Michael Phelps

. Swimming: 1.5 billion.

Swimming is the most practiced sport in the world, with no less than 1.5
billion people participating. Swimming pools, beaches, rivers, lakes, etc. are
surely the perfect place to practice one of the most complete sports
activities.
Michael Phelps

Michael Fred Phelps II[5] (Baltimore, Maryland, June 30, 1985) is a former
American swimmer.[6] He is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a
total of 28 medals.[7] Phelps also holds the records for most Olympic gold
medals (23), most gold medals in individual events (13), and most Olympic
medals in men's events (15), and is often considered one of the greatest
athletes of all time. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, after winning
eight gold medals, Phelps became the most gold medalist at a single Games.
Five of those medals were in individual events, tying Eric Heiden and Vitaly
Scherbo's record for most individual gold medalists at a single Games. At
the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four gold medals and two
silver medals.

Phelps was born and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of Towson, North
Baltimore.[3] Michael is the youngest of three brothers. His mother, Deborah, was
a high school principal.[9] His father, Michael Fred Phelps, is a retired Maryland
State Trooper who played football in high school and college, and was a tryout
player for the Washington Redskins in the 1970s.[10] His parents divorced in 1994;
his father remarried in 2000.[10] Phelps graduated from Towson High School in
2003.[11] Phelps then announced his retirement, but two years later he returned to
competition to prepare for his fifth Olympic appearance in Rio de Janeiro (2016),
where he crowned his career with six more medals and raised his record to barely
imaginable levels: 28 Olympic medals, 23 of them gold. To appreciate the
magnitude of the achievement, just go down one place in the rankings: the second
most decorated athlete at the Games is Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who
between 1956 and 1964 won "only" 18 medals.

Bow Bowman, the Discoverer of a Talent

Michael Phelps was born on June 30, 1985, in Baltimore, Maryland, into a very
athletic middle-class family. After practicing some typical American sports (baseball
and American football) from a very young age, he began swimming at the age of
seven, encouraged by his sisters, Hilary and Whitney. The latter was the United
States 200-meter butterfly champion in 1994, but a back injury forced her to retire
prematurely. Although young Michael was afraid of water, his biography explains
that he took refuge in swimming pools to avoid hearing the arguments between his
parents, who would soon divorce.

At the age of eleven, coach Bow Bowman crossed paths with him, and he quickly

noticed his innate swimming talent. He began training with him at the North

Baltimore Aquatic Club. In fact, the prestigious coach became like a second father
to him, as he barely maintained a relationship with his biological father, a retired

police officer, after separating from his mother, a former teacher who had worked

as an administrator at the club to which Michael belonged since 1999.

In 2000, barely fifteen years old, Phelps participated in the Sydney Olympic

Games. He earned a commendable diploma by finishing fifth in the 200-meter

butterfly. In 2001, he won his first senior title: the gold medal in the 200-meter

butterfly at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, an event in which he also

set a new world record (1 minute 54.58 seconds), becoming the youngest record

holder in history. In 2002, at the Pan Pacific Games, she won four individual gold

medals and a silver in the 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay.

In 2003, he broke eight world records in forty-one days, several of them of

unprecedented calibre. That year, at the World Championships in Barcelona, he

revealed himself to the world as the most promising swimmer in history, winning, at

just eighteen years of age and individually, three gold medals: the 200m butterfly,

in which he broke the world record in the semifinals (1 minute 53.93 seconds), the
200m medley (1 minute 56.04 seconds, world record), and the 400m medley (4

minutes 9.09 seconds, world record).

To these titles, he added a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly; in the semifinals

of this event, he had also broken the world record (51.10 seconds), but in the final,

he was surpassed by the best swimmer in this style, his compatriot Ian Crocker. He

also won the silver medal in the 4 x 200-meter freestyle as part of the American

quartet. From then on, the nicknames bestowed upon him by journalists became

familiar: "Baltimore Bullet," "Wonder Boy," and "Baltimore Shark."

Olympic Record Holder

At Athens 2004, she won gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly (51.25 seconds),

200-meter butterfly (1 minute 54.04 seconds), 200-meter individual medley (1

minute 57.14 seconds), 400-meter individual medley

(4 minutes 8.26 seconds, world

record), 4 x 200-meter individual medley, and 4 x 100-meter individual medley. She

did not compete in the final, but earned the right to a medal by participating and

winning in the semifinals, as required by the new rules. The then-promising young

American swimmer also won two bronze medals: the 200-meter individual medley

(1 minute 45.32 seconds) and the 4 x 100-meter freestyle.

2. Fútbol: 1,002 millones.
The king of sports is arguably the most popular and followed. And although it falls
behind swimming, it surpasses the 1 billion warriors around the world who gather—
regardless of the type of field—looking to score that goal that explodes with a shout
of joy.
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini, known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine soccer player
who plays as a forward or midfielder. He currently plays for Inter Miami of the MLS
and is captain of the Argentine national team. He was born in Rosario on June 24,
1987.

The rules do not specify any other player positions other than that of goalkeeper,

goalkeeper, or goalkeeper, but over time, a number of positions have developed on

the rest of the field. Broadly speaking, three main categories can be identified:

forwards, whose main task is to score goals; defenders, positioned near their own

goal and trying to stop opposing forwards; and midfielders, or midfielders, who

handle the ball between the previous positions. These players are known as

outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are

further subdivided into the sides of the field where the players spend most of their

time. Thus, for example, there may be right midfielders, central midfielders

(defensive midfielders), and left midfielders. The ten outfield players can be

arranged in any combination. For example, there may be four defenders, four

midfielders, and two forwards (4-4-2); or three defenders, four midfielders and

three forwards (3-4-3), and the number of players in each position determines the

team's playing style: more forwards and fewer defenders (e.g. 3-3-4) will create a
more aggressive and attacking game, while the opposite (e.g. 5-3-2) will generate

a slower and more defensive game. Although players usually stay in one position

for most of the time, there are few restrictions on their movement on the field. The

layout of the players on the pitch is called the team's formation, and this, along with

tactics, is the job of the coach.

(Lionel Andrés Messi; Rosario, Santa Fe, 1987) Argentine footballer. Possessed of

exceptional technical ability, devilish speed, and inexhaustible inventiveness, since

arriving at F.C. Barcelona with his parents at the age of 13, he had a dizzying

career through the different categories until reaching the first team, where he

debuted at just 16 in a friendly match against Porto. In 2004, at the age of 17, Leo

Messi played his first official match in the Spanish League. At 18, he reached

international fame: he was part of the Argentine national team, champions at the U-

20 World Cup in Holland in 2005.

But his true breakthrough came with the arrival of Pep Guardiola to the Barça

dugout: during the four seasons the coach led the team (2008-2012), his scoring

stats reached stratospheric levels, decisively contributing to Barça's best-ever

period, winning 14 out of a possible 18 titles. Unanimously considered the best

footballer of the moment, his individual talent has been recognized five times with

the Ballon d'Or (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015).

Biography

Known as Leo or Pulga, his immense quality was already evident when he was five

years old, playing for the neighborhood club in his hometown, managed by his

father, a metalworker. He was further confirmed when, at the age of seven, he

began playing in the youth divisions of Newell's Old Boys in Rosario.

At the age of 10, just as he was about to join River Plate in Buenos Aires, he was

diagnosed with delayed bone development caused by low levels of growth

hormones. Medical treatment was very expensive, clubs unwilling to provide it, and

his father, lacking the necessary financial resources, decided to emigrate with his

family to Barcelona, where a job opportunity had arisen. In September 2000, Leo

Messi was trialing for F.C. Barcelona. Coach Carles Rexach was impressed by his

football talent and, as the story goes, signed him to the club, which took care of the

boy's treatment. Messi was thirteen years old at the time and stood 1.40 meters

tall.

From that moment on, Messi would train at La Masia, the training center of the

Barça youth system, where he came through the different categories (Infantil A,

Cadete B, Cadete A, Juvenil A, Barça C and Barça B) before reaching the first

team, already during the era of president Joan Laporta. Although he participated in

the friendly between FC Barcelona and FC Porto in the opening match of the

Estadio do Dragão (November 16, 2003), his official debut in the first division with

the Barça shirt took place on October 16, 2004 in Montjuïc, in the classic derby

with Espanyol de Barcelona.

The rest is recent history. At 17, La Pulga scored his first professional goal for
Barça in a match against Albacete, becoming the youngest player on the
Blaugrana team to score in the Spanish League. During that 2004-2005 season,
injuries to some of the first-team stars and his brilliant performance in the reserve
team made him a regular in the squad and helped him win the league title, his first.
But the striker's progression had only just begun. The 2005-2006 season, after a
great debut in the Joan Gamper Trophy against Juventus, was undoubtedly a good
campaign, although a muscle injury kept him out of the game in the final stretch of
the competition. He was on display at the Santiago Bernabéu in a memorable 3-0
victory over Real Madrid, and at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League round
of 16 against Chelsea. Frank Rijkaard's team's season-ending results couldn't have
been better: they won the Spanish Super Cup, La Liga, and the Champions
League, their second ever.

Here's a summary of his career:

• Early life:
He began playing for the Grandoli club and later joined the youth divisions of
Newell's Old Boys.
• Growth hormone deficiency:
At age 13, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, which led his
family to move to Spain so he could receive treatment.
• Barcelona:
He joined Barcelona's youth academy (La Masía) in 2000 and made his first-team
debut in 2003, scoring his first professional goal in 2005.
• Success at Barcelona:
He became one of the most important players in the club's history, winning
numerous titles and individual awards.
• Inter Miami:
In 2023, he moved to Inter Miami of the MLS.
• Argentina National Team:
He is the captain of the Argentina national team and has won numerous titles with
them, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
3. Voleibol: 998 millones.

