Athletics at the Summer Olympics

Athletics at the Summer Olympics
Governing body IAAF
Events 47 (men: 24; women: 23)
Games
1896 β€’ 1900 β€’ 1904 β€’ 1908 β€’ 1912 β€’ 1920
1924 β€’ 1928β€’ 1932β€’ 1936 β€’ 1948 β€’ 1952
1956 β€’ 1960 β€’ 1964 β€’ 1968 β€’ 1972 β€’ 1976
1980 β€’ 1984 β€’ 1988 β€’ 1992 β€’ 1996 β€’ 2000
2004 β€’ 2008 β€’ 2012 β€’ 2016
Medalists (men β€’ women) β€’ Records

Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics. The modern program includes track and field events, road running events, and racewalking events. Cross country running was also on the program in earlier editions but it was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics.

Events

The events contested have varied widely. From 1900 to 1920, tug of war was considered to be part of the Olympic athletics programme, although the sports of tug of war and athletics are now considered distinct.[1]

Men's events

No new events have been added to the men's athletics programme since the 1952 addition of the short racewalk. The roster of events has not changed since then, with the exception of the omission of the long racewalk in 1976 (the IAAF held a 50 km walk World Championships that year instead and as a result the event was restored in 1980). The long racewalk is the only event currently held for men but not included on the women's programme, with the exception of women taking part in the heptathlon rather than the decathlon and the 100 metres hurdles rather than the 110 metres hurdles.

A total of 52 different events have been held in the men's competition. The current list comprises 24 events. Many of the discontinued events were similar to modern ones but at different lengths, especially in the steeplechasing, hurdling, and racewalking disciplines. Team racing events have been eliminated after appearing in six early editions of the Games. The athletic triathlon (an unusual event, held only once and featuring gymnasts competing in the long jump, shot put, and 100 metre dash) and pentathlon multi-discipline events were phased out in favor of the decathlon, and the medley relay replaced with even-leg relays. Standing jump competitions are no longer held, nor are the various modified throwing events which were experimented with in 1908 and 1912. Cross country running was on the program from 1912 to 1924 and is the most prominent form of athletics not to feature at the Olympics.

Event 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 Games
Current program
100 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
200 metres () – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 26
400 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
800 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
1500 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
5000 metres () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23
10,000 metres () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23
Marathon () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
110 metres hurdles () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
400 metres hurdles () – X X X – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25
3000 metres steeplechase () – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 22
4 Γ— 100 metres relay () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23
4 Γ— 400 metres relay () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23
20 kilometres race walk () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
50 kilometres race walk () – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X – X X X X X X X X X 18
High jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
Pole vault () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
Long jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
Triple jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
Shot put () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
Discus throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
Hammer throw () – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 26
Javelin throw () – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Decathlon () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Past events
60 metres () – X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2
200 metres hurdles () – X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2
2500 metres steeplechase () – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
2590 metres steeplechase () – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
3200 metres steeplechase () – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
4000 metres steeplechase () – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
Medley relay () – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
3000 metres team race () – – – – X X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3
5000 metres team race () – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
3-mile team race () – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
4-mile team race () – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
5 miles () – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
3000 metres race walk () – – – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
3500 metres race walk () – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
10 kilometres race walk () – – – – X X X – – – X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5
10 miles race walk () – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
All-around () – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
Triathlon () – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
Pentathlon () – – – – X X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3
Standing long jump () – X X X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4
Standing triple jump () – X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2
Standing high jump () – X X X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4
56 pound weight throw () – – X – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2
Shot put, two hands () – – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
Discus throw, Greek style () – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
Discus throw, two hands () – – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
Javelin throw, freestyle () – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
Javelin throw, two hands () – – – – X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
Individual cross country () – – – – X X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3
Team cross country () – – – – X X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3
Events 12 23 25 26 30 29 27 22 23 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24

Women's events

Women's competition in athletics began at the 1928 Summer Olympics

Event 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 Games
100 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
200 metres () – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
400 metres () – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13
800 metres () X – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
1500 metres () – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X 11
5000 metres () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X 5
10,000 metres () – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X 7
Marathon () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X 8
100 metres hurdles () – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X 11
400 metres hurdles () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X 8
3000 metres steeplechase () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X 2
4 Γ— 100 metres relay () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
4 Γ— 400 metres relay () – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X 11
20 kilometres race walk () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X 4
High jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Pole vault () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X 4
Long jump () – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
Triple jump () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X 5
Shot put () – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
Discus throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Hammer throw () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X 4
Javelin throw () – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 19
Heptathlon () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X 8
Past events
80 metres hurdles () – X X X X X X X X – – – – – – – – – – – 8
Pentathlon () – – – – – – – X X X X X – – – – – – – – 5
3000 metres () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X – – – – – 3
10 kilometres race walk () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X – – – – 2
Events 5 6 6 9 9 9 10 12 12 14 14 14 17 18 19 20 22 22 23 23

