1.
Telemark skiing
–
Telemark skiing is a skiing technique that combines elements of Alpine and Nordic skiing. Telemark skiing is named after the Telemark region of Norway, where the discipline originated, sondre Norheim is often credited for first demonstrating the turn in ski races, which included cross country, slalom and jumping, in Norway around 1868. Sondre Norheim also experimented with ski and binding design, introducing side cuts to skis, Telemark skiing was reborn in 1971 in the United States. Doug Buzzell, Craig Hall, Greg Dalbey, Jack Marcial, Telemark skiing gained popularity during the 1970s and 1980s. The appeal of Telemark skiing lies in access - long pieces of fabric, known as skins. In addition to allowing a skier to travel both downhill and uphill, Telemark equipment generally weighs less than its alpine counterparts, Telemark skiing uses a specialized type of equipment. Generally, Telemark skiers use flexible Alpine skis with specially designed bindings that fix only the toe of the ski boot to the ski, oftentimes the heel is attached to the front of the binding by a hinged cable, which holds the ski boot firmly in the binding. Originally made popular as a mode of transportation, Telemark skiing is now a world cup sport focused on carving. At its core, the Telemark discipline combines elements of Alpine racing, Nordic skate skiing, and ski jumping. World Cup Telemark is offered in a number of formats, including “Classic”, “Sprint Classic, ” and “Parallel Sprint. ”A typical Classic Telemark race involves a jump that must be landed in a lunged position, a series of gates, a skate section. Telemark Racing was governed by the International Telemark Federation until 1995, the first FIS Telemark World Championships were held at Hafjell, in Lillehammer, Norway. Today, Telemark Racing is organized by FIS and by national sport committees such as the United States Telemark Ski Association, Nordic skiing Alpine skiing Ski touring
Telemark skiing
–
Above is a Telemark ski racer executing Telemark's unique lunging or "free heel" turn.
2.
Multi-sport event
–
A multi-sport event is an organized sports event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of significance is the modern Olympic Games. Many regional multi-sport events have since founded and modeled after the Olympics. Most have the basic structure. Games are held over the course of days in and around a host city. Countries send national teams to each competition, consisting of individual athletes, athletes or teams are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals for first, second and third place respectively. The games are held every four years, though some are annual competitions. Instead, the Greek sports of racing and wrestling, as well as the Etruscan sport of gladiatorial combat. In the late 19th and early 20th century, athletes at events were almost exclusively male. As international womens sport began to develop, events such as the Womens World Games, though short-lived, events such as these led to greater inclusion of women at multi-sport events over the course of the 20th century. Since the establishment of the Olympics, most serial multi-sport events have been organized for specific audiences, after some celebrations, the Olympics became very popular nowadays. The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing, the Paralympic Games is the largest multi-sport event involving athletes with physical disabilities, and is organised by the International Paralympic Committee. Arranged for the first time in 1960 in Rome, Italy, the number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The first Special Olympics International Summer Games were held in Chicago, the most recent Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, United States, involved 25 sports and approximately 6,500 athletes from 177 countries. At the beginning of the 20th century, another multi-sport event and these Games were held in Scandinavia, and the sports conducted were winter sports such as cross-country skiing and speed skating. The Nordic Games were last held in 1926, after which the 1924 Winter Sports Week in Chamonix was declared the first Olympic Winter Games, in the 1920s, all kinds of other multi-sport events were set up. These were usually directed for a group of athletes, rather than everybody. Regional games were another kind of event that was established, such as the Far Eastern Championship Games
Multi-sport event
–
The
Pan American Games is one of the largest multi-sport events and involves athletes from the Americas.
3.
Winter sports
–
A winter sport or winter activity is a recreational activity or sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding, traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and artificial ice allow more flexibility. Artificial ice can be used to provide ice rinks for ice skating, ice hockey, common individual sports include cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating, luge, skeleton, bobsleigh and snowmobiling. Common team sports include ice hockey, curling and bandy, based on the number of participants, ice hockey is the worlds most popular winter sport, followed by bandy. Winter sports often have their own tournaments, such as the Winter Olympic Games. Snow and ice during the wintertime has led to other means of transportation, such as sledges, skis and this also led to different pastimes and sports being developed in the winter season as compared to other times of the year. Naturally, winter sports are popular in countries with longer winter seasons. While most winter sports are played outside, ice hockey, speed skating, indoor ice rinks with artificial ice allow ice skating and hockey to be played in hot climates. Note, the Olympic rings next to a sport indicates that particular sport is included in the Winter Olympic Games. The Paralympic logo indicates the same for a sport not in the Olympics but in the Winter Paralympic Games
Winter sports
–
Ski resort
Jasná in Central
Slovakia
Winter sports
–
Skiing
Winter sports
–
United States biathlete
Jeremy Teela at the
2002 Winter Olympics.
Winter sports
–
An East German bobsleigh in 1951,
Oberhof track, Germany
4.