Volleyball is a sport in which two teams of six players each compete on a court

divided by a net or mesh over which they must pass a ball until it touches the

ground of the opponent's court to score a goal.

Therefore, the objective of volleyball is to score points by passing the ball to the

opponent's court, which the opposing team will try to prevent through defensive

plays such as touches, attacks, or blocks.

It is worth mentioning that the ball can be propelled with any part of the body

through clean hits. However, the hands and forearms are generally used. During

the game, the ball cannot be held or retained.

History of Volleyball

Volleyball is a sport created by William George Morgan in 1895, when he was a

teacher and sports coach at the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) in

Holyoke, Massachusetts (United States).

Morgan saw the need to create an alternative, lower-intensity physical activity to

basketball, a sport created by his colleague James Naismith in 1891, which could

be played by both young people and adults indoors and outdoors. Thus, volleyball

was born, known as mintonette.

To create it, Morgan took into account all the sports techniques he already knew

and practiced with his students. His goal was to create a team game for training

and competition, and thus he established both its first rules and the elements of the

game.

In 1896, Morgan gave the first public presentation of volleyball at a conference of

various YMCA associations. From that moment on, volleyball gained wide

acceptance and began to spread to various countries.

Initially, volleyball was practiced exclusively by men, but over the years, women's

volleyball was also included.

Today, volleyball has an international governing body, the International Volleyball

Federation (FIVB), founded in 1947. It defines its regulations and organizes various

activities related to the sport.

The first world championships were held in 1949 for the men's category and in

1952 for the women's category. Beach volleyball joined the FIVB in 1986 and the

Olympic Games in 1996.

Although it may seem incredible, 998 million people worldwide practice volleyball,
regardless of the sport and location, from the beach to the stadium. And more and
more people are joining the sport.
Bartosz Kurek was born in Wałbrzych, but grew up in Nysa, Poland. His father,
Adam Kurek, was also a volleyball player, capped several times for Poland. Kurek
played basketball in his early youth, but later moved on to volleyball. He has a
younger brother, Jakub. Kurek and his brother appeared together in a Polish
television commercial for Zott Monte yogurt.

Bartosz Kurek is a highly acclaimed professional volleyball player originally from

Poland. Born on August 29, 1988, in Wałbrzych, Poland, Kurek has earned a name
for himself as one of the most talented and skilled athletes in the world of
volleyball. Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, Kurek is known for his powerful spikes,
strong serves, and exceptional athleticism on the court.
Kurek 's volleyball career began at a young age, showing immense talent and
promise from the outset. He quickly rose through the ranks and made his
professional debut in 2005, playing for the Polish team Espadon Szczecin. Since
then, Kurek has played for several top-tier clubs in Poland and abroad, including
ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Halkbank Ankara, and Itas Trento, among others.
Throughout his career, Kurek has achieved numerous accolades and milestones,
including being named the Most Valuable Player at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's
World Championship, where he led the Polish national team to a historic gold
medal victory. Known for his leadership, determination, and unwavering dedication
to the sport, Kurek remains a dominant force in the world of volleyball, captivating
audiences with his electrifying performances on the court. With his exceptional
skills and passion for the game, Kurek has solidified his status as one of the
brightest stars in the world of volleyball, earning the respect and admiration of fans,
teammates, and opponents alike.
What kind of personality is Bartosz Kurek?

INFJs, as individuals, tend to have a strong sense of intuition and empathy, which
they use to understand people and decipher what they are thinking or feeling. This
ability to read people can make INFJs appear clairvoyant, and they can often
understand people better than they understand themselves.
INFJs may also be interested in advocacy work or humanitarian efforts. Whatever
career they choose, INFJs always want to feel they are positively impacting the
world. They crave genuine friendships. They are low-key companions who make
life easier by promising to be there just a phone call away, offering companionship.
Their ability to decipher people's motives helps them identify those few who will fit
into their small group. INFJs are excellent confidants who enjoy helping others
succeed. With their rigorous minds, they set high standards for their work. Good
enough isn't enough unless they have witnessed the most optimal possible
conclusion. These people aren't afraid to challenge the existing status quo.
External value holds no meaning for them compared to the true inner workings of
the mind.
What Enneagram Type is Bartosz Kurek?
Bartosz Kurek is an Enneagram personality type One with a Nine wing, or 1w9.
Introverted and quiet, 1w9s are thinkers. They consider what they say before
speaking to avoid making a bad impression that could tarnish their image and
damage their relationships. 1w9s are independent, but they also value being part
of a group. They desire to make a difference in the world and be remembered by
others for their positive contributions.

Kurek began his career with Nisa (2004–2005), where he played alongside his
father. He then spent three years playing for a PlusLiga club, Zaksa Kędzierzyn-
Koźle (2005–2008).

In 2008, he moved to Skra Bełchatów, one of the most successful teams in the
Polish PlusLiga, where he quickly became a key player. With PGE Skra, he won
the Polish Championship three times in 2008–2009, 2009–2010, and 2010–2011,
and a silver medal in 2011–2012. He won the Polish Cup three times—in 2009,
2011, and 2012. He also has two silver medals from the Club World

Championship, in 2009 and 2010. In 2010 Skra Bełchatów, with Bartosz Kurek,
won the CEV Champions League bronze medal. On 18 March 2012 PGE Skra won
the CEV Champions League silver medal after losing to Zenit Kazan in the final in
Łódź, Poland. The final result was judged controversial by some, as the referee
failed to see an error by a Russian player and ended the match despite the crowd
and players seeing the mistake on screen. Kurek was awarded the 2011–12 CEV
Champions League Best Forward.
4. Baloncesto: 400 millones.

What is basketball?
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of players compete against each
other to score the ball into the opposing team's hoop . The team with the
most goals or " baskets " wins the game.

, with a hoop at each end suspended about three meters high. Each time a team
makes a basket, they score points. Each basket has a different score depending
on the location on the court from which the shot is made.

Basketball is one of the most widely practiced sports today, played by men's
and women's teams, both professionally and amateurly. The most recognized
basketball league is the NBA, a private American league that includes teams like
the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls. There are also other variations of
the sport, such as wheelchair basketball, streetball , and 3x3 basketball.

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is the governing body for the sport
worldwide and is responsible for organizing official competitions. Basketball has
been an Olympic sport since 1936 .

See also: Volleyball

Characteristics of basketball
The main characteristics of basketball are:

 Objective . The objective of the game is to put the ball through the opposing
team's hoop as many times as possible to accumulate points. The team with
the most points at the end of the game wins.
 Scoring . Each basket is worth one score, but baskets are worth different
points depending on where on the court the shot is made. A basket is worth two
 points if made inside the three-point line (6.75 m from the hoop), three points if
made from long distance , and one point if made from a free throw.
 Playing field . The basketball court is a rectangle measuring 28 meters by 15
meters and has a basket at each end.
 Duration . The game lasts four periods of ten minutes each, with the possibility
of a five-minute overtime in the event of a tie.
 Teams . Two teams of up to twelve players each compete against each other.
Only five players from a team can be on the court at a time.
 Referees . During the match, the following are involved: a head referee, an
assistant referee, and the table umpires. The referee's job is to start and end
the match, issue penalties, and supervise the game.

Rules of basketball

Each team has a maximum

of twelve players, but only five are on the court at any one time.
The rules of basketball are developed and modified by FIBA (the International
Basketball Federation) . In some cases, these rules differ from those used in
leagues such as the NBA (National Basketball Association) or the WNBA
(Women's National Basketball Association).

International basketball is governed by the following fundamental rules:

Game

 Basketball court

The basketball court is rectangular in shape and must be level and free of
obstacles. It measures 15 meters wide by 28 meters long and is divided into two
sections by a line in the middle, within which is a circle 3.6 meters in diameter.

At each end of the court is a hoop, suspended about 3 meters above the ground,
which is located in a semicircular area measuring 4.9 x 8.32 meters and which
separates the 2-point shooting area from the 3-point shooting area.
 Basket

The basketball hoop consists of a ring (with a net) into which the ball is introduced
to score. The hoop is attached to the backboard, which measures 1.05 m high by
1.80 m long. The hoop must be located 3.05 m above the ground, and its rim must
be made of steel and attached to the net at twelve points.

 Ball

The basketball is spherical in shape, and its size varies according to the category
and type of game. Men's professional basketballs measure between 75 and 78 cm,
and women's professional basketballs measure between 72 and 74 cm.

These balls have a high bounce rate and are usually made of a bladder covered in
materials such as leather, rubber, or other synthetic materials with a rough surface.
The most common color for basketballs is orange, but they come in many colors,
including black, white, blue, and red.

 Dress

Basketball players have a uniform that usually consists of a numbered sleeveless

(or short-sleeved; long-sleeved shirts are not allowed) jersey, shorts, and
sneakers.

Basketball Fundamentals

A player can make a pass to deliver the

ball to a teammate.
Basketball has three basic foundations:

 The bounce or dribble

The entire time a player has the ball, they must dribble it against the ground. This
movement is performed with one hand and in a controlled manner, allowing the
player to simultaneously walk or run. The dribble cannot be performed with both
hands, nor can the player advance without doing so. When the player stops, they
must either pass or take two steps to attempt a shot at the hoop.
 The passes

Passing is the act of effectively and accurately delivering the ball to a teammate
through a variety of movements. Opponents may attempt to break up a pass and
take possession of the ball. The main passes in basketball are: the chest pass, the
backhand pass, the bounce pass (dribbling once on the floor), the overhead pass,
and the alley-oop (shooting near the basket for a teammate to score).