Nations

Nearly every nation that has competed at the Olympics has entered the athletics competition. The number in each box represents the number of athletes the nation sent.[2]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Nation 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 Years
 Afghanistan (AFG) 2522226
 Albania (ALB) 1222216
 Algeria (ALG) 4991298212012610
 American Samoa (ASA) 1222116
 Andorra (AND) 11122227
 Antigua and Barbuda (ANT) 810105823439
 Argentina (ARG) 1071182416246692724811811920
 Armenia (ARM) 232245
 Aruba (ARU) 221215
 Australasia (ANZ) 952
 Australia (AUS) 11249745181776283524222721302835608242405025
 Austria (AUT) 1212742291515398121561161016111263724
 Azerbaijan (AZE) 444235
 Bahamas (BAH) 12388814118201916182014
 Bahrain (BRN) 1361261198
 Bangladesh (BAN) 144221218
 Barbados (BAR) 27996841133411
 Belarus (BLR) 34314147445
 Belgium (BEL) 624217321318216121015152519151371299171423
 Belize (BIZ) 224554223210
 Benin (BEN) 1964522229
 Bermuda (BER) 62284543112212
 Bohemia (BOH) 43113
 Bolivia (BOL) 413263222210
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) 4242226
 Botswana (BOT) 7665669739
 Brazil (BRA) 81910121065132811202024401834413020
 British Virgin Islands (IVB) 421611228
 British West Indies (BWI) 71
 Brunei (BRU) 1123
 Bulgaria (BUL) 424899181947222117221915816
 Burkina Faso (BUR) 143423228
 Burundi (BDI) 765235
 Cameroon (CMR) 114495781175212
 Cambodia (CAM) 4222226
 Canada (CAN) 46271814273229282722181616273255616348393621294225
 Central African Republic (CAF) 1118522229
 Chad (CHA) 2333644212111
 Chile (CHI) 62381015156438216534736821
 China (CHN) 1223224433312652665111
 Chinese Taipei (TPE) 465117101227223613
 Colombia (COL) 152444774585131111142917
 Congo (CGO) 2666762212211
 Costa Rica (CRC) 2134821349
 Croatia (CRO) 2315121096
 Cuba (CUB) 11352331819261734463333434617
 Czech Republic (CZE) 23243629285
 Czechoslovakia (TCH) 161811331112016221213271422231816
 Denmark (DEN) 34814189102101611294613323537453626
 Dominican Republic (DOM) 1922433256911
 East Germany (GDR) 47625882585
 Ecuador (ECU) 311357438111311
 Egypt (EGY) 21427174224612
 El Salvador (ESA) 10422222229
 Estonia (EST) 711417513515141011
 Ethiopia (ETH) 8559202515162424273112
 Fiji (FIJ) 121224877122213
 Finland (FIN) 15232652352237366919261710323126221826262323191724
 France (FRA) 521(1)19255970501240655429363840494431435557495355484726
 Germany (GER) 56220246227773979856471537115
 Ghana (GHA) 7712813151181518103213
 Great Britain (GBR) 5931266141655524527966556162687052618510291777254586927
 Greece (GRE) 30210125912137141511619571212810611254356322327
 Guatemala (GUA) 653716754610
 Guyana (GUY) 124124336423313
 Haiti (HAI) 3227101323344413
 Honduras (HON) 633341112210
 Hong Kong (HKG) 4333151259
 Hungary (HUN) 392192716265251235192631313316271524223735201825
 Iceland (ISL) 1411927234747743623319
 India (IND) 13774488811132841185262417141423
 Indonesia (INA) 13111551522212
 Iran (IRI) 12181341211261014
 Iraq (IRQ) 2114621222210
 Ireland (IRL) 1010410239751377171819243211162120
 Israel (ISR) 718522644854313
 Italy (ITA) 212122436242132253321472226403226513839504735453325
