Ah, the Athletics Carnival. For many of IGS’s athletes, this is the best day of the year. Many different activities for all to enjoy, good times from start to finish, and proven to not only be a sports event but a community one as well. Last Wednesday, that’s exactly what happened.
The day started with the most hardcore arriving on the first buses at the early hour of 8am. The events of the carnival began with the 1500m (1.5km) race, a straight sprint of three full laps of the racetrack. It is also the longest race of the event, making it quite eventful. The javelin event also went into action at around the same time, involving physical strength and agility that actually tests the skill and strategy of the athletes. The discus also occurred, mainly based on strength.
After everyone else arrived, events continued, with each year participating in various events. This included more races: the 100m (by far the most popular) which is a difficult sprint, the 200m which is still mainly a sprint, the 400m which is an event situated around the middle (often needing strategy), and the 800m long-distance.
The school leapers had two competitions of their own, as well, the long jump and high jump. The former involves a run-up followed by a jump, making it a popular all-rounder event that was enjoyed by many, and the latter simply involves strong legs. Both were fan favourites among students, which everyone enjoyed.
Also, and finally, involved in the event were events based on strength such as the shot put, when one throws a heavy metallic sphere as long as they can. It is mostly similar to the discus, apart from the actual shape of the object.
However, as mentioned earlier, the Athletics Carnival is a community event at heart, and that was especially shown this time around. Ms Toohey taking up the DJ role added an element of – of all things – dancing to the carnival, and at one stage, there was even a large dance battle that started with a few Year 12s and ended with around 20 students busting moves.
Speaking of music, another popular event for many was some Year 12 students, including Bamal and Kuyal leaders, creating spontaneous parades while playing music in the background. Multiple times, this caused quite the procession to form. Whether it was the top of the stands or the middle of the racetrack, it was certainly quite the event.
Overall, it was a great time, and many can’t wait for next year. Also awaited are the results of the carnival, it was a tight competition! Good luck next time!