 The shots

A shot consists of throwing the ball into the hoop, which results in a score. Shots
can be:


 Jump shot . This involves shooting the ball into the basket after rising
into the air.
 Standing shot . This involves shooting the ball toward the hoop while
standing.
 Free throw . This involves shooting the ball from the free throw line after
a foul and without jumping.
 Layup shot . This involves shooting the ball toward the hoop while
running, taking a maximum of two steps without bouncing the ball.
 Dunk shot . This involves jumping and putting the ball into the hoop by
touching or hanging from the hoop.
 Hook shot . This involves shooting at the rim, either with both hands or
with just one hand, using it as a hook in the air.

 In a match, two teams of twelve players each compete against each other.
 The game begins with a jump ball between two players from both teams in the
center of the court.
 Teams may make as many substitutions as they wish.
 Once a team has possession of the ball, it will have 24 seconds to attempt a
shot at the basket.
 A player may not remain in the restricted area of the opponent's hoop for more
than three seconds for the attack.
 The player may not dribble, stop, and then continue dribbling. In this case, he
has two steps to attempt a shot at the hoop or pass the ball to a teammate.
 Once a team crosses the halfway line, they cannot go back.

Faults

 Illegal contact between opponents is considered a personal foul and carries

individual and collective penalties.
 A player can commit five fouls in a match.
 A team is only allowed four fouls in each quarter. If this number is exceeded,
the opposing team will be awarded two free throws.
 Free throws are also awarded when a player is fouled during the shot.

Score

 The team with the highest score wins; scoring is achieved by shooting the ball
into the opposing team's hoop.
 A basketball game cannot end in a tie, so successive five-minute overtime
periods are awarded at the end of the game until one team takes the lead.
 Baskets are worth three points when the shot is made from outside the three-
point line, two points when the shot is made from inside the three-point line, and
one point when the shot is a free throw.

Time

 The game lasts four ten-minute periods, with the possibility of a five-minute
overtime in the event of a tie. In the NBA, quarters last twelve minutes each.
 Time stops whenever the ball is not in play.
 A timeout is a one-minute period that either coach can call for his team to
gather on the bench.

Basketball was a must-have on this list. It can be played year-round and is one of
the most popular sports, with more than 400 million players worldwide.
Stephen Curry
(March 14, 1988 - )

American basketball player

One of the best NBA players of his generation.
NBA Draft: 1st round (7th pick), 2009 by the Golden State Warriors
Position: Point Guard
Parents: Dell Curry and Sonya Curry
Spouse: Ayesha Alexander (d. 2011)
Children: Riley, Ryan, Canon
Name: Wardell Stephen Curry II
Height: 1.91 m

Stephen Curry was born on March 14, 1988, in Akron, Ohio, USA.

Parents
Son of Dell Curry, a former NBA player, and Sonya Curry, a volleyball player. He
wears the same jersey number, 30, as his father when he played in the NBA. His
brother Seth was an NBA player, and his sister Sydel was a volleyball player.

He grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, where his father played basketball.

Education
Stephen Curry studied elementary education at Montessori School. He later
attended Queensway Christian College in Ontario from 2001 to 2002, playing on
the seventh and eighth grade basketball team.

He completed his secondary education at Charlotte Christian High School, where

he won the conference three times. He wrote Christian verses on his sneakers,
reflecting his faith.
5. Tenis: 300 millones.
Some 300 million people enjoy tennis on all surfaces: cement, clay, and grass. The
wide range of options allows players to play tennis anywhere, anytime of the year.

Roger Federer (born in Basel, August 8, 1981) is a former Swiss tennis player,
considered one of the greatest of all time.

He has won 20 Grand Slam tournaments, a figure that places him third in the list of
achievements, only surpassed by the Serbian Novak Djokovic (24) and the
Spaniard Rafael Nadal (22). He managed to win the Australian Open six times, the
Roland Garros Tournament once, the Wimbledon Championship eight times (being
the tennis player who has achieved this most times in history) and the US Open
five times. He managed to conquer the ATP Finals six times, which makes him the
most successful player in the history of the tournament after Novak Djokovic (7).
He is in third position, after Novak Djokovic (40) and Rafael Nadal (36) as the
player with the most Masters 1000 titles in individual modality, with 28; and ahead
of other famous tennis players such as the Czech Ivan Lendl (22) and the
Americans John McEnroe (19), Jimmy Connors (17), and Andre Agassi (17).
He was world number 1 for a total of 310 weeks, a figure surpassed only by Novak
Djokovic. He holds the record for the most consecutive weeks as world number 1,
with 237. He has also finished the year as world number 1 five times, the same
number as Rafael Nadal and Jimmy Connors, and behind only Pete Sampras's six
years and Novak Djokovic's eight.
Tennis is a sport played between two players (singles) or between two pairs
(doubles).

The main objective of the game is to throw a ball by hitting it with the racket so that
it bounces on the other side passing the net within the allowed limits of the
opponent's court, ensuring that he cannot return it to get a second bounce on the
ground and give him a point.

Etymology
The Spanish word "tenis" comes from the English word "tennis" , which in turn
comes from the French word "tenez" . [ 3 ] When a tennis player (called a "tenista")
put the ball in play, he would exclaim "tenuz!" ("there it goes!" in French). [ 4 ]
History
Grass track in the USA, 1887.

The first references to tennis were in France , known as "le Paume" ('clapping
game'), since the ball was initially hit with the hand. Later, rackets began to be
used.

Lawn tennis in Canada, c. 1900

The original game of tennis was played on natural grass courts . It originated in
Europe in the late 18th century [ citation needed ] and initially spread to English-speaking
countries, especially among their upper classes .

Today, tennis has become globalized and is practiced primarily in the West . It has
been a professional sport since the creation of the first tour in 1926. It has also
been an Olympic sport since the 1896 Athens Olympic Games .

Tennis Rules

 A player may only hit the ball once per turn. However, if they win a point, they
may hit it again if it is their turn to serve.
 The game features an unusual scoring system: the first point will count as 15
points, the second as 30 points, and the third as 40 points. If the score is tied at
40 points, it is considered a tie (deuce), and players must score two points to
win the game.
 The match is won with 2 sets or 3 sets depending on whether it is played best
of 3 or best of 5.
 The ball can only bounce once before being hit by the player.
 No player may touch the net; this will be considered a point lost for that player.
 Players change sides of the court throughout the match, in certain games, at
the end of the first, third, fifth game and sometimes there is a sixth game, this is
due to the score of the match.
Court measurements

Tennis court measurements .

Main article: Tennis court
Tennis is played on a rectangular court (called a "court" in Spain), 23.77 meters
(78 feet) long by 8.23 meters (27 feet) wide. For doubles, the court is 10.97 meters
(36 feet) wide.

The lines marking the ends of the court are called baselines, and the lines marking
the sides of the court are called sidelines. On either side of the net and parallel to
it, two lines are drawn between the sidelines at a distance of 6.40 m from the net.

These lines are called service lines. On each side of the net, the area between the
service line and the net is divided by a center service line into two equal parts
called service boxes. The center service line is drawn parallel to and equidistant
from the singles sidelines.
Each baseline is divided in two by a 10 cm long center mark, drawn inside the
court and parallel to the singles sidelines. The center service line and the center
mark are 5 cm wide. The other court lines are between 2.5 and 5 cm wide, except
for the baselines, which can be up to 10 cm wide. All court measurements are
taken from the outside of the lines. All court lines must be the same color so that
they contrast clearly with the surface color.

Tennis can be played on a variety of surfaces; we already know the first one on
which tennis was first played: natural grass. Other surfaces have also become
more popular over time, such as hard courts, clay courts, and quick courts. The
latter are chosen for opening clubs because they are the most affordable.
Currently, there are no professional competitions held on these surfaces.

The tennis courts that have the highest maintenance costs are clay courts,
followed by natural grass.

(Basel, 1981) Swiss tennis player. Roger Federer

was born on August 8, 1981, on the banks of the Rhine, in the capital of the canton
of Basel, on the border between Switzerland and Germany. The son of Lynette and
Robert Federer, she South African, he Swiss, his father, who until he became his
manager, earned a good living as a representative of a pharmaceutical company.

Roger, however, grew up in a farming and ranching environment on the outskirts of

Basel. As a result, he's a down-to-earth guy who doesn't feel at home among
executives in suits and briefcases.

First steps on the courts

He grew up with the image of two great champions at the All Tennis Club, Stefan
Edberg and Boris Becker, in his memory when he watched the Wimbledon final
between the two on television in 1989. He picked up his first racket at the age of
eight, but football and ice hockey kept him indecisive until he was fourteen, when
he joined the Swiss Tennis Federation, where he had a really hard time because
he was subjected to intense training on clay courts.

At that time, he had an unbearable temper, so much so that when he trained at the
high-performance centers of Ecubles, in the German region, or Bienne, in France,
he broke countless rackets and threw them on the ground when he missed a shot.
Roger Federer

Then he met Swedish coach Peter Lindgren, who tamed him until he could control
his anger. As a result, and thanks to his excellent serve and volley, he soon began
winning local and national tournaments. He concluded his junior career in 1997,
winning the Orange Bowl against Argentine Guillermo Coria. It was his first year in
the ATP, where he began ranked 700th in the world, having been named the "Best
Junior" of the year.

In 1998, at just seventeen years old, he made his debut as a full ATP professional.
That year, he played only five matches, but finished at number 302 in the rankings,
having climbed 398 places in just one year. The following year can be considered
his true debut on the world tour, as he played in several important tournaments,
including Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Miami, and Monte Carlo. After the 1999
season, he was ranked number 64 in the ATP rankings.

The year 2000 was also a year of learning, especially looking in the mirror of his
modern idol, Pete Sampras , although the Swiss is a more versatile player because
he adapts better to all types of surfaces, including clay. That season, he already
began to make it through the early rounds and even reached the round of 16 at
Roland Garros.
Unstoppable rise

6. Bádminton: 200 millones.

What is badminton?
Badminton is a racket sport played individually or in pairs, in which each team
stands on opposite sides of a net suspended in the air and takes turns
hitting a projectile called a shuttlecock over it , without letting it touch the
ground. It is an Olympic sport (since 1992), widely practiced in Europe and Asia ,
the latter being the continent that hosts the greatest number of world champions.