 Ivory Coast (CIV) 67686995821312
 Jamaica (JAM) 10761515211416322628384341454216
 Japan (JPN) 211816344619202064191915222931324038374421
 Kenya (KEN) 85111822323338433631374213
 Kuwait (KUW) 22682641452312
 Latvia (LAT) 106277161715162210
 Lebanon (LIB) 1212331222211
 Lesotho (LES) 152369224310
 Liberia (LBR) 4415745823311
 Libya (LBA) 1721412229
 Liechtenstein (LIE) 22222333211112
 Lithuania (LTU) 5814181218207
 Luxembourg (LUX) 26346673631131131118
 Madagascar (MAD) 3373256732211
 Malawi (MAW) 11554222229
 Malaya (MAL) 732
 Malaysia (MAS) 1210832213223212
 Mali (MLI) 21132333222212
 Malta (MLT) 2112222229
 Mexico (MEX) 111125352155261177162124152227231821
 Monaco (MON) 21111117
 Mongolia (MGL) 3111222229
 Morocco (MAR) 844831113172422262112
 Mozambique (MOZ) 9733122129
 Myanmar (MYA) 111222123222213
 Nepal (NEP) 22155712222212
 Netherlands (NED) 19111205071822101081275913181510920141823
 Netherlands Antilles (AHO) 23112217
 New Zealand (NZL) 21363349141491610146131881310821
 Nicaragua (NCA) 755212122210
 Nigeria (NGR) 910814151916172314322817222115
 North Borneo (NBO) 21
 North Korea (PRK) 2333464659
 Norway (NOR) 211211610133112019511651310131291312991124
 Pakistan (PAK) 51617126523742222215
 Panama (PAN) 14411211122312
 Papua New Guinea (PNG) 3566622229
 Paraguay (PAR) 215332222210
 Peru (PER) 99343152125223515
 Philippines (PHI) 12161147114616432222220
 Poland (POL) 1415717729234935314532482124233545605220
 Portugal (POR) 3331247531663142836302126272421
 Puerto Rico (PUR) 4107766910145758351016
 Rhodesia (RHO) 232
 Russia (RUS) 13285109115104977
 Romania (ROU) 135125912111816219525252326171718
 Saar (SAA) 61
 San Marino (SMR) 212251111110
 Saudi Arabia (KSA) 10146291178109
 Senegal (SEN) 129121010111297992613
 Serbia (SRB) 210143
 Sierra Leone (SLE) 212581112222210
 Singapore (SIN) 114131222210
 Somalia (SOM) 375422228
 South Africa (RSA) 367131294146139716222332232018
 South Korea (KOR) 96761742114711171318171715
 South Vietnam (VNM) 1213
 Soviet Union (URS) 7775818470747099839
 Spain (ESP) 141310713610111721263459565856544618
 Sri Lanka (SRI) 311111342761342215
 Suriname (SUR) 1122322222211
 Sudan (SUD) 2263333248411
 Swaziland (SWZ) 1355422229
 Sweden (SWE) 183110664332993750451726161826191624111917141212926
 Switzerland (SUI) 11131793192028211222287151719152313971123
 Syria (SYR) 11213132229
 Tanzania (TAN) 4371612645487312
 Thailand (THA) 888184410418812311214
 Togo (TOG) 2334522129
 Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) 336810109113561514232015
 Tunisia (TUN) 116342216934512
 Turkey (TUR) 24513131344325423513153118
 Uganda (UGA) 3483861013445471114
 Unified Team of Germany (EUA) 4390973
 United Arab Republic (UAR) 21
 United States (USA) 104186841099096988277767181818691959211011411712111611612112326
 Uruguay (URU) 5211321122433214
 Venezuela (VEN) 747661011346541214
 Virgin Islands (ISV) 21347107322411
 West Germany (FRG) 67875458475
 Yugoslavia (YUG) 5412115197229816131461015
 Zambia (ZAM) 53794444422312
 Zimbabwe (ZIM) 346776867310
No. of nations 10 15 10 20 27 25 40 40 34 43 53 57 59 72 80 92 104 79 70

