Athletics at the Summer Olympics

Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics. The modern program includes track and field events, road running events, and racewalking events. Cross country running was also on the program in earlier editions but it was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics.

Athletics at the Summer Olympics
Governing bodyIAAF
Events47 (men: 24; women: 23)
Games

Events

The events contested have varied widely. From 1900 to 1920, tug of war was considered to be part of the Olympic athletics programme, although the sports of tug of war and athletics are now considered distinct.[1]

Men's events

No new events have been added to the men's athletics programme since the 1952 addition of the short racewalk. The roster of events has not changed since then, with the exception of the omission of the long racewalk in 1976 (the IAAF held a 50 km walk World Championships that year instead and as a result the event was restored in 1980). The long racewalk is the only event currently held for men but not included on the women's programme, with the exception of women taking part in the heptathlon rather than the decathlon and the 100 metres hurdles rather than the 110 metres hurdles. The last women's event added to the roster was the 3000 metres steeplechase in 2008.

A total of 52 different events have been held in the men's competition. The current list comprises 24 events. Many of the discontinued events were similar to modern ones but at different lengths, especially in the steeplechasing, hurdling, and racewalking disciplines. Team racing events have been eliminated after appearing in six early editions of the Games. The athletic triathlon (an unusual event, held only once and featuring gymnasts competing in the long jump, shot put, and 100 metre dash) and pentathlon multi-discipline events were phased out in favor of the decathlon, and the medley relay replaced with even-leg relays. Standing jump competitions are no longer held, nor are the various modified throwing events which were experimented with in 1908 and 1912. Cross country running was on the program from 1912 to 1924 and is the most prominent form of athletics not to feature at the Olympics.

Current program
Event9600040812202428323648525660646872768084889296000408121620Years
100 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
200 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28
400 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28
800 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
1500 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
5000 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25
10,000 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25
Marathon () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
110 metres hurdles () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
400 metres hurdles () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27
3000 metres steeplechase () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
4 × 100 metres relay () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25
4 × 400 metres relay () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25
20 kilometres race walk () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
50 kilometres race walk () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
High jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
Pole vault () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28
Long jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28
Triple jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
Shot put () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
Discus throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29
Hammer throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28
Javelin throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 26
Decathlon () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25
Past events
Event9600040812202428323648525660646872768084889296000408121620Years
60 metres () X X 2
200 metres hurdles () X X 2
2500 metres steeplechase () X 1
2590 metres steeplechase () X 1
3200 metres steeplechase () X 1
4000 metres steeplechase () X 1
Medley relay () X 1
3000 metres team race () X X X 3
5000 metres team race () X 1
3-mile team race () X 1
4-mile team race () X 1
5 miles () X 1
3000 metres race walk () X 1
3500 metres race walk () X 1
10 kilometres race walk () X X X X X 5
10 miles race walk () X 1
All-around () X 1
Triathlon () X 1
Pentathlon () X X X 3
Standing long jump () X X X X 4
Standing triple jump () X X 2
Standing high jump () X X X X 4
56 pound weight throw () X X 2
Shot put, two hands () X 1
Discus throw, Greek style () X 1
Discus throw, two hands () X 1
Javelin throw, freestyle () X 1
Javelin throw, two hands () X 1
Individual cross country () X X X 3
Team cross country () X X X 3
Total1223252630292722232324242424242424232424242424242424242424

Women's events

Women's competition in athletics began at the 1928 Summer Olympics

Current program
Event28323648525660646872768084889296000408121620Games
100 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 22
200 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 19
400 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
800 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
1500 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13
5000 metres () X X X X X X X 7
10,000 metres () X X X X X X X X X 9
Marathon () X X X X X X X X X X 10
100 metres hurdles () X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13
400 metres hurdles () X X X X X X X X X X 10
3000 metres steeplechase () X X X X 4
4 × 100 metres relay () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 22
4 × 400 metres relay () X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13
20 kilometres race walk () X X X X X X 6
High jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 22
Pole vault () X X X X X X 6
Long jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 19
Triple jump () X X X X X X X 7
Shot put () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 19
Discus throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 22
Hammer throw () X X X X X X 6
Javelin throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 21
Heptathlon () X X X X X X X X X X 10
Past events
Event28323648525660646872768084889296000408121620Games
80 metres hurdles () X X X X X X X X 8
Pentathlon () X X X X X 5
3000 metres () X X X 3
10 kilometres race walk () X X 2
Total 5 6 6 9 9 9 10 12 12 14 14 14 17 18 19 20 22 22 23 23 23 23

Nations

Nearly every nation that has competed at the Olympics has entered the athletics competition. The number in each box represents the number of athletes the nation sent.[2]

