#Event Description and Format -- Track & Field#
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The centerpiece of any Olympics is the track and field
competition, which will take place from September 22-October 1
at Olympic Stadium. 

Forty-six medals will be awarded -- 24 for men and 22 for women.

The competition concludes with the men's marathon.  Almost all
of the events, excluding the marathons, decathlon and
heptathlon, include preliminary rounds or heats with the top
competitors advancing to the finals. 

The first medal awarded will be in the men's 20-kilometer walk
on September 22.  The following evening will include the finals
of the highly-anticipated 100-meter dashes for men and women. 

Other anticipated events include the men's 400 meters, featuring
American Michael Johnson.  The finals of the 400 are on
September 25. 

The decathlon competition involves a combination of 10 track and
field events -- 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400
meters, 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500
meters.  Five events will be contested on September 27 and the
other five on September 28.  A combined point total determines
the winner. 

The counterpart on the women's side is the heptathlon,
consisting of the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200
meters, long jump, javelin and 800 meters.  The events will be
contested on September 23 and 24. 

Individual medals also will be awarded for the men in the 400
meters, 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters,
110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, 3,000-meter steeplechase,
50-kilometer walk, high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put,
discus, javelin and hammer throw.  Team medals will be contested
in the 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay. 

The remaining women's medals are in the 200 meters, 400 meters,
800 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters,
20-kilometer walk (changed from 10 kilometers), marathon,
100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump,
triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, javelin and hammer
throw. Like the men, the women's relays are the 4x100 and 4x400.

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