Arguably, the athletics competition truly reflects the spirit of the ancient Olympics featuring sure to test athletes' abilities in some of the oldest and most popular of the Olympic sports.
Throwing events - discus, hammer, javelin and shot put. 
Jumping events - pole vault, long jump, high jump and triple jump.
Running events - indoor track events, outdoor marathons and road walks.
Combined events - includes the decathlon for men (ten events) and the heptathlon (seven events) for women. Each event takes place over two days.
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics will be held starting August 15 at Beijing National Stadium.
"World's greatest athlete,"
1996 U.S. decathlon
champ Dan O'Brien
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) - Articles on current and past Olympics are not just full of good information, they're actually fun to read. Add to that the news and involved coverage of all the events and all the extras...you've landed on the best site to follow Summer Athletics events. Be sure to check their phenomenal collection of links.
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - The complete overview from Wikipedia with the 2008 schedule, events & venue, plus scroll down for related information, links & resources.
Athletics Weekly - This top British magazine is dedicated to Athletics with a focus on track and field. International coverage does not favor the home country and the articles are insightful as well as informative. Good Olympics coverage.
Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS)] - This site covers marathons, marathoners and issues that are close to the hearts, legs and feet of long distance endurance runners. Olympic coverage is incidental, but you'll find it.
Physics at the Olympics - Interesting discussion and illustration explaining how pole vaulting works with information on its history, pole materials used, and how energy is released at the final jump.
Olympic Discus Throw - General information & fun facts with its history, rules, and a list of famous athletes who have exceled in the event.
The Decathlon in Olympic History - Excellent feature on the Olympic event beginning with the ancient Greeks, and continuing on to modern greats including information & photos on Jim Thorpe, Bruce Jenner, Dave Johnson and Dan O'Brien.