, sports in which a point is scored when the opponent fails in his attempt to pass
the ball to the other side, with the exception that in badminton the game is not
played with a ball, but with a shuttlecock, which is a hemisphere surrounded at
its base by plastic feathers .

Badminton competitions are typically held in five categories: men 's and women's
singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles (i.e., one male and one
female athlete).

It may be useful to you: Olympic Games

History of bádminton

Badminton takes its name from the Duke of Beaufort's estate in

Gloucestershire, England, called "Badminton House ." It was there that it was
first played in the way it is played today. Its roots, however, can be traced back to
Greece, China, and especially India, where it was known as Poona and passed on
to the British colonial forces during the 19th century.

It was the British who popularised the sport in Europe, after organising the first
purely British badminton tournament in 1899. By the beginning of the 20th
century, badminton was already popular in Western countries such as Denmark,
the United States and Canada, and various national leagues had been established,
such as the Badminton World Federation (originally the International Badminton
Federation), whose first world championship was held in 1977.

Badminton first appeared at the Olympics in 1988 as an exhibition sport, and

in 1992 as an Olympic sport , both in individual and same-sex pairs categories.
Mixed competition wasn't allowed until 1996. Currently, Asian athletes (China,
Indonesia, and South Korea) hold the majority of titles and medals in this sport.

Basic rules and playing field

Badminton is played indoors , as wind can affect

the shuttlecock's movements . The court is approximately 13.4 meters long by
5.18 meters wide (slightly larger for pairs) and has a net in the middle,
approximately 1.55 meters high. The court is delimited by the outer lines on the
side and back, and there are two service areas at each end, i.e., two per team.

Each player must handle their own racket, which they must use to hit the
shuttlecock over the net. The serve is performed diagonally , as in ping-pong,
and the receiving player must be at the other end of the same imaginary diagonal
line. Furthermore, the serve must be made below the waist. From there, players
must hit the shuttlecock in such a way as to hold it in the air and try to make
it land in their opponent's court .

To play badminton it is essential to have:

 Rackets . Unlike rackets used in other sports, badminton rackets are very light
(between 70 and 100 grams without strings), and are generally made of carbon
fiber. They have an oval head and a long handle, and the strings are usually
nylon, between 0.65 and 0.73 millimeters.
 Shuttlecocks . Shuttlecocks, also known as feathers, are made of synthetic
materials and have a streamlined, pyramidal shape. This causes them to
always spin when struck, so that the semicircle (made of cork with a leather
cover) at the tip is first, allowing them to be struck again.
 Footwear . Badminton athletes wear specific, lightweight footwear with little
lateral support, as lateral movements are powerful and common in this sport.

Racket strokes
Badminton allows for a wide variety of basic shots, both
forehand and backhand , with the exception of the serve, which is performed
exclusively with the forehand. However, depending on the player's position on the
court and the height of the shuttlecock relative to the net, the following racket shots
can be distinguished:

 Groundstrokes . When at the end of the playing court, players always hit the
shuttlecock above their heads, either to lift (throw the shuttlecock into the back
of the opponent's court), smash (heavy diving hits to direct the shuttlecock to
the ground on the opponent's court), clear (overhand hits to clear the
shuttlecock out of their own court), or touch (softer hits to land the shuttlecock
near the net on the opponent's court).
 Half-court shots . Typically, players in this position will always look for a spike
(a diving shot toward the opponent's court), either normal or jumping.
 Defensive shots . These shots generally occur near the net and are intended
to respond to a spike or a hit. In this case, there are three options: a block with
your own racket, a lift to prevent the shuttlecock from touching the ground, or a
tense shot or drive .

Badminton scoring
In badminton , a point is earned each time an opponent fails to hit the
shuttlecock over the net , either by hitting the ground first, or by hitting the net or
leaving the court after being hit. Each match consists of three sets of 21 points
each , and the team that wins two sets is declared the outright winner.

If a team wins the first two sets, a third set need not be played. If the score is tied
at 20 points, the game will continue until a team gains a 2-point advantage . If
the score reaches 29 points without this happening, the set will be decided by
sudden death: whoever scores the next point wins.

When either team reaches 11 points, both teams will take a one-minute break.

Records and championships

Badminton is the fastest racket sport in

the world.
Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world, with the shuttlecock typically
reaching speeds in excess of hundreds of kilometers per hour. In fact, the fastest
smash in history was achieved by Chinese athlete Fu Haifeng in 2005,
reaching a speed of 332 kilometers per hour . This is quite impressive,
considering that modern measuring devices register a maximum of 350 km/h.

Regarding championships, badminton is contested internationally in two major

tournaments: the International Olympic Games and the Badminton World
Championships . In addition to these major competitions, there is a prestigious
British championship held since 1899 in Birmingham, England, known as the All
England Championship . There are also three other important international cups
held by category: the Thomas Cup (men only), the Uber Cup (women only), and
the Sudirman Cup (mixed).

Depending on the region of the world, it is more or less popular. In Southeast Asia,
it is a true mass phenomenon.
Peter Høeg Gade (Aalborg, December 14, 1976) is a Danish athlete who
competed in badminton, in the individual category.

He won five medals at the Badminton World Championships between 1999 and
2011, and five gold medals at the European Badminton Championships between
1998 and 2010.[1]

He participated in four Summer Olympics, finishing fourth in Sydney 2000, fifth in

Athens 2004, fifth in Beijing 2008, and fifth in London 2012.
Gade made badminton history with his singles title at the 1999 All England Open
Badminton Championships and his five crowns at the European Men's Singles

Championship. He topped the world rankings from 1998 to 2001. With his 22
Grand Prix titles, he has become one of the most successful players in the sport.
On June 22, 2006, he briefly regained the top spot in the world rankings. He
achieved this after winning the Singapore Open and reaching the quarterfinals of
the Malaysian Open.
With his defeat in the quarterfinals of the 2012 French Open, Gade retired from
international competition.

7. Béisbol: 65 millones
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played on a field by two teams against each other.
In baseball, a player from one team throws a small, round ball to a player on the
other team, who tries to hit it with a bat. The player who hits the ball then has to run
around the field. Players score runs by running in a complete circle around three
spots on the ground called bases, to return to where they started, called home
plate. They have to do this without being caught by players from the other team.
Baseball began in the United States in the 1700s and 1800s. Many people in North
America, South America, and East Asia play baseball, but the sport is best known
in the United States and Japan. In the U.S., baseball is known as the national
pastime because many people in the United States used to spend a lot of time
playing or watching baseball games. Today, however, most Americans follow
football more than baseball, especially when the Super Bowl comes around.
Player positions in baseball
Pitcher.
Catcher.
First baseman.
Second baseman (although he is known as the second baseman, he does the
same job as the shortstop, standing between second and first).
Third baseman.
Shortstop, shortstop (Short stop, player who is located between third and second,
and who also defends second base).
Left fielder or left fielder.
Center fielder or center fielder.
Right fielder or right outside fielder (Right fielder).
Designated hitter (a baseball position used by some leagues, which allows a player
to be selected to bat in place of the pitcher, but does not occupy any defensive
position on the field).
How is baseball played?
A baseball game is divided into nine periods, each called an inning. The team that
scores the most runs over the nine innings wins the game.
The game begins when a player, called the pitcher, throws the ball to the opposing
team's batter, who attempts to hit (hit) the ball into the infield. Players score runs by
hitting the ball and running around a series of bases before being tagged out by an
opposing team's infielder.

What is the history of baseball?

Baseball is one of the most popular and widely practiced sports in the West,
especially in the Americas, and ranks alongside soccer and tennis among the most
widely broadcast on international television. This Olympic sport 's origins are
uncertain, although its modern variant originated in the United States in the
19th century .

There is documentary evidence that, since the very beginning of human civilization,
the idea of playing a game of hitting a ball with a stick has been present. This, of
course, doesn't mean that baseball was also present, but it does mean
that its origins date back thousands of years before the Christian era: in ancient
Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Persian societies, similar rituals existed as part of
religious ceremonies.

It is assumed that these practices were emulated by the Saracen peoples of the
time. In later centuries, they were reintroduced to the West thanks to the Muslim
invasions, which were in close contact with Europe between the 12th and 15th
centuries.

Thanks to this influence, similar games emerged, such as jai alai (or fronton),
cricket, and possibly earlier variants of baseball, such as the 17th-century English
"Stool Ball" or "Bat and Ball," which was soon imitated in the American colonies . It
is believed that this is how "Rounders" was born in English America, a sport quite
similar to baseball that was played in what would later become the United States
for almost 100 years.

The first formal references to baseball as a sport emerged in 18th-century

England , in numerous publications aimed at children and young people,
which were later imitated in Germany, possibly because the sport was
already being played there. In fact, it was in that European country in 1796
that the first compiled rules of baseball were published .

However, it was in the United States where the sport gained great
importance . The first mention of baseball in this country is a reference in the diary
of Private George Ewing, in 1778, where he states that he “played base”; or the
prohibition of playing “…games called Wicket, Cricket, Base Ball, Football, Cat,
Fives, or any other ball game” in the town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1791, to
protect the windows of the Assembly House.

Modern baseball also originated there, when surveyor and military officer Abner
Doubleday designed the sport's typical diagonal layout for the first time in
1839 in the city of Cooperstown, where the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame
and sports museum are located today. Or so some say.

More formally, however, modern baseball was born with the 1845 publication
of the rules of the game as played by the New York Knickerbockers Base Ball
Club, the first in history . This publication was the work of Alexander Cartwright,
who had headed the team since 1842, and it compiled the initial 20 rules of the
game from which the variant of the sport we play today was born.