Sweden
–
Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and Finland to the east, at 450,295 square kilometres, Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of 10.0 million. Sweden consequently has a low density of 22 inhabitants per square kilometre. Approximately 85% of the lives in urban areas. Germanic peoples have inhabited Sweden since prehistoric times, emerging into history as the Geats/Götar and Swedes/Svear, Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, while the north is heavily forested. Sweden is part of the area of Fennoscandia. The climate is in very mild for its northerly latitude due to significant maritime influence. Today, Sweden is a monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with a monarch as head of state. The capital city is Stockholm, which is also the most populous city in the country, legislative power is vested in the 349-member unicameral Riksdag. Executive power is exercised by the government chaired by the prime minister, Sweden is a unitary state, currently divided into 21 counties and 290 municipalities. Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages, in the 17th century, it expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire, which became one of the great powers of Europe until the early 18th century. Swedish territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were gradually lost during the 18th and 19th centuries, the last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Norway was militarily forced into personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, maintaining a policy of neutrality in foreign affairs. The union with Norway was peacefully dissolved in 1905, leading to Swedens current borders, though Sweden was formally neutral through both world wars, Sweden engaged in humanitarian efforts, such as taking in refugees from German-occupied Europe. After the end of the Cold War, Sweden joined the European Union on 1 January 1995 and it is also a member of the United Nations, the Nordic Council, Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Sweden maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides health care. The modern name Sweden is derived through back-formation from Old English Swēoþēod and this word is derived from Sweon/Sweonas. The Swedish name Sverige literally means Realm of the Swedes, excluding the Geats in Götaland, the etymology of Swedes, and thus Sweden, is generally not agreed upon but may derive from Proto-Germanic Swihoniz meaning ones own, referring to ones own Germanic tribe
Sweden
–
A
Vendel-era helmet, at the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities.
Sweden
–
Flag
Sweden
–
A
romantic nationalist interpretation of
Valdemar IV taking control over
Gotland. The final battle outside the walls of Visby in 1361 ended with a massacre of 1,800 defenders of the city.
Sweden
–
Stockholm in mid-17th century
5.
Viktor Balck
–
Balck was born in Karlskrona, Sweden, and was a sailor in his youth. In 1861, he joined the Swedish War Academy at Karlberg in Stockholm as a cadet of the Swedish Navy. After a while, he switched track to become a cadet for the Swedish Army and he stayed on as assistant gymnastics instructor at Karlberg for a while, and in 1866 was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Närke regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1875, in the same regiment, however, Balcks military career came to be devoted almost entirely to gymnastics and sports. He was assistant instructor at Karlberg from 1868 to 1870, then teacher at the Swedish cavalry riding school at Strömsholm. He was promoted to major in the Swedish Army in 1894, to lieutenant colonel in 1900, in 1909 he transferred to the reserve list and in 1914 received an honorary promotion to major general. From 1872, his main activities - both in military and civilian gymnastics and sports - had the Institute as a base, determined to change this, from the 1870s he participated in the formation of several sporting clubs and organisations, and the founding of several related journals. During this time, Swedish organised sports took shape, and Balck became one of its leading figures, Balck also became involved in the emerging international sports movement at the end of the 19th century. In 1894 he became one of the members of International Olympic Committee. He was also one of the figures behind the Nordic Games which were arranged from 1901. Already in 1894 in IOC, Balck had proposed Stockholm as a venue for the Olympic Games and he was also a president of the International Skating Union from 1894 and 1924. His ice skating career also included the construction of the Balck skate, Balcks awards, International Skating Union – Past Presidents at www. isu. org
Viktor Balck
–
Viktor Balck
Viktor Balck
–
Balck in uniform.
6.
International Olympic Committee
–
The International Olympic Committee is the supreme authority of the worldwide Olympic movement. It is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Lausanne and its mission is enshrined in the Olympic Charter, to support the development of competitive sport by ethical and environmentally sustainable means. The IOC was created by Pierre de Coubertin, on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president, today its membership consists of 100 active members,32 honorary members, and 1 honour member. The IOC is the authority of the worldwide modern Olympic movement. The IOC organises the modern Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, held in summer and winter, the first Summer Olympics organised by the IOC was held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, the first Winter Olympics was in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Until 1992, both Summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same year, the first Summer Youth Olympics were in Singapore in 2010 and the first Winter Youth Olympics were held in Innsbruck in 2012. In 2009, the UN General Assembly granted the IOC Permanent Observer status and this decision enables the IOC to be directly involved in the UN Agenda and to attend UN General Assembly meetings where it can take the floor. This has provided the possibility to promote sport at a new level, during each proclamation at the Olympics, announcers speak in different languages, French is always spoken first followed by an English translation and the dominant language of the host nation. The stated mission of the International Olympic Committee is to promote Olympic throughout the world and it is the IOC’s supreme organ and its decisions are final. Extraordinary Sessions may be convened by the President or upon the written request of at least one third of the members, among others, the powers of the Session are, To adopt or amend the Olympic Charter. To elect the members of the IOC, the Honorary President, to elect the President, the Vice-Presidents and all other members of the IOC Executive Board. To elect the host city of the Olympic Games, the Olympic Laurel is awarded to individuals for promoting education, culture, development, and peace through sport. For most of its existence, the IOC was controlled by members who were selected by other members, countries that had hosted the Games were allowed two members. When named, they did not become the representatives of their countries to the IOC. The membership of IOC members ceases in the circumstances, Resignation. Non re-election, any IOC member ceases to be a member without further formality if they are not re-elected, age limit, any IOC member ceases to be a member at the end of the calendar year during which they reach the age of 80. Failure to attend Sessions or take part in IOC work for two consecutive years. Transfer of domicile or of main center of interests to an other than the country which was theirs at the time of their election
International Olympic Committee
–
The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee in
Lausanne,
Switzerland.
International Olympic Committee
–
The first IOC, at the
1896 Athens Games
International Olympic Committee
–
1985
German Democratic Republic stamp
7.
