Athletics

Athletics (from ancient Greek ἀθλητής / athlêtês, "participant in a competition", derived from ἆθλος / áthlos, "competition") is a set of codified sporting events including running, jumping, throwing, combined events and walking. It is the art of surpassing the performance of opponents in speed or endurance, distance or height. The athletic events, individual or team, have varied with time and mentality. Athletics is one of the few sports that is universally practiced, either in the amateur world or in many competitions at all levels. The simplicity, the natural character and the few means necessary for its practice partly explain this success. The first traces of athletic competitions date back to ancient civilizations. The discipline has developed over the centuries, from the first tests to its codification.