Those were, in turn, the rules of the first official modern baseball game in
history, on June 19, 1846 , when the Knickerbockers faced the New York Club,
on the so-called "Champs Elysees" in Hoboken, New Jersey. At that time, the sport
had begun to be called the "New York Game," or the New York game, until, after
the Civil War, it was renamed baseball .
As the sport and players' clubs flourished across the United States, the first
Players' Association was also born, holding its last meeting in 1871, giving rise to
the National Association of Professional Baseball Players, considered the first
players' league in the world, comprised of 23 different teams.

However, a lack of funding and travel difficulties ultimately led to the collapse of the
league, paving the way for the National Professional Baseball League, which
emerged in 1876 and still exists today. It's important to note that it did not accept
black players, and separate leagues were created for them, the so-called "Negro
Leagues," which existed until 1960.

The so-called "Major Leagues" expanded from then on and gained international
renown, causing numerous similar variants to emerge in Latin American countries
such as Mexico (whose first game was played in 1847), Panama (1850), Cuba
(1878), Venezuela (1890) or Puerto Rico (1896).

Thus, throughout the 20th century, baseball began to be played internationally

in the Baseball World Cup (founded in 1938) and the Summer Olympic
Games (among which it would finally be accepted in 1992), among many other
championships and tournaments dedicated to this sport.

Es un deporte muy arraigado, en países como: Estados Unidos, del caribe,

Centroamérica, Sudamérica y Japón. El béisbol cuenta con más de 500 millones
de seguidores y de estos, 65 millones lo practican habitualmente.

Mookie Betts (born October 7, 1992, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.) is an American

professional baseball player known for his all-around play, winning multiple Silver
Slugger and Gold Glove awards. He won World Series titles with the Boston Red
Sox (2018) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2020).
Early life and minor league career
8. Balonmano: 18 millones
Handball
We explain what handball is, its rules, and its most notable players. We also tell
you about the history of the sport.

Hear
3 min. reading

Handball is a team sport of European origin.

What is handball?
Handball, also known as handbol, is a sport of European origin in which two teams
compete for control of the ball, which they must dribble toward the opposing
goal using their hands . Its dynamics are similar to those of soccer , except that
the use of feet to control the ball is not permitted.

×
players on the court , depending on the game, one of whom acts as their team's
goalkeeper. In addition, each team usually has a similar number of substitutes,
who can replace the active players at any time. The team that puts the ball in the
opponent's goal the most times throughout the game, i.e., scores the most goals,
wins. If there is no winner, a tie may be declared.

In its seven-player version (indoors), handball is an Olympic sport, meaning

it participates in the International Olympic Games , although its practice is not
widespread worldwide compared to other traditional sports. The world body that
oversees handball activities and championships is the International Handball
Federation ( IHF ), based in Basel, Switzerland, which coordinates the various
regional associations and confederations of this sport.

See also: Types of sport

History of handball
Handball is a relatively new sport, whose formal rules were established at the
beginning of the 20th century. However, there are very similar antecedents, some
as far back as ancient times, such as the "Uranian game" of classical Greece or
the Roman harpastum : sports in which a ball was passed through the air using the
hands.

Before the 20th century, handball consisted of a set of similar sports , with
more or less similar rules, practiced in central and northern Europe.

Thanks to the cooperation of players and fans, the International Handball

Regulations were created in 1926 , and two years later, the first organization
dedicated to the sport was established: the International Amateur Handball
Federation, which brought together amateur associations from 11 countries. The
sport's formal debut in an international context came at the 9th Summer
Olympic Games .

Initially, handball was played outdoors with 11 players on football fields and similar
venues. However, weather conditions forced the emergence of an indoor
version, played with 7 players . This variant grew in popularity and was
recognized as an Olympic sport in 1965. Its first appearance in the history of the
Olympic Games was at the 1972 Games held in Munich, Germany, for the men's
category; and in 1976, at the Games held in Madrid, for the women's category.

Rules and fundamentals of handball

Each goal is guarded by a

goalkeeper, who can use any part of his body.
In a handball match, two teams compete against each other for two half-hour
periods , with a short break in between. The winner is the team that has scored
the most goals at the end of this period. Players must touch the ball with their
hands only and must carry it individually or by team passes toward the
opposing team's half until they insert it into the 2 x 3 meter goal, thus scoring a
point.
The goals are located at the ends of the court, usually measuring 40 x 20
meters . They are guarded by a goalkeeper, who is allowed to use not only his
hands and arms but also his feet or other body parts to stop opposing shots.

Apart from the goalkeeper's position, the rules do not stipulate fixed positions for
the players, but attack and defence are often combined , through a centre-back
or front-line player, two wingers who advance into the opponent's half, two full-
backs who are positioned on either side of the centre-back and a pivot or pivot in
charge of breaking into the opponent's defence.

Play flows freely and is interrupted only when the referee so indicates. Physical
contact is continuous, but is subject to rules that prevent direct physical
aggression , and the field is delimited by a series of lines that establish the legal
playing area and the awarding of penalties and free kicks.

The rules of handball are reviewed every four years.

Handball World Cup

In addition to the Olympic Games, the world's top handball competition is the
World Championship, organized by the International Handball Federation and
held in both men's and women's competitions. In both cases, European national
teams are the main sporting protagonists, with the notable exception of South
Korea, the 1995 world champion.

The first World Handball Championship was held in 1954, exclusively for the men's
category, and the Swedish national team won the cup. The World Championship is
currently held in odd-numbered years . There are also various regional handball
cups: the European Championship, the EHF Champions League, the European
Super Cup, among others.

Most outstanding handball players

Julen Aguinagalde is considered the

best offensive center in the world.
Some of the most outstanding handball players in the world are:
 Julen Aguinagalde , of the Spanish national team, considered the best
offensive pivot in the world.
 Niklas Landin , of the Danish national team, the world's leading handball
goalkeeper.
 Norway's Kari Brattset Dale was named the 2021 Women's World Cup Most
Valuable Player, not only for her scoring but also for her defensive
contributions.
 Aron Pálmarsson , from the Icelandic national team, a top-flight player and
one of the most coveted competitors for European clubs in 2017.
 Domagoj Duvnjak , from the Croatian national team, has been ranked among
the best in the world for several years now, considered the “complete player”
given his versatility.

 Mikkel Hansen , from the Danish national team, owner of the best right arm of
all the handball teams in the world.
 Cristina Neagu , of the Romanian national team, is the only female player to
have won the IHF Player of the Year award four times.
 Daniel Narcisse , of the French national team, was one of the best players at
the 2017 World Cup held in France, despite being 3

Handball is a very popular sport practiced in Northern Europe, in countries such as

Germany, France, Spain, and Scandinavia.
Veselin Vujović

During his career Vujović played for RK Metaloplastika, Barcelona and Granollers.
At Metaloplastika, he was part of the club golden generation during the 1980s,
winning seven league titles, 4 cup titles and two European Champions Cup titles.
Vujović also lost one final in 1984 and three semi-final matches in the European
Champions Cup while playing for Metaloplastika.[1]
In 1986 he was named as the best athlete of Yugoslavia.

He was first player to receive title of the IHF World Player of the Year.[2]

In 1984 he was a member of the Yugoslav national team which won the gold medal
at the Olympics. He played all six matches and scored 28 goals. Four years later
he was part of the Yugoslav team which won the bronze medal. He played all six
matches again and scored 29 goals.

(Serbian: Veselin Vyuovich (Cetinia, Yugoslavia, present-day Montenegro, January

18, 1961) is a former Yugoslav national team handball player and current coach of
the Qatar national handball team.

He was one of the best handball players of the 1990s who played in the ASOBAL
league. After his retirement as a professional player, he dedicated himself to
coaching clubs such as BM Ciudad Real and the Yugoslavia national teams, and
later Serbia and Montenegro.

As a coach, he led the Slovenian national handball team to a bronze medal at the
2017 Men's World Handball Championship.[1]
 9. Pádel: 8 millones
The rules
Padel combines elements of tennis and squash with many of their own unique
touches. Its social nature and strategic depth make it both accessible and
challenging for players of all levels. “Padel has added some elements that tennis
doesn't have, which in my opinion are better, making the sport more spectacular
and fun because it's more social,” says Ale Galán .
Although it can be played individually in special circumstances, padel is a sport
played in pairs (two against two). Although similar to tennis , the rules of
padel are specific:

 The objective of padel is to hit the ball over the net into the opponent's court in a
single hit. Once it has done so, and after touching the receiving team's floor, it can
bounce off any wall on the receiving team's side. However, the ball cannot bounce
again on the same side of the court after hitting a wall. The ball also cannot touch
the ceiling or any elements such as lights or fences above the walls.
 The net is 10 meters long and 0.88 meters high in the center, rising to a
maximum of 0.92 meters at its ends.
 Padel matches are played in the best of three sets . The team that wins two of the
three sets wins. The team that first wins six games with a two-game advantage
over their opponent is declared the winner. If the match is tied at six, a tie-break is
called, and if the match is tied at one set, a third set can be played until one of the
two teams gains a two-game advantage over their opponent.
 The scoring system in padel is similar to that of tennis. You must win six games
to win a set, and points increase by 15, 30, 40, and game points. If both teams are
tied at 40, the game goes to deuce. From then on, a team must win two
consecutive points to win the current game.
 In some tournaments, the Golden Point rule is implemented , whereby when a
game is tied at 40-40, the tiebreaker is decided by a single point (leading points are
eliminated). This system adds extra excitement and increases the pace of the
match.