Winter Olympic Games
–
The Winter Olympic Games is a major international sporting event that occurs once every four years. Unlike the Summer Olympics, the Winter Olympics feature sports practised on snow, the first Winter Olympics, the 1924 Winter Olympics, was held in Chamonix, France. The original five sports were bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, Nordic skiing, the Games were held every four years from 1924 until 1936, after which they were interrupted by World War II. The Olympics resumed in 1948 and was held every four years. The Winter Games have evolved since its inception, others have been discontinued and later reintroduced, or have been permanently discontinued. Still others, such as speed skiing, bandy and skijoring, were demonstration sports, the rise of television as a global medium for communication enhanced the profile of the Games. It created a stream, via the sale of broadcast rights and advertising. This allowed outside interests, such as companies and corporate sponsors. The IOC has had to address several criticisms, internal scandals, nations have used the Winter Games to showcase the claimed superiority of their political systems. The Winter Olympics has been hosted on three continents by eleven different countries, the Games have been held in the United States four times, in France three times, and in Austria, Canada, Japan, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland twice. Also, the Games have been held in Germany, Yugoslavia, the IOC has selected Pyeongchang, South Korea, to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Beijing, China, to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Twelve countries – Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States – have sent athletes to every Winter Olympic Games. Six of those – Austria, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United States – have earned medals at every Winter Olympic Games, Norway leads in terms of number of gold medals and overall number of medals. Germany and Japan have been banned at times from competing in the Games, the Olympic Charter limits winter sports to those. Which are practised on snow or ice, since 1992 a number of new sports have been added to the Olympic programme, which include short track speed skating, snowboarding, freestyle and moguls skiing. The addition of events has broadened the appeal of the Winter Olympics beyond Europe. While European powers such as Norway and Germany still dominate the traditional Winter Olympic sports, countries such as South Korea, Australia, the results are more parity in the national medal tables, more interest in the Winter Olympics and higher global television ratings. Figure skating events were held at the 1908 and 1920 Summer Olympics. ^ Note 2, a mens ice hockey tournament was held at the 1920 Summer Olympics. ^ Note 3
Winter Olympic Games
–
The Olympic flame in
Sochi during the
2014 Winter Olympics.
Winter Olympic Games
–
Ulrich Salchow at the 1908 Olympics.
Winter Olympic Games
–
The opening ceremonies of the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Winter Olympic Games
–
The
Herb Brooks Arena in
Lake Placid (c. 2007), site of the "
Miracle on Ice " in
1980
8.
World War I
–
World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history and it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and paved the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. The war drew in all the worlds great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances, the Allies versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war, Italy, Japan, the trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This set off a crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Within weeks, the powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world. On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia, Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise, and when this was refused, declared war on Russia on 1 August. Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, after the German march on Paris was halted, what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, with a trench line that changed little until 1917. On the Eastern Front, the Russian army was successful against the Austro-Hungarians, in November 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai. In 1915, Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers, Romania joined the Allies in 1916, after a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918, the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives. By the end of the war or soon after, the German Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, national borders were redrawn, with several independent nations restored or created, and Germanys colonies were parceled out among the victors. During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, the League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict. This effort failed, and economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation eventually contributed to World War II. From the time of its start until the approach of World War II, at the time, it was also sometimes called the war to end war or the war to end all wars due to its then-unparalleled scale and devastation. In Canada, Macleans magazine in October 1914 wrote, Some wars name themselves, during the interwar period, the war was most often called the World War and the Great War in English-speaking countries. Will become the first world war in the sense of the word. These began in 1815, with the Holy Alliance between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, when Germany was united in 1871, Prussia became part of the new German nation. Soon after, in October 1873, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors between the monarchs of Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany
World War I
–
Clockwise from the top: The aftermath of shelling during the
Battle of the Somme,
Mark V tanks cross the
Hindenburg Line,
HMS Irresistible sinks after hitting a
mine in the
Dardanelles, a British
Vickers machine gun crew wears
gas masks during the Battle of the Somme,
Albatros D.III fighters of
Jagdstaffel 11
World War I
–
Sarajevo citizens reading a poster with the proclamation of the
Austrian annexation in 1908.
World War I
–
This picture is usually associated with the arrest of
Gavrilo Princip, although some believe it depicts Ferdinand Behr, a bystander.
World War I
–
Serbian Army
Blériot XI "Oluj", 1915.
9.
Stockholm
–
The city is spread across 14 islands on the coast in the southeast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Mälaren, by the Stockholm archipelago and the Baltic Sea. The area has settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC. It is also the capital of Stockholm County, Stockholm is the cultural, media, political, and economic centre of Sweden. The Stockholm region alone accounts for over a third of the countrys GDP and it is an important global city, and the main centre for corporate headquarters in the Nordic region. The city is home to some of Europes top ranking universities, such as the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institute and it hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet at the Stockholm Concert Hall and Stockholm City Hall. One of the citys most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited museum in Scandinavia. The Stockholm metro, opened in 1950, is known for its decoration of the stations. Swedens national football arena is located north of the city centre, Ericsson Globe, the national indoor arena, is in the southern part of the city. The city was the host of the 1912 Summer Olympics, and hosted the equestrian portion of the 1956 Summer Olympics otherwise held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Stockholm is the seat of the Swedish government and most of its agencies, including the highest courts in the judiciary, and the official residencies of the Swedish monarch and the Prime Minister. The government has its seat in the Rosenbad building, the Riksdag is seated in the Parliament House, and the Prime Ministers residence is adjacent at the Sager House. After the Ice Age, around 8,000 BCE, there were already a number of people living in the present-day Stockholm area. Thousands of years later, as the ground thawed, the climate became tolerable, at the intersection of the Baltic Sea and lake Mälaren is an archipelago site where the Old Town of Stockholm was first built from about 1000 CE by Vikings. They had a positive impact on the area because of the trade routes they created. Stockholms location appears in Norse sagas as Agnafit, and in Heimskringla in connection with the legendary king Agne, the earliest written mention of the name Stockholm dates from 1252, by which time the mines in Bergslagen made it an important site in the iron trade. The first part of the name means log in Swedish, although it may also be connected to an old German word meaning fortification, the second part of the name means islet, and is thought to refer to the islet Helgeandsholmen in central Stockholm. Stockholms core, the present Old Town was built on the island next to Helgeandsholmen from the mid 13th century onward. The city originally rose to prominence as a result of the Baltic trade of the Hanseatic League, Stockholm developed strong economic and cultural linkages with Lübeck, Hamburg, Gdańsk, Visby, Reval, and Riga during this time
Stockholm
–
Aerial view of the
Old Town,
Skeppsbron,
Stockholm City Hall,
Hötorget buildings,
Ericsson Globe and
Stockholm Palace.
