Acquatics, Atheletes and Gymnastics

Diving first appeared at the Olympics in 1904.  Men and women compete in 10-meter platform and 3-meter springboard. Synchronized diving was added in 2000 at the Games in Sydney, Australia. There is also synchronized 10-meter platform and synchronized 3-meter springboard for men and women.

Synchronized swimming was first held in 1984 during the Olympics in Los Angeles.  It is one of the three disciplines that only women compete in (along with rhythmic gymnastics and softball).  The athletes compete in duet and team competitions.

Men's water polo was played during the 1900 Paris Olympics. It has been contested at all Games since 1908.  Women’s water polo debuted in 2000 in Sydney.

Athletics

Athletics, also known as Track & Field, have been an Olympic sport since the first modern games in 1896.  Women’s athletics events began in the 1928 Olympic Games.  Athletics consists of four types of events: track events, field events, road events and combined events.

Track events include sprints, middle-distance and long-distance running as well as hurdling, steeplechase and relays.

Field events include long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, javelin and hammer throw.  Hammer throw and women’s pole vault began in 2000.

Road events include marathons and race-walks of 10k (women), 20k (men) and 50k (men).

Combined events are when athletes compete in a series of track and field events over 2 days.  Men compete in the decathlon and women compete in the heptathlon.  Heptathlon events are: 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200 meters on Day 1; long jump, javelin and 800 meters on Day 2.  Decathlon events are: 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 meters on Day 1; 110 meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500 meters on Day 2.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics has been an Olympic sport since the first modern games in 1896.  Women’s gymnastics began in 1928.  Gymnastics disciplines include artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline. 

The artistic gymnastic events (performed on an apparatus) for men are: floor exercises, horizontal bar, parallel bars, pommel horse, rings and vault.  The artistic gymnastic events for women are: balance beam, floor exercises, uneven bars and vault.  Both men and women also have individual all-around and team competitions.

Rhythmic gymnastics, a women only event, was also first contested in 1984. In the individual event gymnasts perform different routines with four of the five apparatus, rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. In the team competition, teams of five perform together once using clubs and once with two using hoops and three using ribbons. 

Trampoline became a gymnastics discipline Jan. 1, 1999 and first appeared at the Sydney Games in 2000.  Athletes perform routines with various combinations of twists, leaps and somersaults.