Pentathlon
Olympiad( the four-year period up to the next Games) was named after the winner, and dates were recorded by reference to the list of victors. Besides this equivalent of our‘ two-hundred metre’ event, there was a race along two lengths of the track, and a long-distance race of twenty or twenty-four lengths. There was no‘ marathon’ – this was the invention of Baron de Coubertin who revived the Olympic Games in 1896. In all these races the runners made a standing start, from a row of stones labs set in the track that had grooves cut in them to provide a grip for the toes.
Pentathlon
The pentathlon was made up of five events – discus, jumping, javelin, running and wrestling – which all took place in one afternoon. Running and wrestling also existed as separate events. There are differences between the ancient and the modern contests. Greek discus-throwers did not spin round on the spot: they rarely managed throws of more than 30 metres, less than half the modern Olympic record.
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF SPORTS 8