Stockholm
–
Detail of engraving of Stockholm from
Suecia antiqua et hodierna by
Erik Dahlberg and
Willem Swidde, printed in 1693.
Stockholm
–
Panorama over Stockholm around 1868 as seen from a
hot air balloon
Stockholm
–
Kungsträdgården in Stockholm around 1890–1900
10.
Tourism in Sweden
–
7. 1% of Swedish household income is spent on domestic tourism. Sweden is mostly visited by tourists from neighbouring countries such as Denmark, Norway and Finland, other countries include Germany. Many tourists visit Sweden during summer when the temperatures are higher, especially Skåne and the central/south coasts of Sweden with its sandy beaches. Gotland as well gets many visitors summertime with charter flights from Germany to Visby airport, one tourist route is via train from southern to northern Sweden, viewing historical, natural and cultural attractions. This route is popular among German tourists. According to the CIA World Factbook, Sweden was the 21st most visited country in the world, Sweden has a number of World Heritage Sites, which are popular as tourist destinations. The horses are not allowed to gallop, they pull a small vehicle ridden by the human racer, due to Swedens northern location, the summer sun sets for only short periods of time. This phenomenon allows outdoor activities later in the evening than usual, Sweden has a large number of lakes and forests, the former are popular for fishing and canoeing. There are several lakes, including lakes Vättern and Vänern. The Göta Canal from Stockholm to Gothenburg allows for trips in the summer, hiking is popular in the summer, both in the forested regions as well as in the alpine landscapes. Mountain-hiking is limited to the northern and north-western parts of Sweden where a nearly 1000 km long and 50 to 200 km wide mountain range borders to Norway, Sweden, and Scandinavia in general, lacks notably high peaks. Despite this, dramatic areas are found in places. This area includes world famous mountain regions like the Sarek National Park and is referred to as Europes last wilderness or Europes Alaska. Covering about 9400 km², the Laponia area is the largest wilderness in Europe with vast areas of untouched nature, another popular area for Swedish mountain hiking is Kungsleden, or The Kings Trail. It is a 400 km long trail that reaches through nearly half the Swedish mountain range, from Abisko in the north and this hike does not require any extreme experience and manned mountain huts with accommodation and small shops are located along the trail. It is said to be a nature experience of world class. In the winter, the Jukkasjärvi ice hotel is built every year near the town of Kiruna. Kiruna is also used as a place from which to see the Aurora Borealis
Tourism in Sweden
–
View from southern Öland
Tourism in Sweden
–
Tanumshede rock carvings
Tourism in Sweden
–
The
Ice Hotel in
Jukkasjärvi
Tourism in Sweden
–
Gamla stan (Old town) in central Stockholm
11.
Ski jumping
–
Ski jumping is an Olympic winter sport which was firstly contested in Norway in the late 19th century, and later spread through Europe and North America in the early 20th century. The ski jumping venue consists of the ramp, take-off table. Each jump is evaluated according to the distance traveled and the style performed, the distance score is related to the construction point, which is a line drawn in the landing area and serves as a target for the competitors to reach. The score of each judge evaluating the style can reach a maximum of 20 points, the jumping techniques has evolved over the years, from jumps with the parallel skis with both arms pointing forwards, to the V-style, which is widely used today. Ski jumping has been included at the Winter Olympics since 1924, womens participation in the sport began in the 1990s, while the first womens event at the Olympics has been held in 2014. All major ski jumping competitions are organised by the International Ski Federation, stefan Kraft holds the official record for the longest ski jump with 253.5 metres, set in Vikersund in 2017. Ski jumping can also be performed in the summer on an in-run where the tracks are made from porcelain, the highest level summer competition is the FIS Ski Jumping Grand Prix, contested since 1994. Like most of the Nordic skiing disciplines, the first ski jumping competitions were held in Norway in the 19th century, the recorded origins of the first ski jump traces back to 1808, when Olaf Rye reached 9,5 metres. Sondre Norheim, who is regarded as the father of the ski jumping, won the first-ever ski jumping competition with prizes. The first larger ski jumping competition was held on Husebyrennet hill in Oslo, Norway, the event was moved to Holmenkollen in 1892 due to the poor infrastructure and the weather conditions, and is today still one of the main ski jumping events in the season. In the late 19th century, Sondre Norheim and Nordic skiier Karl Hovelsen emigrated to the United States, in 1924, ski jumping was featured at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. The sport has been featured at the every Olympics since then, in 1935, the origins of the ski flying began in Planica, Slovenia, where Josef Bradl became the first competitor in the history to jump over 100 metres. At the same venue, the first official jump over 200 metres was achieved in 1994, in 1964 in Zakopane, Poland, the large hill event was introduced at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. In the same year, the normal hill event was included on the Olympic programme at the 1964 Winter Olympics, the team event was added later, at the 1988 Winter Olympics. In 1990, qualifiers for the event were introduced to limit the number of competitors. The slopes are composed of the ramp and the hill and are classified according to the distance that the competitors travel in the air. Each hill has a point, which serves as a target that the competitors must reach. The classification of the hills are as follows, The winner is decided with a system based on distance, style, inrun length, gate factor
Ski jumping
–
A ski jumper,
Magnus Moan, descending the hill at
Holmenkollbakken in
Oslo
Ski jumping
–
Eidsberg church in Norway, the site of the first ever known ski jump—a distance of 9.5 metres—set by lieutenant
Olaf Rye in 1808
Ski jumping
–
Natasha Solovyov in her flight phase at
Tramplin Stork in
Nizhniy Tagil, 2014
Ski jumping
–
Primož Peterka at
Holmenkollbakken in
Oslo, 1998
12.
