Answer to Question #233761 in History for Yvonne

Question

What is the history of athletics

Answer 1

Athletics is one of the most common types of sports in the world and entails sporting activities such as competitive running, jumping, throwing , walking etc. Though the inventor of athletics is not specifically known, the beginning of athletics can be traced back to ancient Greeks and historians estimate that it's origin can be dated back to the 10th and 9th centuries BC in Greece. From 776 BC, organized athletics were a popular game and were included in the first ever Olympic games that were held in Olympia, Greece. The first person to win an athletics event, a foot race, was a Greek cook named Koroibos. Since 776 BC, athletics became an extremely popular event in the Greek Olympics up to the year 394 AD when Roman emperor Theodosius I banned Olympic games, and athletics died out for circa 1500 years. Athletics were revived in the mid 19th century in England when track and field as a modern sport started to emerge. In 1866, The first English championships were organized for athletics by the newly formed Amateur Athletic Club. The club's rules still serve as a basis for today's athletics. In 1896, the first modern Olympics materialized with athletics making a resurgence, and led to the formation of the International Amateur Athletic Federation in 1913. The federation still upholds athletic rules to date, approves world records and ensures adherence to amateur code for athletics. The return of modern Olympics has made athletics popular again across the globe.