Historical Evolution of sports Historical Evolucion of sports researchpdf | Page 7

Combat Sports
A big attraction at all the Greek games were the ‘heavy’ events – wrestling,
boxing, and the pankration, a type of all-in wrestling. Specialists in the sports
could win large sums of money all over the Greek world, once they had proved
themselves sat Olympia.
Wrestling was a sport
of great skill which
used
many
throws
of
still
the
seen
today. It also featured
as
part
of
pentathlon.
the
Boxing
was considered the
most
There
violent
were
sport.
no
separate rounds in a
match
and
the
contestants fought until one of them gave in. In ancient Greece thin strips of
leather were bound around the boxers’ fists to protect their hands. Boxing
gloves were eventually developed, and in the Roman period they were weighted
with lead or iron to inflict greater damage.
The pankration was a mixture of boxing and wrestling, where almost any tactic
was permitted. Only biting and going for an opponent’s eyes were illegal.
R UNNING E VENTS
The most ancient and prestigious even tat Olympia was the running race along
the length of the stadium, a distance of 600 Olympic feet (192.28 metres). The
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF SPORTS
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