Alpine skiing
–
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the sport or recreation of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. It is typically practiced at ski resorts which provide such as ski lifts, artificial snow making and grooming, first aid. Back-country skiers use alpine skiing equipment to ski off the marked pistes, in cases with the assistance of snowmobiles. Alpine skiing has been an event at the Winter Olympic Games since 1936, as of 1994, there were estimated to be 55 million people worldwide, who engaged in Alpine skiing. Approximately 30 million of these were in Europe,15 million in the US, as of 1996, there were reportedly 4,500 ski areas, operating 26,000 ski lifts and enjoying skier visits. The preponderant region for downhills skiing was Europe, followed by Japan, a skier following the fall line will reach the maximum possible speed for that slope. A skier with skis pointed perpendicular to the line, across the hill instead of down it. The speed of descent down any given hill can be controlled by changing the angle of motion in relation to the fall line, downhill skiing technique focuses on the use of turns to smoothly turn the skis from one direction to another. Good technique results in a motion from one descent angle to another one. This looks more like a series of Ss than turns followed by straight sections. The oldest and still form of alpine ski turn is the stem. In doing so, the ski pushes snow forward and to the side, the force backwards directly counteracts gravity, and slows the skier. The force to the sides, if unbalanced, will cause the skier to turn, carving is based on the shape of the ski itself, when the ski is rotated onto its edge, the pattern cut into its side causes it to bend into an arc. The contact between the arc of the ski edges and the snow naturally causes the ski to tend to move along that arc, slowing the skier, modern alpine skis are shaped to enable carve turning, and have evolved significantly since the 1980s. During the 1930s, the Kandahar binding was introduced, which could be locked down at the heel for the downhill portions, the Kandahar remained in widespread use until the 1960s. As more skiers took up the sport, especially in the 1950s, dr. Richard Spademan saw 150 spiral fractures pass through his emergency department near Squaw Valley in three days, an event that led to the development of the Spademan binding. By the early 1950s, several safety bindings were on the market allowed the ski to come off when the ski twisted to the side. This helped reduce the incidence of spiral fractures, originally boots were cut low, just over the ankle, and soft laterally, both of which limited the amount of sideways rotating force that could be applied
Alpine skiing
–
Alpine ski slope in the
Zillertal valley,
Austria
Alpine skiing
–
Alpine ski slopes in
San Carlos de Bariloche (
Argentina)
Alpine skiing
–
A collection of differing types of alpine skis, with nordic and telemark skis at far left. From right: a group of powder skis, a group of twin-tip skis, a group of carving (parabolic) skis, and then an older-type non-sidecut alpine ski along with the non-alpine skis.
13.
Cross-country skiing
–
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is practiced as a sport and recreational activity, however. Variants of cross-country skiing are adapted to a range of terrain which spans unimproved, modern cross-country skiing is similar to the original form of skiing, from which all skiing disciplines evolved, including alpine skiing, ski jumping and Telemark skiing. Skiers propel themselves either by striding forward or side-to-side in a skating motion and it is practised in regions with snow-covered landscapes, including Northern Europe, Canada, Russia and regions in the United States. Competitive cross-country skiing is one of the Nordic skiing sports, Cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship are the two components of biathlon, ski-orienteering is a form of cross-country skiing, which includes map navigation along snow trails and tracks. The word ski comes from the Old Norse word skíð which means stick of wood, Skiing started as a technique for traveling cross-country over snow on skis, starting almost five millennia ago with beginnings in Scandinavia. It may have practised as early as 600 BCE in Daxinganling. Early historical evidence includes Procopius description of Sami people as skrithiphinoi translated as ski running samis, birkely argues that the Sami people have practiced skiing for more than 6000 years, evidenced by the very old Sami word čuoigat for skiing. Egil Skallagrimssons 950 CE saga describes King Haakon the Goods practice of sending his tax collectors out on skis, the Gulating law stated that No moose shall be disturbed by skiers on private land. Cross-country skiing evolved from a means of transportation to being a world-wide recreational activity and sport. Early skiers used one long pole or spear in addition to the skis, the first depiction of a skier with two ski poles dates to 1741. This combination has a long history among the Sami people, skis up to 280 cm have been produced in Finland, and the longest recorded ski in Norway is 373 cm. Ski warfare, the use of ski-equipped troops in war, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century and these troops were reportedly able to cover distances comparable to that of light cavalry. The garrison in Trondheim used skis at least from 1675, skis were used in military exercises in 1747. In 1799 French traveller Jacques de la Tocnaye recorded his visit to Norway in his travel diary, Norwegian immigrant Snowshoe Thompson transported mail by skiing across the Sierra Nevada between California and Nevada from 1856. In 1888 Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen and his team crossed the Greenland icecap on skis, Norwegian workers on the Buenos Aires - Valparaiso railway line introduced skiing in South America around 1890. In 1910 Roald Amundsen used skis on his South Pole Expedition, in 1902 the Norwegian consul in Kobe imported ski equipment and introduced skiing to the Japanese, motivated by the death of Japanese soldiers during a snow storm. An early record of a ski competition occurred in Tromsø,1843
Cross-country skiing
–
Cross-country skiers in western Norway.