Nation9600040812202428323648525660646872768084889296000408121620Years
 Afghanistan (AFG)2522226
 Albania (ALB)1222216
 Algeria (ALG)4991298212012610
 American Samoa (ASA)1222116
 Andorra (AND)11122227
 Angola (ANG)365221128
 Antigua and Barbuda (ANT)810105823439
 Argentina (ARG)1071182416246692724811811920
 Armenia (ARM)232245
 Aruba (ARU)221215
 Australasia (ANZ)952
 Australia (AUS)11249745181776283524222721302835608242405025
 Austria (AUT)1212742291515398121561161016111263724
 Azerbaijan (AZE)444235
 Bahamas (BAH)12388814118201916182014
 Bahrain (BRN)1361261198
 Bangladesh (BAN)144221218
 Barbados (BAR)27996841133411
 Belarus (BLR)34314147445
 Belgium (BEL)624217321318216121015152519151371299171423
 Belize (BIZ)224554223210
 Benin (BEN)1964522229
 Bermuda (BER)62284543112212
 Bohemia (BOH)43113
 Bolivia (BOL)413263222210
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH)4242226
 Botswana (BOT)7665669739
 Brazil (BRA)8191012106513281120202440183441306721
 British Virgin Islands (IVB)421611228
 British West Indies (BWI)71
 Brunei (BRU)1123
 Bulgaria (BUL)424899181947222117221915816
 Burkina Faso (BUR)143423228
 Burundi (BDI)765235
 Cameroon (CMR)114495781175212
 Cambodia (CAM)4222226
 Canada (CAN)46271814273229282722181616273255616348393621294225
 Cape Verde (CPV)321125
 Cayman Islands (CAY)21122227
 Central African Republic (CAF)1118522229
 Chad (CHA)2333644212111
 Chile (CHI)62381015156438216534736821
 China (CHN)1223224433312652665111
 Chinese Taipei (TPE)465117101227223613
 Colombia (COL)152444774585131111142917
 Comoros (COM)422225
 Republic of the Congo (CGO)2666762212211
 Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD)267222228
 Cook Islands (COK)21112227
 Costa Rica (CRC)2134821349
 Croatia (CRO)2315121096
 Cuba (CUB)11352331819261734463333434617
 Cyprus (CYP)3458107648
 Czech Republic (CZE)23243629315
 Czechoslovakia (TCH)161811331112016221213271422231816
 Denmark (DEN)34814189102101611294613323537453626
 Djibouti (DJI)35532227
 Dominica (DMA)522225
 Dominican Republic (DOM)1922433256911
 East Germany (GDR)47625882585
 East Timor (TLS)2123
 Ecuador (ECU)311357438111311
 Egypt (EGY)21427174224612
 Eritrea (ERI)3410114
 Equatorial Guinea (GEQ)467522228
 El Salvador (ESA)10422222229
 Estonia (EST)71141751351514101812
 Ethiopia (ETH)8559202515162424273112
 Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)22224
 Fiji (FIJ)121224877122213
 Finland (FIN)15232652352237366919261710323126221826262323191724
 France (FRA)521(1)19255970501240655429363840494431435557495355484726
 Gabon (GAB)212422228
 The Gambia (GAM)1035922228
 Georgia (GEO)223245
 Germany (GER)56220246227773979856471537115
 Ghana (GHA)7712813151181518103213
 Great Britain (GBR)5931266141655524527966556162687052618510291777254586927
 Greece (GRE)30210125912137141511619571212810611254356322327
 Grenada (GRN)224523868
 Guam (GUM)62222227
 Guatemala (GUA)653716754610
 Guinea (GUI)325421228
 Guinea-Bissau (GBS)222225
 Guyana (GUY)124124336423313
 Haiti (HAI)3227101323344413
 Honduras (HON)633341112210
 Hong Kong (HKG)4333151259
 Hungary (HUN)392192716265251235192631313316271524223735201825
 Iceland (ISL)1411927234747743623319
 India (IND)13774488811132841185262417141423
 Independent Olympic Participants (IOP)9223
 Indonesia (INA)13111551522212
 Iran (IRI)12181341211261014
 Iraq (IRQ)2114621222210
 Ireland (IRL)1010410239751377171819243211162120
 Israel (ISR)718522644854313
 Italy (ITA)212122436242132253321472226403226513839504735453325
 Ivory Coast (CIV)67686995821312
 Jamaica (JAM)10761515211416322628384341454216
 Japan (JPN)211816344619202064191915222931324038374421
 Jordan (JOR)52222227
 Kazakhstan (KAZ)18252119245
 Kenya (KEN)85111822323338433631374213
 Kiribati (KIR)2123
 Kuwait (KUW)22682641452312
 Kyrgyzstan (KGZ)687525
 Laos (LAO)715522228
 Latvia (LAT)106277161715162210