Differences with tennis

 So what exactly are the main differences that increase the fun? Here's a quick
breakdown:
 Court size: Padel is played on a smaller court than tennis, which is enclosed and
surrounded by glass walls, allowing ball bounces to be incorporated into the game.
 Racquet: The solid, unstrung racquet offers more control and power compared to
traditionally strung racquets.
 Ball: The depressurized ball bounces more slowly, allowing for longer rallies.
 Serve: In padel, the serve must be performed below (or at the same height as) the
waist, unlike in tennis, which is performed above the waist. Furthermore, the ball
must first bounce on the ground—both before the serve is made and immediately
afterward on the receiver's side of the court—before the return shot is made. As in
tennis, the serve must cross the court diagonally to the opponent's service area,
marked by a center line.
 Rally: Due to the use of walls that keep the ball in play more, padel rallies tend to
be longer than in tennis. Technically, it's easier to master than tennis, so there are
usually fewer errors during the course of a match.
 Walls: Walls open up the game to players' creativity and precision, as they can be
used to bounce the ball, opening up the possibility of creating angles and shots
that are impossible in other racket sports.
Differences between tennis and paddle tennis

Tennis vs. Paddle Tennis

5 minutes of reading
Read story
04
I want to try it, what do I need?
To play padel, there are some essential elements that we define below:
Players
To play a game of padel, we'll need four players (two pairs). The small size of the
court and the ability to use the walls make padel a very fast-paced and physical
sport , so player preparation is very important. This is a point we should keep in
mind when choosing partners (and opponents).

The ball
The International Padel Federation (FIP) regulations specify that the ball must be
made of yellow or white rubber, have a diameter between 6.32 and 6.77
centimeters , and weigh between 56 and 59 grams. Its bounce must be between
135 and 145 cm when dropped onto a hard surface from approximately 2.50
meters. The ball must have an internal pressure of between 4.6 kg and 5.2 kg per
2.54 cm².

Pallas
The standard padel racket measures 45.5 centimeters long, 26 centimeters
wide, and 38 millimeters thick. Padel rackets come in a wide range of
materials: fiberglass, carbon fiber, EVA foam, or more unusual materials such
as Kevlar, graphene, or even tungsten .
One of the most important features of padel rackets is that they are perforated
with holes (unlimited number) ranging from 9 to 13 mm in diameter throughout
their entire center. They come in three types: Diamond (greater
power), Teardrop (control and power), and Round (greater control).

What are the different types of shots in padel?

Padel boasts a wide repertoire of strokes . Here are some of the main
contenders you should know:
Tray
The layup is one of the fundamental shots in padel. It is performed overhead and is
primarily used when the ball is high and the player is close to the net, but not close
enough to spike it. Technically, the player hits the ball with an open racket face,
imparting a slice and a slight downward trajectory, with the goal of placing the ball
deep in the opponent's court. The tactical purpose of the layup is to keep
opponents at the back of the court, making it more difficult for them to attack, and
to prepare for a possible net play or counter a lob.
Snake
The Viper is an advanced variation of the layup with added spin and speed. It is
executed with a quick, whip-like motion, where the player hits the ball with a
combination of slice and sidespin. This shot is particularly effective because it
creates an unpredictable bounce, making it difficult for the opponent to accurately
return the ball. The Viper is used to apply pressure from an offensive position,
often aiming for the sidewalls to maximize the difficulty of the return.

Padel is a sport of Mexican origin that is gaining increasing popularity. It is played

by 8 million people worldwide. This paddle sport is played in pairs on a court
surrounded by transparent walls. The objective is to bounce the ball twice on the
court using rebounds off th
Juan Lebrón Chincoa

(El Puerto de Santa María, January 30, 1995), known as Juan Lebrón, is a Spanish
professional padel player ranked 6th in the FIP rankings.[2] In 2025, he will return
to the backcourt to play with Franco Stupaczuk.

Lebrón was the first Spanish player in history to become world number 1, doing so
in 2019 alongside Paquito Navarro. However, he changed partners at the end of
the year to join Alejandro Galán. Together with the Madrid native, they managed to
remain the world number 1 pairing for three consecutive years. It was in May 2023
when they both lost that status to Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia. After four years
together, Lebrón and Galán announced their separation after the second
tournament of 2024.

At the beginning of his sporting career, Lebrón stood out as a junior, becoming
Spanish Junior Champion several times and competing in the World Championship
in his category.[3]
On the World Padel Tour circuit, he stood out from the beginning, playing the 2016
season with Gabriel Reca, with whom he rose to the top 30 in the rankings.[4] In
10. Boxeo: 7 millones
Boxing is the most widely practiced martial art, despite the dangers it entails.
Approximately 7 million people worldwide enter the ring to practice it.

EARLY LIFE

Sugar Ray Robinson was born Walker Smith, Jr., on May 3, 1921, in Ailey,
Georgia. He and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan soon afterward. As a boy he
watched boxing great Joe Louis train at a Detroit gymnasium. When Smith was 11
years old he moved with his mother to New York. While she worked as a
laundress, he shined shoes, sold driftwood, and ran errands for a grocery store. He
completed three years of high school and watched boxers train at local gyms.
Through a gymnasium he met George Gainford, who became his trainer and
manager.

BOXING CAREER

Smith won all his 89 amateur fights and, in 1939, the Golden Gloves featherweight
title. He fought under his own name at first but borrowed another boxer’s certificate
to qualify for a match, and from that time went by the borrowed name Ray
Robinson. “Sugar” was a later addition after a sportswriter called his boxing “sweet
as sugar.”

Robinson went professional in October 1940 with a fight in Madison Square

Garden, New York City. He won 40 professional fights in a row, with a break for
military service in 1943–44 (during which he served in Joe Louis’ exhibition boxing
troop). On December 20, 1946, he defeated Tommy Bell in Madison Square
Garden to win the world welterweight title.

Just over four years later, in February 1951, Robinson fought middleweight
champion Jack LaMotta in Chicago before a stadium and television audience
estimated at 30 million. Winning that fight, Robinson became the champion in his
new weight class and resigned the welterweight title. He lost and regained the
middleweight title four times in the 1950s, finally losing it to Paul Pender in January
1960. More than half his rare defeats came after that, when he was over 40 years
old.

Robinson was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1967, just two years after he
retired from the ring. His autobiography, Sugar Ray, was published in 1970.
Robinson appeared in the 1968 motion pictures Paper Lion, Candy, and The
Detective, and on television in Mod Squad, Mission: Impossible, and made-for-
television movies. Known for his philanthropy from early in his career, he devoted
much of his attention in later years to a youth foundation he established in 1969.
Robinson died in Culver City, California, on April 12, 1989.

privilege of carrying Louis's training bag to the gym. Leila Smith separated from her
husband in 1927, and in 1932 moved with her three children to 419 West Fifty-third
Street in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan; the family subsequently moved to
Manhattan Avenue and 119th Street in Harlem.

While his mother worked as a laundress, Robinson combined an education at

Cooper Junior High School with dance lessons at the Roy Scott Studios, shooting
craps, and dancing for dimes on street corners. He also ran errands for a grocery
store, sold driftwood, and shined shoes. He fathered a child with a teenage girl,
Marjorie Joseph, and married her to make the child legitimate, but the union was
annulled three months later. Robinson soon dropped out of DeWitt Clinton High
School to pursue his boxing career.

At Police Athletic League contests, Robinson met George Gainford, who soon
placed him into the bootleg boxing circuit in New England and upstate New York.
Since Robinson was underage for his first fight, Gainford gave him the Amateur
Athletics Union (AAU) card of another boxer, Ray Robinson. A Watertown (New
York) Daily Times sportswriter named Jack Case dubbed the fledgling fighter
"sweet as sugar." The name stuck, and "Sugar Ray" Robinson roared through the
amateur ranks with a record of 85–0, winning the New York City Golden Gloves
titles as a featherweight (1939) and a lightweight (1940). He turned professional in
1940 under Gainford's management.

Robinson quickly became famous for his speed, agility, and extraordinary
repertoire of punches. Winning his first forty fights (twenty-nine by knockout), he
was named outstanding fighter of 1942 by Ring magazine. In the first of their six
battles, Robinson won over Jake LaMotta on points in 1942, though most
sportswriters favored LaMotta, who was known as the "Raging Bull." In their
rematch, LaMotta won over Robinson by a decision after nearly knocking him out
in the eighth round. In a third match, Robinson won in twelve rounds. He continued
to dominate LaMotta in three more fights, though LaMotta insisted in his
autobiography Raging Bull that he won at least two of them. LaMotta also boasted
that although Robinson padded his record by knocking out mediocre opponents,
"he was never able to flatten me."

Robinson was drafted into the U.S. Army on 27 February 1943, and that March he
was inducted as a sergeant in Joe Louis's boxing troupe. The boxers gave
exhibition tours of boxing at military bases for fifteen months. On 29 May 1943
Robinson married a former showgirl named Edna Mae Holly, with whom he had a
son. After his honorable discharge on 3 June 1944, Robinson returned to full-time
boxing.

Robinson fought sixteen bouts in 1946, entering the ring at times every ten days.
He capped the year by winning his first title on points over Tommy Bell for the
World Welterweight Championship in New York on 20 December. Six months later,
in his first defense of the title, Robinson beat Jimmy Doyle by a technical knockout
in the ninth round. After Doyle died the next day from a brain injury, a grieving
Robinson established a trust fund for Doyle's mother.

Robinson won forty-eight consecutive bouts between 1946 and 1950, but only five
were title defenses. The others were income opportunities for Robinson, who
shrewdly negotiated his own contracts, saying, "I don't see why I should take fifty
cents when I have a dollar coming." Robinson backed up these words by canceling
bouts if he was not satisfied with the financial arrangements. Before a fight with
LaMotta in 1951, for example, Robinson forced the New York State Boxing
Commission and the television networks to accept his terms. They did so because
of his ability to attract huge crowds to his matches.