Cross-country skiing
–
Depiction of loyal retainers transporting
Prince Haakon IV of Norway to safety on skis during the winter of 1206.
Cross-country skiing
–
German
Reichswehr military patrol on skis training in the
Giant Mountains, 1932.
Cross-country skiing
–
Michal Malák skate-skis at a qualifier for the
Tour de Ski, 2007.
14.
Skeleton (sport)
–
Skeleton is a winter sliding sport in which a person rides a small sled, known as a skeleton bobsled down a frozen track while lying face down, as well as the name of the sled employed. Unlike other sliding sports of bobsleigh and luge, the race always involves single riders, like bobsleigh, but unlike luge, the race begins with a running start from the opening gate at the top of the course. The sport were named from the appearance of the sled. Previously, skeleton bob appeared in the Olympic program in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1928 and it was added permanently to the Olympic program for the 2002 Winter Olympics, at which stage a womens race was added. During elite racing the rider experiences forces up to 5 g, the skeleton originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland, as a spinoff of the popular British sport called Cresta sledding. Skeleton sleds are steered using torque provided by the head and shoulders, the Cresta toboggan does not have a steering or braking mechanism, though Cresta riders use rakes on their boots in addition to shifting body weight to help steer and brake. The sport of skeleton can be traced to 1882, when English soldiers constructed a track between the towns of Davos and Klosters. While toboggan tracks were not uncommon at the time, the challenge of curves and bends in the Swiss track distinguished it from those of Canada. In 1884, Major William Bulpett, with the backing of winter sports pioneer and Kulm hotel owner Caspar Badrutt, constructed Cresta Run, the track ran three-quarters of a mile from St. Moritz to Celerina and contained ten turns still used today. In the 1887 Grand National competition in St. Moritz, a Mr. Cornish introduced the now-traditional head-first position, until 1905, skeleton was practiced mainly in Switzerland, however, in 1905, Styria held its first skeleton competition in Mürzzuschlag, Austria. This opened the door to other national skeleton competitions including the Austrian championship held the following year, in 1908 and 1910, skeleton competitions were held in the Semmering Pass. As the popularity of the sport grew, skeleton evolved into the sport recognized today, in 1892, the sled was transformed by L. P. Child, an Englishman. The newly designed bare-bones sled resembled a skeleton, and the sport adopted its modern name of skeleton. In 1923, the Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing was established as the body of the sport. Soon afterward, in 1926, the International Olympic Committee declared bobsleigh and skeleton as Olympic sports and it was not until 2002, however, that skeleton itself was added to the Olympic program with the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, the FIBT narrows the field greatly and only a few dozen countries compete in the Winter Olympic Games, the accessibility of skeleton to amateurs may have been the catalyst for its upswing in popularity. Most notably, Nino Bibbia, a fruit and vegetable merchant from St. Moritz, with the advent of the first artificially refrigerated track in 1969 at Königssee/Berchtesgaden, Germany, athletes are currently able to practice the sport regardless of weather conditions. The sport is promoted by skeleton officials as a gateway sport to “train young, aspiring athletes…for their future career in bobsleigh. ”The major competitions of non-Olympic seasons include the World Championships and World Cups
Skeleton (sport)
–
Brady Canfield pushes off at the start
15.
Speed skating
–
Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, in the Olympic Games, long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just speed skating, while short-track speed skating is known as short track. The ISU, the body of both ice sports, refers to long track as speed skating and short track as short track skating. The standard rink for long track is 400 meters long, but tracks of 200,250 and it is one of two Olympic forms of the sport and the one with the longer history. An international federation was founded in 1892, the first for any winter sport, the sport enjoys large popularity in the Netherlands and Norway. There are top international rinks in a number of countries, including Canada. A World Cup circuit is held with events in those countries, International Skating Union rules allow some leeway in the size and radius of curves. Short track speed skating takes place on a rink, normally the size of an ice hockey rink. Distances are shorter than in long-track racing, with the longest Olympic individual race being 1500 meters, races are usually held as knockouts, with the best two in heats of four or five qualifying for the final race, where medals are awarded. Disqualifications and falls are not uncommon, there are variations on the mass-start races. In the regulations of roller sports, eight different types of mass starts are described, races usually have some rules about disqualification if an opponent is unfairly hindered, these rules vary between the disciplines. In mass-start races, skaters will usually be allowed some physical contact, relay races are also held in short track and inline competitions, but here, exchanges may take place at any time during the race, though exchanges may be banned during the last couple of laps. Most speed skating races are held on a course. Oval sizes vary, in track speed skating, the rink must be an oval of 111.12 metres. Inline skating rinks are between 125 and 400 metres, though banked tracks can only be 250 metres long, inline skating can also be held on closed road courses between 400 and 1,000 metres, as well as open-road competitions where starting and finishing lines do not coincide. This is also a feature of outdoor marathons and it was much later, in the 16th century, that people started seeing skating as fun and perhaps even a sporting activity. Later, in Norway, King Eystein Magnusson, later King Eystein I of Norway, however, skating and speed skating was not limited to the Netherlands and Scandinavia, in 1592, a Scotsman designed a skate with an iron blade. It was iron-bladed skates that led to the spread of skating and, in particular, while in the Netherlands, people began touring the waterways connecting the 11 cities of Friesland, a challenge which eventually led to the Elfstedentocht
Speed skating
–
Paulien van Deutekom in
Thialf in 2007
Speed skating
–
Long track speed skating in
Thialf in 2008
Speed skating
–
Short-track speed skaters racing through a curve
Speed skating
–
Individual start
16.