 Lebanon (LIB)1212331222211
 Lesotho (LES)152369224310
 Liberia (LBR)4415745823311
 Libya (LBA)1721412229
 Liechtenstein (LIE)22222333211112
 Lithuania (LTU)581418121820178
 Luxembourg (LUX)26346673631131131118
 Macedonia (MKD)22224
 Madagascar (MAD)3373256732211
 Malawi (MAW)11554222229
 Malaya (MAL)732
 Malaysia (MAS)1210832213223212
 Maldives (MDV)75522227
 Mali (MLI)21132333222212
 Malta (MLT)2112222229
 Marshall Islands (MHL)222
 Mauritius (MRI)4331264328
 Mauritania (MTN)26422227
 Mexico (MEX)111125352155261177162124152227231821
 Moldova (MDA)711121485
 Monaco (MON)21111117
 Montenegro (MNE)222
 Mongolia (MGL)3111222229
 Morocco (MAR)844831113172422262112
 Mozambique (MOZ)9733122129
 Myanmar (MYA)111222123222213
 Namibia (NAM)3363436
 Nepal (NEP)22155712222212
 Netherlands (NED)19111205071822101081275913181510920141823
 Netherlands Antilles (AHO)23112217
 New Zealand (NZL)21363349141491610146131881310821
 Nicaragua (NCA)755212122210
 Niger (NIG)233322228
 Nigeria (NGR)910814151916172314322817222115
 North Borneo (NBO)21
 North Korea (PRK)2333464659
 North Yemen (YAR)242
 Norway (NOR)211211610133112019511651310131291312991124
 Oman (OMA)754141228
 Pakistan (PAK)51617126523742222215
 Palau (PLW)22224
 Palestine (PLE)112225
 Panama (PAN)14411211122312
 Papua New Guinea (PNG)3566622229
 Paraguay (PAR)215332222210
 Peru (PER)99343152125223515
 Philippines (PHI)12161147114616432222220
 Poland (POL)1415717729234935314532482124233545605220
 Portugal (POR)3331247531663142836302126272421
 Puerto Rico (PUR)4107766910145758351016
 Qatar (QAT)6811912101468
 Rhodesia (RHO)232
 Russia (RUS)13285109115104977
 Romania (ROU)135125912111816219525252326171718
 Rwanda (RWA)367433238
 Saar (SAA)61
 Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN)1022445
 Saint Lucia (LCA)531325
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (VIN)66822227
 Samoa (SAM)2122216
 San Marino (SMR)212251111110
 São Tomé and Príncipe (STP)222225
 Saudi Arabia (KSA)10146291178109
 Senegal (SEN)129121010111297992613
 Serbia (SRB)210143
 Serbia and Montenegro (SCG)82473
 Seychelles (SEY)954222229
 Sierra Leone (SLE)212581112222210
 Singapore (SIN)114131222210
 Slovakia (SVK)14161218115
 Slovenia (SLO)410191917128
 Solomon Islands (SOL)21322227
 Somalia (SOM)375422228
 South Africa (RSA)367131294146139716222332232018
 South Korea (KOR)96761742114711171318171715
 South Vietnam (VNM)1213
 South Yemen (YMD)31
 Soviet Union (URS)7775818470747099839
 Spain (ESP)141310713610111721263459565856544618
 Sri Lanka (SRI)311111342761342215
 Suriname (SUR)1122322222211
 Sudan (SUD)2263333248411
 Swaziland (SWZ)1355422229
 Sweden (SWE)183110664332993750451726161826191624111917141212926
 Switzerland (SUI)11131793192028211222287151719152313971123
 Syria (SYR)11213132229
 Tajikistan (TJK)122225
 Tanzania (TAN)4371612645487312
 Thailand (THA)888184410418812311214
 Togo (TOG)2334522129
 Tonga (TGA)24222227
 Trinidad and Tobago (TTO)336810109113561514232015
 Tunisia (TUN)116342216934512
 Turkey (TUR)24513131344325423513153118
 Turkmenistan (TKM)122225
 Tuvalu (TUV)222
 Uganda (UGA)3483861013445471114
 Ukraine (UKR)43545066735
 Unified Team (EUN)991
 United Team of Germany (EUA)4390973
 United Arab Emirates (UAE)74111127
 United Arab Republic (UAR)21
 United States (USA)104186841099096988277767181818691959211011411712111611612112326
 Uruguay (URU)5211321122433214
 Uzbekistan (UZB)12221012135
 Vanuatu (VAN)36422227
 Venezuela (VEN)747661011346541214
 Vietnam (VIE)724222228
 Virgin Islands (ISV)21347107322411
 West Germany (FRG)67875458475
 Yemen (YEM)3321226
 Yugoslavia (YUG)5412115197229816131461015
 Zambia (ZAM)53794444422312
 Zimbabwe (ZIM)346776867310
No. of nations101510202725404034435357597280921047970124148156190193196200201
Year9600040812202428323648525660646872768084889296000408121620

