Triple jump is track event sometimes it is referred to as step, hop and jump or hop, skip and jump. It has similarities with long jump, but involves a hop, bound and jump routine, whereby the competitors run down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then jump into the sand pit.
This game has its origin in the Ancient Olympics and has been a part of modern Olympic event since the inception of the games in 1896. Presently the world record holders are Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain, with a jump of 18.29 metres (60.0 ft), and Inessa Kravets of Ukraine, with a jump of 15.5 metres (51 ft).
History of Triple Jump
Triple jump, or the type of jumping game which involves three jumps one after another, has its roots in the Ancient Greek Olympics with records showing athletes achieving distances of more then 15.24 metres or 50 feet. According to the Irish mythology the triple jump or geal ruith was an event contested in the olden Irish Tailteann Games as early as 1829 B.C.
Although in the ancient times the game consisted of two hops on the same foot and then a jump. This game was part of the inaugural 1896 Olympics in Athens. The women`s triple jump was introduced into the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
Technique of Triple Jump
In order to take off the athlete sprints down runway to the takeoff mark, from where the triple jump is measured. The take-off mark is mainly a physical piece of wood or alike material embedded in runway, or a rectangle painted on runaway surface. In modern championships a strip of plasticine, tape, or modelling clay is attached to the board to record athletes overstepping or "scratching" the mark, defined by the trailing edge of the board. There are three phases of the triple jump: the "hop" phase, the "bound" or "skip" phase, and the "jump" phase. These three phases are executed in one continuous sequence
The hop actually starts with athlete jumping from the given mark on one leg and at the end lands with heel first on the runway with the same leg, like a "cycling" movement. The main aim is to hop out, focusing all the momentum forward. During the skip, the athlete immediately jumps with the take off leg and lands on the runway with the opposite leg, covering as much runway as possible. The skip is then followed by a jump, when athlete jumps from that same non-takeoff leg to land in a sand-filled pit. The jump phase is very similar to the long jump. In the long jump process, an athlete must hit the mark with his/her take off leg bringing the opposite leg bent and straight up; both legs must come in front of the athlete when landing inside the sand-filled pit.
With each phase of the triple jump, it gets increasingly higher. However, if during the take off the foot of the athlete lands in front of board, then athlete fouls. The foul is called a "Scratch" or "Missed Jump", where the jumper does not follow proper foot sequence throughout the phases.