Figure skating
–
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, duos, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport included in the Olympics, in 1908, the four Olympic disciplines are mens singles, ladies singles, pair skating and ice dancing. Non-Olympic disciplines include synchronized skating and four skating, the blade has a groove on the bottom creating two distinct edges — inside and outside. Judges prefer that skaters glide on one edge of the blade, during a spin, skaters use the sweet spot of the blade, which is the roundest portion of the blade, just behind the pick and near the middle of the blade. Skates used in single and pair skating have a set of large, toe picks are mainly used for the take-off on jumps. Ice dancing blades are an inch shorter in the rear and have smaller toe picks, Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level at local, regional, national, and international competitions. The International Skating Union regulates international figure skating judging and competitions and these include the Winter Olympics, the World Championships, the World Junior Championships, the European Championships, the Four Continents Championships, and the Grand Prix series. The sport is also associated with show business, major competitions generally conclude with exhibition galas, in which the top skaters from each discipline perform non-competitive programs. Many skaters, both during and after their careers, also skate in ice shows which run during the competitive season. The term professional in skating refers not to level but competitive status. Figure skaters competing at the highest levels of competition are not professional skaters. They are sometimes referred to as amateurs, though some earn money, professional skaters include those who have lost their ISU eligibility and those who perform only in shows. They may include former Olympic and World champions who have ended their career as well as skaters with little or no international competitive experience. In languages other than English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, Polish and Russian, the most visible difference in relation to ice hockey skates is that figure skates have a set of large, jagged teeth called toe picks on the front part of the blade. The toe picks are used primarily in jumping and should not be used for stroking or spins, if used during a spin, the toe pick will cause the skater to lose momentum, or move away from the center of his/her spin. Blades are mounted to the sole and heel of the boot with screws, typically, high-level figure skaters are professionally fitted for their boots and blades at a reputable skate shop. Professionals are also employed to sharpen blades to individual requirements, Blades are about 3/16 inch thick. When viewed from the side, the blade of a figure skate is not flat and this curvature is referred to as the rocker of the blade
Figure skating
–
An 1862 lithograph depicting skating in the 19th century
Figure skating
–
Figure skates and edges
Figure skating
–
Close-up of a figure skating blade, showing the toe picks, the hollow (groove) on the bottom surface of the blade, and screw attachment to the boot.
Figure skating
–
Sharpening of blades
17.
Bandy
–
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing teams goal. Based on the number of participating athletes, bandy is the second most popular winter sport after ice hockey. Bandy also is the two winter sport in tickets sold per day of competitions at the sports world championship compared to the other winter sports. The sport is considered a form of hockey and has a background with association football, ice hockey. Like football, the game is played in halves of 45 minutes each, there are eleven players on each team. It is played on ice like ice hockey, but like field hockey, players use bowed sticks, a variant of bandy, rink bandy, is played to the same rules but on a field the size of an ice hockey rink and with fewer people on each team. Bandy is also the predecessor of floorball, which was invented when people started playing with plastic bandy-shaped sticks, Russian monastery records dating back to the 10th to 11th centuries record games which may be ancestors of bandy. A game that could be recognized as essentially modern bandy was played in Russia by the early 18th century, although the rules used differed from those invented in England at a much later date. In modern times, Russia has held a top position in the bandy area, Russians see themselves as the creators of the sport, which is reflected by the unofficial title for bandy, Russian hockey. The first match, more recently dubbed the original match, was held at The Crystal Palace in London in 1875. However, at the time, the game was called hockey on the ice, the name bandy comes from Britain, which has played an important role in the sports development. Bando, a game played in Wales in the Middle Ages and it was played throughout the country in varying forms and is still found in some areas. The earliest example of the Welsh-language term bando occurs in a dictionary by John Walters published in 1770–94, the game became particularly popular in the Cynffig-Margam district of the Vale of Glamorgan where wide stretches of sandy beaches afforded ample room for play. As a winter sport, British bandy originated in the Fens of East Anglia where large expanses of ice formed on flooded meadows or shallow washes in cold winters, members of the Bury Fen Bandy Club published rules of the game in 1882, and introduced it into other countries. The first international took place in 1891 between Bury Fen and the then Haarlemsche Hockey & Bandy Club from the Netherlands. The same year, the National Bandy Association was started in England, the first national bandy league was started in Sweden in 1902. Bandy was played at the Nordic Games in Stockholm in 1905, a European championship was held in 1913 with eight countries participating. The highest altitude where bandy has been played is in the capital of the Tajik autonomous province of Gorno-Badakhshan, as a precursor to ice hockey bandy has influenced its development and history – mainly in European and former Soviet countries
Bandy
–
Swedish Bandy players in January 2011
Bandy
–
An international bandy game between Finland and Norway at the
2004 Women's World Championships in
Lappeenranta
Bandy
–
Match between
Helenelunds IK and
AIK at Sollentunavallen in
Sweden in 2006
Bandy
–
The making of a historic bandy ball, from the original cork on the left to the final ball painted red. To the far right is a modern
bandy ball.
18.
