Athletics |
The word Athletics comes from the Greek word, athlos, meaning "contest". It refers to games or contests, involving physical strength, skill, and endurance. In the United States, the term is used synonymously with sports; in Great Britain, however, it refers specifically to track and field events. In general, athletic contests can be divided into contact and noncontact sports. History Contests involving physical prowess or simulated combat date from prehistoric times and are probably as old as community life; the origin of such organized athletics as the Olympian Games (776? BC) in Greece is shrouded in legend. In historical times a great development of organized games took place in ancient Greece and Rome. Among the games were foot racing, wrestling, boxing, horse racing, chariot racing, and the pentathlon. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th
century AD, organized sports declined in
popularity until the 11th century, when the
tournament, also known as joust, became a
favorite pastime of the nobility. In England,
especially, the sport of the common people
was archery. Skiing, swimming, and the various forms of tennis and running rank as the most popular individual amateur sports. On a worldwide basis, soccer ranks as the most popular sport.
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