During the late 1940s, years after he had bragged to his Harlem playmates that he
would own property "around here someday," Robinson was the proprietor of a top
Harlem nightclub, a dry cleaning store, apartment buildings, a lingerie boutique,
and a barbershop. More famously, he drove a pink Cadillac convertible.

In 1950 he took his title, car, and entourage to Paris. He won five bouts—four by
knockout—while touring Europe in twenty-nine days. Adoring Frenchmen flocked
around him and the pink convertible. As policemen cleared his way, droves of
cyclists trailed behind like small fish after a cruise ship. Robinson, a sharp dresser
and notorious ladies' man, charmed U.S. columnists Damon Runyon and Walter
Winchell by denouncing Paul Robeson, who claimed to have signed Communist
Party petitions as "simply autographs." Later he offered to fight Orval Faubus, the
segregationist governor of Arkansas, "after I take care of [Carmen] Basilio."

On 14 February 1951 Robinson returned to business by beating LaMotta for the

last time, winning the world middleweight title and vacating his welterweight crown.
Flush with success, Robinson returned to Europe. On one occasion, he kept
French notables waiting for an hour as he toured the town. As bejeweled ladies
were pushed aside in the rush to meet "Monsieur Roban-sahn," he donated a large
check to the Damon Runyon cancer fund and bussed Madame Vincent Ariole, the
first lady of the nation, on each cheek.

Robinson's grand tour hit a pothole when the black English boxer Randy Turpin
beat him by decision in fifteen rounds in London. Licking his wounds, Robinson
returned to his adoring fans in New York, who included the mayor, the chief of
police, and 3,500 people at city hall. Part of this adulation was due to the fact that
columnist Walter Winchell had reported that Robinson had donated nearly $60,000
to the cancer fund. Robinson offered no excuses for his defeat and promised the
next match would end differently. He regained his title on September 12 with a
tenth round knockout of Turpin.

Robinson fought only three times in 1952; all were title defenses. He beat Bobo
Olson in fifteen rounds on March 13; knocked out Rocky Graziano in the third
round, then lost his challenge for the light heavyweight championship by knockout
to the tough Joey Maxim in the fourteenth round in a sweltering Yankee Stadium.
Six months later Robinson announced his retirement, citing a potential acting
career, tap dance engagements, and an admission that he could "not [sic] longer
give the public his best."
Better known as "Sugar Ray Robinson" (Ailey, Georgia, May 3, 1921 – Culver City,
California, April 12, 1989), was an American professional boxer. He was active in
the 1940s and 1950s, fighting at middleweight and welterweight divisions. He was
inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. As an amateur boxer,
he achieved a record of 85 wins and no losses, with 69 of his victories by knockout,

and 40 of these ending in the first round. He turned professional in 1940 at the age
of 19, and by 1951, he had a record of 128 wins, one loss (to Jake LaMotta), and
two draws, with 84 knockouts. He held the world welterweight title from 1946 to

1951 and won the middleweight title in 1951. He retired the following year but
returned to regain the middleweight title in 1955, and then became the first boxer in
history to win a world championship for a fifth time, winning the middleweight title
again in 1958. He was named Boxer of the Year twice during his nearly 26-year
career.
3 deportes raros
1. CESTA PUNTA

2. Cesca punta is a sport of Basque origin . The name comes from

the Basque zesta-punta , meaning "basket ball." It is also known as jai
alai ("happy party" in Basque).

3.
4. This is a form of Basque pelota played with a wicker basket. In cesta-punta,
the ball is caught with the basket, propelled forward, and thrown toward
the fronton . In this form, the basket used weighs between 200 and 600 g ,
is 62 cm long for forwards and 68 cm for defenders (taking into account the
curvature of the lines, these dimensions range between 90 and 110 cm ),
and the depth of the basket cavity is 15 cm. The basket is made of chestnut
wood and woven with wicker; however, synthetic materials are now used.
The shape of the curved, concave, elongated, and narrow basket is
apparently a modification of the old top hat. It fits in the hand like a glove
(tied with a string) and is equipped with a bag to help hold the ball.
5. A sport of Basque origin , played in frontons , generally measuring 54 to
60 m . The main characteristic of the basket is to throw the ball with greater
force and efficiency after catching it and letting it slide to its end, from where
it will be launched against the fronton, trying to score "as much" to get the
most points.
6. The usual modality is the game in pairs, the most outstanding countries
being France , Spain , Mexico , the Philippines and the United
States (especially in Florida). [ 1 ]
7. Professionals develop their seasons, mostly, in Mexico and the United
States, except for the summer season, which is held in the Basque Country
and France, with a professional circuit called Jai Alai World Tour .
8.
Éric Irastorza, né le 15 août 1976 à Bidart, est un joueur de pelote
basque professionnel spécialisé en cesta punta. Plusieurs fois champion du
monde, il a passé la majorité de sa carrière à jouer sur le fronton de Miami où il est
le meilleur arrière de 2009 à 2019.

Biographie
[modifier | modifier le code]
Né à Bidart en 1976[1], Éric Irastorza grandit au pays basque en jouant à la cesta
punta dès l’âge de 10 ans, gagnant de nombreux titres chez les amateurs[2].
Champion du monde espoirs à Cuba en 1995 à l'âge de 19 ans, champion du
monde amateurs à Mexico et champion de France de Nationale A sous les
couleurs de la Kostakoak en 1998, il confirme avec un titre de champion du monde
professionnel à Guernica en 2000[3],[4]. Ce titre de champion du monde lui donne
une notoriété nationale[5].

Après avoir obtenu un diplôme d'études commerciales, le joueur français,

champion du monde espoir et amateur s'expatrie en Floride, en particulier au
fronton de Miami, le plus célèbre du monde, pour participer à des « quinielas » à
l'américaine[2],[1]. Dès lors, le professionnel passe dix mois de l’année sur la côte
est des États-Unis, jouant cinq à six parties par jour, six jours par semaine, devant
les parieurs floridiens[2],[1]. Chaque année, il revient au Pays basque l’été,
 The rules
Regardless of the specialty or ball game considered, the internal logic of the
activity is to place the ball out of the opponent's reach in a specific space. The
objective of the game of Cesta Punta is to receive the ball with the top hat and
send it or return it against the front wall. The rebound must then be made within the
marked area on the floor. The player can catch the ball on the volley or after the
bounce. They must aim for open spaces.

In two-on-two (doubles), each team bats alternately. Players on the same team
have the option of hitting the ball several times in a row.
Cesta Punta requires a total, violent, and generous effort from all physical abilities.
It is a sport for athletes. The game consists of returning the ball served by the
opponent against the fronton, which reaches speeds of 200 to 300 km/h, bouncing
off the side walls and sometimes the back. Played by teams of two players, the
"forward" and the "defender," Cesta Punta games are judged strictly according to
international rules.

The rules in video

Referee or "judge"
In football or rugby, for example, the referee intervenes when a foul is detected. He
interrupts the flow of play, sanctions, and organizes the game. In baseball, the
referee is merely a witness to a game whose rules of play have been
predetermined by the players. Therefore, they are quite capable of functioning
alone. Only in cases of glaring uncertainty do we ask the referee for his opinion by
asking, "zer da?" (Pronounced "zer da"), "What is this?" Sadly, this practice of
"judging" has disappeared from official competitions. The modern conception of
sport demands it.
The rules with details

The first sake (serve) is made by the head umpire. The server must notify his
partner and opponents that he is starting the game, either by saying "ho" (game) or
by giving a sign. The server may choose the ball from among those selected for
the game.
Each team, when it is their turn to serve sake, may choose the ball. Any changes
must be notified to the opponent. The umpire may remove a damaged ball. The
sake, the serve, is made at a designated "square" line.
For adults, this will be line number 10. The ball must bounce between lines 4 and
7. If it doesn't pass line 4, it's a fault.
If it passes line 7, it's a (Pass): 1/2 fault. The player has a second serve. However,
the team can only do it five times in a game. Beyond that, it's a direct error.
 9. EUKONKANTO

Wife carrying ( Finnish: eukonkanto , sometimes akankanto ,

and Estonian : naisekandmine ) is a sport in which male contestants compete by
piggybacking on a female partner. The objective is for the man to carry the woman
over a course of several obstacles in the shortest possible time. The sport was first
introduced in Sonkajärvi , Finland .

There are several types of carrying that can be practiced: shoulder-to-shoulder,

fireman's style (over the shoulder), or Estonian style (with the woman hanging
upside down with her legs clasping her husband's shoulder and holding his waist).

The major wife-carrying competitions are held in Sonkajärvi, Finland (where the
prize is the wife's weight in beer ), Monona , Wisconsin ,
and Marquette , Michigan .

The North American Wife Carrying Championship takes place annually on the
weekend of October 12 at the Sunday River Ski Resort in Maine . The eighth
annual championship took place on January 2, 2007, with a record 40 pairs
participating. Many of the North American champions go on to compete in the
Finnish World Championships.

History
[ edit ]
The sport originated as a hobby in Finland , apparently reminiscent of a bygone era
when men would court women by running to their village, grabbing them, and
running away with them on their backs. The Wife Carrying Contest has deep roots
in local Sonkajärvi history. In the late 19TH century , a robber known as Rosvo-
Ronkainen was lurking in the area. He apparently only accepted followers who
could prove themselves on an obstacle course. The sport is now practiced all over
the world and has its own category in the Guinness Book of World Records .

Rules
[ edit ]

Estonian-style woman carrying.

