New Olympic Sports for Women
We’ve got the complete guide to the eight new
women’s events at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Find out more about each event, who
the contenders are, who has qualified from Canada and when to catch each event.
Hammer Throw
Added to the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, as an event for
men only, it has taken a century for women to get the chance to throw the hammer too. The
"hammer" is a nine-pound metal ball attached by wire to a triangular handle. The
athlete stands inside a five-meter-diameter circle and can make as many as three turns
before launching the hammer as far as she can. The athlete with the farthest throw wins
the competition.
Who to watch: Mihaela Melinte of Romania holds the world record with a throw of 249
feet 2 inches.
Canadian qualifiers: No qualifiers yet.
When to catch the event: 22 September - October 1, 2000
Modern Pentathlon
The Modern Pentathlon includes 5 events which are performed
one after the other in a single day. The competition begins with pistol shooting. Each
pentathlete fires 20 times in 40 seconds at a target 10 meters away. Then, she fences in a
round-robin competition. Next she swims 200 meters in a pool, followed by riding an
unfamiliar horse over 15 jumps in a ring. Finally, she runs a 3 km cross-country course.
Legend has it that this event is based on the story of a French cavalry officer who had a
message to deliver and had to surmount many obstacles before finally completing his
mission. We’ll see what kind of a message these women can deliver in Sydney.
Who to watch: The pentathlon world rankings have Janna Dolgacheva-Shubenok from
Belarus in the top spot.
Canadian qualifiers: No qualifiers yet.
When to catch the event: 30 September - 1 October, 2000
Pole Vault
With the quality of the women’s performances and
records being broken constantly, this sport will be a great addition to the Olympic Games.
Perched at 12 feet above the ground, each athlete has three opportunities to clear the
bar. If the vaulter is successful, she continues to the next height. If she fails her
three attempts, she is out of the competition. The vaulter who has cleared the greatest
height wins the event. Pole vaulting requires body control, speed and strength. And
it’s definitely not a sport for someone who is afraid of heights.
Who to watch: World record holders are Emma George of Australia and Stacy Dragila
of the United States both with a jump of 15 feet 1 inch.
Canadian qualifiers: No qualifiers yet.
When to catch the event: 22 September - October 1, 2000
Tae Kwon Do
| In Korean, Tae Kwon Do means "the way of
kicking and punching". There will be four weight classes for women in Sydney: under
49kg, under 57kg, under 67kg and over 67kg. The Tae Kwon Do athlete competes in a single
elimination tournament to decide the gold and silver medallists. Then, all those defeated
by the two finalists move into the second bracket to decide the bronze medallist.
Matches are scored by awarding one point for a legitimate blow and deducting one point for
each penalty. A match consists of three rounds of three minutes with a one minute break
between each round. At the end of the three rounds the athlete with the greatest number of
points wins. |
|
Who to watch: The two powerhouses in
Tae Kwon Do are South Korea and North Korea.
Canadian qualifiers: Dominique Bosshart from Winnipeg Manitoba in over 67kg
When to catch the event: 27-30 September, 2000
Trampoline
Have you ever heard of "baranis",
"rudis" or "fliffis"? Well, get with it because these are the
somersaults and twists that athletes in Sydney will be executing as high as 30 feet above
a trampoline. Athletes can compete in four events: individual trampoline, synchronised
trampoline, double mini-trampoline and tumbling. As in gymnastics, judges rate each
participant’s routine and the athlete with the highest score captures the title.
Who to watch: Ranked #1 in the world is Irina Karavaeva from Russia and
Canada’s Karen Cockburn is currently ranked 7th.
Canadian qualifier: Karen Cockburn from Toronto, Ontario in the individual category
When to catch the event: 22-23 September, 2000
Triathlon
Even though it’s not the grueling
distances of the famous Ironman in Hawaii, the Olympic triathlon course will be demanding.
The triathlete starts with a 1 mile open water swim, then rides her bike for 25 miles and
finishes off with 6.2 miles of running. The best times for women are expected to be just
over two hours.
Who to watch: Strong medal contenders are Loretta Harrop, Michellie Jones and
Jackie Gallagher, all from Australia and respectively ranked 1, 2 and 3 in the world from
the 1999 ITU World Cup Standings.
Canadian qualifier: Sharon Donnelly from Ottawa, Ontario, currently ranked 18th in
the world
When to catch the event: 16 September, 2000 |
|
Water Polo
If you have a 28-minute game, a pool, a yellow ball, 7
players that are not allowed to touch the bottom or the side of the pool, and you add some
shoving and elbowing, what do you have? You have one challenging sport: water polo. Six
teams will compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Who to watch: Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Canada and Italy are ranked as the
top gold medal contenders.
Canadian qualifier: Team Canada qualified!
When to catch the event:16-23 September 2000
Weight Lifting
The sport of weight lifting includes two types of lifts:
the snatch, and the clean and jerk. An acceptable snatch is achieved when the barbell is
lifted from the floor to above the head in one motion. A proper clean and jerk is
accomplished when the weight is brought to the chest, then thrust above the head. The
weight lifter has to hold the weight up in the air with control for about 3 seconds for
the judges to rule it a good lift. Each athlete gets three attempts for each of their two
lifts. The combination of their best snatch and clean and jerk determines the winners.
There are seven weight divisions for women: 48kg, 53kg, 58kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg, more than
75kg.
Who to watch: China is the dominant country but Maria Takacs from Hungary is a
serious contender being the athlete with the most World Championship medals.
Canadian qualifiers: No qualifiers yet.
When to catch the event: 16-26 September, 2000
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