Medal table

Updated after the 2012 Summer Olympics

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  United States (USA) 320 251 196 767
2  Soviet Union (URS) 64 55 74 193
3  Great Britain (GBR) 53 79 62 194
4  Finland (FIN) 48 35 31 114
5  East Germany (GDR) 38 36 35 109
6  Russia (RUS) 26 27 25 78
7  Kenya (KEN) 24 31 24 79
8  Poland (POL) 23 18 13 54
9  Ethiopia (ETH) 21 7 17 45
10  Australia (AUS) 20 26 25 71
11  Sweden (SWE) 19 21 41 81
12  Italy (ITA) 19 15 26 60
13  Jamaica (JAM) 18 29 20 67
14  Germany (GER) 16 24 37 77
15  France (FRA) 14 22 25 61
16  Canada (CAN) 13 14 26 53
17  West Germany (FRG) 12 14 17 43
18  Romania (ROU) 11 14 10 35
19  Czechoslovakia (TCH) 11 8 5 24
20  Cuba (CUB) 10 14 15 39
21  Hungary (HUN) 10 13 17 40
22  New Zealand (NZL) 10 2 8 20
23  Unified Team (EUN) 7 11 3 21
24  Japan (JPN) 7 7 9 23
25  Norway (NOR) 7 5 8 20
26  Greece (GRE) 6 12 11 29
27  South Africa (RSA) 6 12 6 24
28  Morocco (MAR) 6 5 8 19
29  China (CHN) 6 3 12 21
30  Netherlands (NED) 6 3 6 15
31  Bulgaria (BUL) 5 7 6 18
32  Czech Republic (CZE) 5 1 4 10
33  Unified Team of Germany (EUA) 4 18 8 30
34  Belarus (BLR) 4 5 8 17
35  Brazil (BRA) 4 3 7 14
36  Portugal (POR) 4 2 4 10
37  Ireland (IRL) 4 2 0 6
38  Bahamas (BAH) 4 2 4 10
39  Algeria (ALG) 4 1 2 7
40  Belgium (BEL) 3 6 2 11
41  Mexico (MEX) 3 5 2 10
42  Ukraine (UKR) 3 3 12 18
43  Lithuania (LTU) 3 1 1 5
44  Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) 2 4 8 14
45  Spain (ESP) 2 4 5 11
46  Argentina (ARG) 2 3 0 5
47  Estonia (EST) 2 1 3 6
48  Dominican Republic (DOM) 2 1 0 3
49  Kazakhstan (KAZ) 2 0 1 3
 Uganda (UGA) 2 0 1 3
51  Cameroon (CMR) 2 0 0 2
52  Nigeria (NGR) 1 4 8 13
53  Turkey (TUR) 1 3 2 6
54  Tunisia (TUN) 1 3 1 5
55  Austria (AUT) 1 2 4 7
56  Slovenia (SLO) 1 2 1 4
57  Croatia (CRO) 1 1 0 2
 Ecuador (ECU) 1 1 0 2
 South Korea (KOR) 1 1 0 2
 Mixed team (ZZX) 1 1 0 2
61  Panama (PAN) 1 0 2 3
62  Mozambique (MOZ) 1 0 1 2
63  Burundi (BDI) 1 0 0 1
 Grenada (GRN) 1 0 0 1
 Luxembourg (LUX) 1 0 0 1
 Syria (SYR) 1 0 0 1
67  Switzerland (SUI) 0 6 2 8
68  Latvia (LAT) 0 4 1 5
69  Namibia (NAM) 0 4 0 4
70  Denmark (DEN) 0 2 4 6
71  Chile (CHI) 0 2 0 2
 India (IND) 0 2 0 2
 Sri Lanka (SRI) 0 2 0 2
 Tanzania (TAN) 0 2 0 2
 Yugoslavia (YUG) 0 2 0 2
76  Colombia (COL) 0 1 1 2
 Iceland (ISL) 0 1 1 2
 Chinese Taipei (TPE) 0 1 1 2
79  Bohemia (BOH) 0 1 0 1
 Botswana (BOT) 0 1 0 1
 Ivory Coast (CIV) 0 1 0 1
 Guatemala (GUA) 0 1 0 1
 Haiti (HAI) 0 1 0 1
 Iran (IRI) 0 1 0 1
 Saudi Arabia (KSA) 0 1 0 1
 Senegal (SEN) 0 1 0 1
 Sudan (SUD) 0 1 0 1
 Zambia (ZAM) 0 1 0 1
89  British West Indies (BWI) 0 0 2 2
 Philippines (PHI) 0 0 2 2
 Qatar (QAT) 0 0 2 2
92  Australasia (ANZ) 0 0 1 1
 Barbados (BAR) 0 0 1 1
 Djibouti (DJI) 0 0 1 1
 Eritrea (ERI) 0 0 1 1
 Puerto Rico (PUR) 0 0 1 1
 Venezuela (VEN) 0 0 1 1
Total 931 939 932 2802

References

  1. ↑ Past Olympic Sports. Olympics/IOC. Retrieved on 2010-08-30.
  2. ↑ Statistics can be found at www.sports-reference.com/olympics, for example, Finland Athletics participants for 1956 Olympics are at www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/FIN/summer/1956/ATH/

External links

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