The original course, over rough terrain with fences, rocks, and streams, has been
modified to adapt to modern conditions. The current standards established by the
International Wife Carrying Competition Standards Committee are as follows:

 The official course length is 253.5 meters , and the track surface contains
sections of sand, grass, and gravel.
 The course has two dry obstacles and one water obstacle, which must be
approximately one meter deep.
 The wife to be taken can be one's own, a neighbor's, or any other wife from
outside the village; however, she must be over 17 years old.
 The minimum weight for the wife is 49 kilograms . If she weighs less than 49
kg, the wife must carry a backpack with the weight she needs to reach 49 kg, or
she will not be able to compete.
 All participants should have fun.
 If a contestant knocks down the woman, the couple is penalized
20 seconds each time.
 The only equipment allowed, apart from the suit, is a belt that the male wearer
can wear, while women must wear a helmet.
 Participants run in the race two by two, so each pair is a competition in itself.
 Each contestant is responsible for their own safety and, if deemed necessary,
their own insurance policy.
 Contestants must pay attention to the instructions given by the competition
organizers.
 There is only one category in the World Championships, and the winner is the
pair that completes the course in the shortest time.
 In addition, the funniest couple, the best dressed, and the strongest carrier
receive a special prize.
 The price of registration for the race is 50 euros .

 2019 - Vytautas Kirkliauskas (Lithuania) to Neringa Kirkliauskiene (Lithuania).

Time: 1 minute and 6.7 seconds.
 2018 - Vytautas Kirkliauskas (Lithuania) to Neringa Kirkliauskiene (Lithuania).
Time: 1 minute and 5.1 seconds.
 2017 - Taisto Miettinen (Finland) to Kristiina Haapanen (Finland). Time: 1
minute and 8.6 seconds.
 2016 - Dmitry Sagal (Russia) and Anastasia Loginova (Russia). Time: 1
minute, 2.7 seconds.
 2015 - Ville Parviainen (Finland) and Sari Viljanen (Finland). Time: 1 minute
and 2.7 seconds.
 2014 - Ville Parviainen (Finland) and Janette Oksman (Finland). Time: 1 minute
and 3.7 seconds.
 2013 - Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland). Time: 1
minute and 5.0 seconds.
 2012 - Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland). Time: 1
minute and 1.2 seconds.
 2011 - Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland). Time: 1
minute and 0.73 seconds.
 2010 - Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland). Time: 1
minute and 4.9 seconds.
 2009 - Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland). Time: 1
minute and 2.9 seconds.
 2008 – Alar Voogla (Estonia) and Kirsti Viltrop (Estonia).
 2007 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia).
 2006 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Sandra Kullas (Estonia). Time: 56.9
seconds.
 2005 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia).
 2004 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia). Time: 1 minute , 5.3
seconds.
 2003 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia). Time: 1 minute 0.7
seconds.
 2002 – Meelis Tammre (Estonia) and Anne Zillberberg (Estonia). Time: 1
minute, 3.8 seconds.
 2001 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia). Time: 55.6
seconds.
 2000 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia). Time: 55.5 seconds
(world record).
 1999 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia). Time: 1 minute, 4.5
seconds.
 1998 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia). Time: 1 minute, 9.2
seconds.
 1997 – Jouni Jussila (Finland) and Tiina Jussila (Finland). Time: 1 minute and 5
seconds.

Tietoja
I'm a Globetrotting Adventurer, always interested in the new and unexplored!

I have experience in many fields from leadership, IT, sales, youth work, music,
road construction and even scuba diving! I've traveled and worked in several
countries around the world and have learned to adapt really well to new and
sometimes challenging situations.

I co-founded Playmore Games with the dream of doing something totally new and
disruptive in the board gaming industry. We're focused on revolutionizing tabletop
10. THE COOPER'S HILL CHEESE ROLLING
11. PorFacundo Macia Marquis
12. 27 May, 2024 03:32 p.m. EST
13. Guardar

14.
15.
16. El subjefe de policía de Gloucestershire recomienda considerar los riesgos
antes de participar en la competencia (REUTERS/Molly Darlington)

17. 10. Every year, on the steep hill of Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire,
England, one of the most unique and exciting events in the world takes
place: the annual "Cheese Rolling." This event, always held on the last
Monday of May, brings together competitors from all over the world who
hurtle down the hill in pursuit of a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese.
18. 11. The Cheese Rolling is a tradition that has endured for centuries in
Gloucestershire. Although the exact beginning of this unusual competition is
unknown, the first written reference dates back to 1826. Some theories
suggest the race may have begun as a way to claim grazing rights in the
area, while others believe it may have been a fertility ritual.
19.
20. • With over 600 years of history, this English sport involves rolling a cheese
weighing approximately 4 kilos down a steep hill.
21. • Participants must chase him and try to catch him before reaching the end
of the course.
22. • It's an event famous for its spectacular drops and the difficulty of the slope,
making it one of the most eccentric competitions in the world.
23.
24. Exploring less conventional sports can be a great way to enjoy exercise in a
unique and fun way. Would you be up for trying one?
25. The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on
the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, at Brockworth near Gloucester,
England.[2] Participants race down the 200-yard (180 m) long hill chasing a
 wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. It is uncertain when the tradition first
began, and is possibly much older than its earliest known written attestation
in 1826.[1] The event has a long tradition, held by the people of the village,
but now people from a wide range of countries take part in the competition
as well. The Guardian called it a "world-famous event," with winners coming
from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Japan, New Zealand,
and the United States.[3][4]
26. Format
27. [edit]

28. From the top of the hill, a 7–9-pound (3–4-kilogram) round of Double
Gloucester cheese is sent rolling down the hill, which is 200 yards (180 m)
long, and with a slope of around 50 percent (26.6 degrees).[5][6] Competitors
then start racing down the hill after the cheese.[7] The first person over the
finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese. The competitors aim to
catch the cheese; however, it has around a one-second head start and can
reach high speeds, enough to knock over and injure a spectator. Multiple
races are held during the day, with separate events for men and women.
29. In the 2013 competition, a foam replica replaced the cheese
for safety reasons, but a real cheese was restored the following year.[8]
30. History
31. [edit]

32. A race on 27 May 2013

33. This ceremony originally took place each Whit Monday, but was later moved
to the Spring Bank Holiday. The first written evidence of cheese rolling is
found in a message written to the Gloucester town crier in 1826;[1] even then
it was apparent that the event was an old tradition, and it is believed to be at
least six hundred years old.[9][10]
34. Two possible origins have been proposed for the ceremony. First, it may
have evolved from a requirement for maintaining grazing rights on the
common.[9][11] Second, there may be pagan origins for the custom of rolling
objects down the hill. It is thought that bundles of burning brushwood were
rolled down the hill to represent the birth of the New Year after winter.
Connected with this belief is the traditional scattering of buns, biscuits and
sweets at the top of the hill by the Master of Ceremonies.[12] This is said to
be a fertility rite to encourage the fruits of harvest.[11]
35. In 1982, a team of students from the University of Bristol filmed the 31 May
event[13] using film cameras, with one camera overcranked to produce slow
motion.[14]

36. In 1993, sixteen people were injured, four of them seriously, chasing
cheeses down the hill with its one-in-three gradient (18.4 degrees).[11]
37. In 2009, safety concerns were raised after 15,000 spectators arrived, when
there was only space for around 5000. These concerns led to the organisers
cancelling the 2010 event. [15] Despite the cancellation, around 100 people
attended and held an unofficial event. [16]
38. In 2011, a new 2-day ticketed event was proposed in order to address the
safety concerns raised in previous years and to allow the event to continue
operating. [17] The proposals were received negatively due to the cost of
tickets, and the proposed event was cancelled following the organisers
receiving abuse.[18] Despite the cancellation, the event continued unofficially
with around 200 people attending.[19]
39. The event has continued, albeit without official management or planning
alongside the Council Safety Advisory Group.
40. In 2020 and 2021, the cheese-rolling event was cancelled as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic.[20] The cheese-rolling event returned on Sunday 5
June 2022,[21] ending a two-year absence.[22][a]
41. In 2024, 42 years after the students from the University of Bristol recorded
slow-motion footage of the event, The Slo Mo Guys captured the event at
800 fps on a Freely Ember S5K for their web series.[24]
42. Cheese

43.

44. Undated photo of the master of ceremonies holding the cheese

45. The cheese currently used in the event is 7–9-pound (3–4-kilogram) Double
Gloucester, a hard cheese traditionally made in a circular shape.[25] Each is
protected for the rolling by a wooden casing round the side, and it is
 decorated with ribbons at the start of the race. Formerly, three cheeses
were presented by parishioners, and the cheeses were usually rolled by
them. A collection is usually made now to purchase them, as well as sweets,
and also to provide prize money.[11]
46. Since 1988, the cheese has been supplied by local cheesemaker Diana
Smart and her son Rod from their Churcham farm.[7][26][27] In May 2013, a
police inspector warned the 86-year-old Smart that she could be held
responsible for injuries.[7] Chief Superintendent Nigel Avron
of Gloucestershire Constabulary also made these comments: "If you are an
organiser in some way or some capacity you could potentially be held liable
for something that took place at that event".[7] Diana Smart died in 2021.
[28]
In recent years, organisers of the event have felt compelled to use a
lightweight foam version for safety reasons. In the second race of 2013,
Australian Caleb Stalder managed to catch the fake cheese and claim
victory despite being some way behind the leaders.[29]
47. Injuries
48. [edit]

49. Due to the steepness and uneven surface of Cooper's Hill, there are usually
several injuries each year.[30] St John Ambulance have previously provided
first aid cover at the event; however, this stopped in 2012 when the event
was no longer being officially managed.[31]
50. Canadian competitor Delaney Irving won the ladies race in 2023, despite
finishing unconscious, and only learning of her victory in the medical
enclosure.[32] A total of six competitors were transported to hospital by
ambulance treatment following the event.[30]
51. Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling has been summarised by a previous
participant as "twenty young men chasing a cheese off a cliff and tumbling
200 yards to the bottom, where they are scraped up by paramedics and
packed off to hospital".[33]
52. There is no official medical provision on site, leading to concerns from
the local resilience forum about the safety of the event.[34]