Relay races are the only team competitions of athletics that can be defined (4 teammates per group); at the Olympic level only 4x100 meters and 4x400 meters are held, but there are different types that can be reproduced in ordinary events.
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The relays are among the disciplines of fast running and consist in getting the "witness" to arrive as quickly as possible; to do this, it is necessary that the 4 participating athletes are faster than the opponents. at each fraction of the distance set, as well as more skilled in the passage of the baton between them.Athletics 4x100 meters relay
The 4x100m relay of athletics provides for the passing of the baton between teammates in a maximum space of 20m, even if the athlete who receives it has the right to start (after running) up to 10m. first of the exchange area (called pre-exchange). The difficulty of the passage is therefore that of making the launched speed of the arriving athlete coincide with that of the departing athlete, making a quick and concise exchange that is free of DECELERATIONS.
The main difficulties of the 4x100m relay are:
- High speed
- Reduced exchange times
- Low possibility of visual inspection
- Need to automate the gesture
The transit should take place in a few milliseconds, passing the baton inside the palm of the moving hand of the receiving athlete (a few cm2). The athlete who receives, for his part, must identify the partner who arrives, target his speed with a signal placed on the ground and accelerate while maintaining the regular attitude; furthermore, while reaching a high speed, he must wait to extend his arm back until the signal of his partner arrives.
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Passing of the baton in the relay races of athletics
There are 3 different techniques of passing the baton, which differ in the positioning of the hand:
- Passage from below
- Passage from above
- Passing in line or pushed (to alternate Italian)
In the Italian alternating technique, the first fractionist (who performs the fraction in the curve) starts with the baton in his hand and performs the curve from the inside; the second (who performs the straight fraction) runs outside the lane and receives the baton on the left hand; the third and fourth fractionists (similarly to the first and second) receive and run respectively one on the right and inside, and the other on the left and outside. The advantages of the alternating Italian technique are: as little space as possible (in the fractions of curves), the precise control of the target and the delivery from the greatest possible distance of the baton.
At high levels, in the 4x100m relay, the delivery of the baton takes place in the second half of the exchange area, with equivalent speeds and distances between the athletes of 1-1.5m. To allow a similar effectiveness it is necessary to identify a reference point (on the track) which, once reached and passed by the arriving athlete, will trigger the receiver which will position itself perfectly in the exchange area. For the reception, the receiver will position himself at the beginning of the pre-change zone (10m before the exchange zone), in the outer half for the 2nd and 4th fractionists and in the inner half for the 1st, observing the teammate. on arrival; the weight of his body is always evenly distributed, with the lower limbs slightly bent, the front foot (right for the 2nd and 4th fractionist and left for the 1st and 3rd fractionist) turned towards the direction of stroke and the outer one rotated slightly outwards. The torso is erect and turned towards the companion with a high gaze over the shoulders in order to effectively estimate the speed of the witness being delivered; the arms are always well coordinated with the legs. As the partner approaches, the legs bend further until the engine is set in motion, which occurs when passing the reference point of the oncoming partner; the receiver will start the start sequence a few moments in advance, turning and starting at the same time without changing the direction of travel.
Among the capabilities of the bearer, not only the maximum speed that can be reached in 100m counts, but also the uniformity of the same up to the passing of the baton; in short, it must be equivalent to the acceleration of the companion who receives. When he arrives at a distance of 2-2.5m, he imposes a voice command on the partner who extends his arm backwards with an open hand and thumb in line, while the other 4 fingers are joined and turned outwards. Men are able to change up to 4-5m from the end of the change zone, while women (who reach the maximum speed proportionally earlier than men) even slightly earlier; to establish the correct moment of the passage it is necessary to carry out many tests and to take into consideration the speed of entry of the witness and the acceleration capacity of the receiver.
Athletics 4x400 meters relay
Unlike the previous one, the 4x400m requires a completely different passing technique; in the changes, the receiving athlete positions himself with his forehead towards the center of the field to scrutinize the entry of his partner and evaluate his speed, moving accordingly. NB. Also in this relay you can earn a lot with an effective change of the baton:
- The athlete entering, after a correctly managed fraction of a run, positions the baton vertically by extending his arm
- The receiver moves by making the start uniform with the speed of the partner, grabbing the baton in the upper part with the left hand and correctly continuing its running line passing the object in the right hand.
We remind you that in this race the change is only 20m and has NO pre-change area; the space is however sufficient to maintain the speed of the witness.
