Q 01/05

How many hurdles are there in a standard 110 m, 100 m or 400 m hurdles race?

A) Five

B) Ten

C) Twenty

D) Forty

Answer · why

B) Ten

Ten, whatever the distance. Indoor 60 m races use the first five barriers at exactly the same spacing, so a sprint hurdler's stride pattern never chan...

Q 02/05

The men's sprint hurdles race is 110 m because which country rounded up the British 120 yards in 1888?

A) Germany

B) France

C) Sweden

D) Greece

Answer · why

B) France

France turned 120 yards, which is 109.7 m, into a round 110, and the spare foot was simply added after the last hurdle: the run-in is still that much ...

Q 03/05

What penalty does a hurdler face for accidentally knocking over a hurdle?

A) Disqualification

B) A time penalty

C) No penalty

D) A re-run of the heat

Answer · why

C) No penalty

No penalty applies. The barriers are weighted so that hitting one costs speed, which is punishment enough; only knocking one down on purpose or with a...

Q 04/05

Which American, days after winning the 1992 Olympic 100 m, led the hurdles final until she hit the last barrier?

A) Gwen Torrence

B) Gail Devers

C) Jackie Joyner-Kersee

D) Florence Griffith Joyner

Answer · why

B) Gail Devers

Gail Devers stumbled across the line in fifth and never did win an Olympic hurdles medal, though she took a hat-trick of world titles in the event.

Q 05/05

What design innovation of 1935 made hurdles safer?

A) A padded rubber top bar on each hurdle

B) A hinged spring-loaded hurdle

C) A hurdle with a breakaway crossbar

D) An L-shaped hurdle that tips forward when hit

Answer · why

D) An L-shaped hurdle that tips forward when hit

An L-shaped hurdle that tips forward when hit falls out of the runner's path, which cut injuries, though clipping one still costs speed.