathlon consists of the following events, with the first four contested on the first day, the remaining three on day two: – 100 m hurdles – high jump – shot put – 200 m – long jump – javelin throw – 800 m In each event, the athlete scores points according to the marks achieved. The athlete accumulating the highest number of points wins the competition. The heptathlon has been contested by female athletes since the early 1980s, when it replaced the pentathlon as the women’s multi-event contest (javelin throw and the 800 m were added).