Medal table

Updated after the 2016 Summer Olympics, considering stripped medals as of June 21, 2017

Sources:[3][4]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States (USA)332259204795
2 Soviet Union (URS)645574193
3 Great Britain (GBR)558070205
4 Finland (FIN)483630114
5 East Germany (GDR)383635109
6 Kenya (KEN)30372996
7 Poland (POL)25181457
8 Jamaica (JAM)22352077
9 Ethiopia (ETH)22102153
10 Australia (AUS)21262673
11 Russia (RUS)21202162
12 Sweden (SWE)19214181
13 Italy (ITA)19152660
14 Germany (GER)18243880
15 France (FRA)14262969
16 Canada (CAN)14153160
17 West Germany (FRG)12141743
18 Romania (ROU)11141035
19 Czechoslovakia (TCH)118524
20 Cuba (CUB)10141741
21 Hungary (HUN)10121840
22 New Zealand (NZL)1031124
23 South Africa (RSA)814628
24 China (CHN)8101331
25 Greece (GRE)7121130
26 Unified Team (EUN)711321
27 Japan (JPN)79925
28 Norway (NOR)75820
29 Morocco (MAR)65819
30 Netherlands (NED)64616
31 Bulgaria (BUL)58619
32 Belgium (BEL)55212
33 Brazil (BRA)53917
34 Bahamas (BAH)52512
35 Czech Republic (CZE)51713
36 United Team of Germany (EUA)418830
37 Algeria (ALG)4329
38 Portugal (POR)42410
39 Ireland (IRL)4217
40 Mexico (MEX)36211
41 Belarus (BLR)35614
 Spain (ESP)35614
43 Trinidad and Tobago (TTO)34815
44 Croatia (CRO)3115
 Lithuania (LTU)3115
46 Nigeria (NGR)24713
47 Argentina (ARG)2305
48 Ukraine (UKR)221317
49 Tunisia (TUN)2215
50 Estonia (EST)2136
51 Dominican Republic (DOM)2103
52 Kazakhstan (KAZ)2024
53 Uganda (UGA)2013
54 Cameroon (CMR)2002
55 Austria (AUT)1247
56 Slovenia (SLO)1214
57 Bahrain (BRN)1113
 Colombia (COL)1113
59 Burundi (BDI)1102
 Ecuador (ECU)1102
 Grenada (GRN)1102
 Mixed team (ZZX)1102
 South Korea (KOR)1102
64 Panama (PAN)1023
65 Mozambique (MOZ)1012
66 Luxembourg (LUX)1001
 Slovakia (SVK)1001
 Syria (SYR)1001
 Tajikistan (TJK)1001
70 Switzerland (SUI)0628
71 Denmark (DEN)0437
72 Latvia (LAT)0415
73 Namibia (NAM)0404
74 Chile (CHI)0202
 India (IND)0202
 Sri Lanka (SRI)0202
 Tanzania (TAN)0202
 Yugoslavia (YUG)0202
79 Qatar (QAT)0123
80 Chinese Taipei (TPE)0112
 Iceland (ISL)0112
 Venezuela (VEN)0112
83 Bohemia (BOH)0101
 Botswana (BOT)0101
 Guatemala (GUA)0101
 Haiti (HAI)0101
 Iran (IRI)0101
 Ivory Coast (CIV)0101
 Saudi Arabia (KSA)0101
 Senegal (SEN)0101
 Sudan (SUD)0101
 Zambia (ZAM)0101
93 Turkey (TUR)0033
94 British West Indies (BWI)0022
 Philippines (PHI)0022
96 Australasia (ANZ)0011
 Barbados (BAR)0011
 Djibouti (DJI)0011
 Eritrea (ERI)0011
 Puerto Rico (PUR)0011
 Serbia (SRB)0011
Totals (101 nations)9749809802934

See also

References

  1. Past Olympic Sports. Olympics/IOC. Retrieved on 2010-08-30.
  2. Statistics can be found at "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-11-26. Retrieved 2012-11-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), for example, Finland Athletics participants for 1956 Olympics are at www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/FIN/summer/1956/ATH/ Archived 2015-07-13 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Historical Medallists
  4. "2016 medalists". rio2016.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-22.
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