num_pages: 48
description: All the hopes of a Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, were realized in 1896, when the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens. He had dreamt of an international sporting festival where the world's supreme athletes could compete against each other for the title of Olympic champion. Although the Games have continued as the most prestigious sporting championship for amateur athletes, de Coubertin's Olympic ideal has been constantly challenged. For many athletes, taking part is not enough and winning is everything. Politics and the misuse of drugs have often dominated the headlines, casting a shadow over the sporting triumphs and achievements that represent the true spirit of the Olympic Games. This series examines the history of the Games through eight of the most popular sports. Babe Didrikson, Bob Beamon, Al Oerter, Victor Saneyev, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Daley Thompson - these are just a few of the names from the long and impressive list of field athletes whose sporting achievements have commanded worldwide respect and admiration. The accounts of their struggles for Olympic gold underline their personal triumphs. It takes supreme technical skill and mental and physical strength to compete at the highest level in the discus, javelin, shot, hammer, long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, heptathlon and decathlon. However, media bias towards track athletics means that the field events and contestants are not given the recognition they deserve. This book is a tribute to all the field athletes, winners and losers, who have taken part in the Olympic Games and helped to make them the ultimate sporting event.
language: English
title: Olympic Sports: Field Athletics
titlecomplete: Olympic Sports: Field Athletics (Olympic Sports)
publisher: Hodder Wayland