Curling
–
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice towards a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules and shuffleboard, two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called rocks, across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a circular target marked on the ice. A game usually consists of eight or ten ends and this gives curling its nickname of chess on ice. Curling was invented in medieval Scotland, with the first written reference to a contest using stones on ice coming from the records of Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire, in February 1541. Evidence that curling existed in Scotland in the early 16th century includes a stone inscribed with the date 1511 uncovered when an old pond was drained at Dunblane. Kilsyth Curling Club claims to be the first club in the world, having been constituted in 1716. Kilsyth also claims the oldest purpose-built curling pond in the world at Colzium, the word curling first appears in print in 1620 in Perth, Scotland, in the preface and the verses of a poem by Henry Adamson. The game was known as the roaring game because of the sound the stones make while traveling over the pebble. The verbal noun curling is formed from the Scots verb curl, in the early history of curling, the playing stones were simply flat-bottomed river stones, which were of inconsistent size, shape and smoothness. Unlike today, the thrower had little control over the curl or velocity and relied more on luck than on precision, skill and strategy. In Darvel, East Ayrshire, the weavers relaxed by playing curling matches using the heavy weights from the looms warp beams. Many a wife would keep her husbands brass curling stone handle on the mantelpiece, central Canadian curlers often used irons rather than stones until the early 1900s, Canada is the only country known to have done so, while others experimented with wood or ice-filled tins. Outdoor curling was very popular in Scotland between the 16th and 19th centuries because the climate provided good ice conditions every winter, today, the game is most firmly established in Canada, having been taken there by Scottish emigrants. The Royal Montreal Curling Club, the oldest established sports club still active in North America, was established in 1807. The first curling club in the United States was established in 1830, today, curling is played all over Europe and has spread to Brazil, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Korea. The first world championship for curling was limited to men and was known as the Scotch Cup, held in Falkirk and Edinburgh, Scotland, the first world title was won by the Canadian team from Regina, Saskatchewan, skipped by Ernie Richardson. Curling was one of the first sports that were popular with women, Curling has been an official sport in the Winter Olympic Games since the 1998 Winter Olympics. It currently includes mens and womens tournaments, a mixed doubles Olympic event was considered but rejected for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games
Curling
–
Curling games taking place during the
2005 Tim Hortons Brier
Curling
–
Purpose-built curling pond at Colzium, Kilsyth, Scotland
Curling
–
A curling match at
Eglinton Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland in 1860. The
Curling House is located to the left of the picture.
Curling
–
A
Curling House near
Stewarton in Ayrshire, Scotland, now converted into a dwelling
19.
Fencing
–
Fencing, also called Olympic fencing, is a sport in which two competitors fight using rapier-style swords, winning points by making contact with their opponent. Fencing was one of the first sports to be played in the Olympics, there are three forms of modern fencing, each using a different style of weapon and different rules, and as such the sport is divided into three competitive scenes, foil, épée, and sabre. Most competitive fencers choose to specialise in one weapon. Competitive fencing is one of five activities which have featured in every one of the modern Olympic Games, the other four being athletics, cycling, swimming. Fencing is governed by Fédération Internationale dEscrime, today, its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. The FIE is composed of 145 national federations, each of which is recognised by its countrys Olympic Committee as the representative of Olympic-style fencing in that country. The FIE maintains the current rules used for FIE sanctioned international events, including cups, world championships. The FIE handles proposals to change the rules the first year after an Olympic year in the annual congress, the US Fencing Association has slightly different rules, but usually adhere to FIE standards. Fencing traces its roots to the development of swordsmanship for duels, the ancestor of modern fencing originated in Spain, where several books on fencing were written. In conquest, the Spanish forces carried fencing around the world, particularly southern Italy, Fencing was mentioned in the play The Merry Wives of Windsor written sometime prior to 1602. The mechanics of modern fencing originated in the 18th century in an Italian school of fencing of the Renaissance, the Spanish school of fencing stagnated and was replaced by the Italian and French schools. There, he taught the aristocracy the fashionable art of swordsmanship and his school was run by three generations of his family and dominated the art of European fencing for almost a century. He established the rules of posture and footwork that still govern modern sport fencing. The first regularized fencing competition was held at the inaugural Grand Military Tournament and Assault at Arms in 1880, held at the Royal Agricultural Hall, the Tournament featured a series of competitions between army officers and soldiers. Each bout was fought for five hits and the foils were pointed with black to aid the judges, the Amateur Gymnastic & Fencing Association drew up an official set of fencing regulations in 1896. Fencing was part of the Olympics Games in the summer of 1896, starting with épée in 1933, side judges were replaced by the Laurent-Pagan electrical scoring apparatus, with an audible tone and a red or green light indicating when a touch landed. Foil was automated in 1956, sabre in 1988, the scoring box reduced the bias in judging, and permitted more accurate scoring of faster actions, lighter touches, and more touches to the back and flank than before. There are three weapons in modern fencing, foil, épée, and sabre, each weapon has its own rules and strategies
Fencing
–
Final of the Challenge Réseau Ferré de France–Trophée Monal 2012, épée world cup tournament in
Paris.
Fencing
–
Fencing School at
Leiden University, 1610
Fencing
–
1763 fencing print from
Domenico Angelo 's instruction book. Angelo was instrumental in turning fencing into an athletic sport.
Fencing
–
Jacket
20.
Swimming (sport)
–
Swimming is an individual or team sport that involves using arms and legs to move the body through water. Typically, the takes place in pools or in open-water. Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports, with events in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, in addition to these individual events, swimmers also take part in relays. Swimming each stroke requires specific techniques, and in competition, there are specific regulations concerning the form for different strokes. There are also put in place to regulate what types of swimsuits are allowed at competitions. Although it is possible for competitive swimmers to incur several injuries from the sport, evidence of recreational swimming in prehistoric times has been found, with the earliest evidence dating to Stone Age paintings from around 10000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC, with some of the earliest references to swimming including the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible, Beowulf, the Quran and others. In 1538, Nikolaus Wynmann, a German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, Swimming emerged as a competitive recreational activity in the 1830s in England. In 1828, the first indoor swimming pool, St Georges Baths was opened to the public, by 1837, the National Swimming Society was holding regular swimming competitions in six artificial swimming pools, built around London. In 1844 two Native American participants at a competition in London introduced the front crawl to a European audience. Sir John Arthur Trudgen picked up the stroke from some South American natives and successfully debuted the new stroke in 1873. His stroke is still regarded as the most powerful to use today, captain Matthew Webb was the first man to swim the English Channel, in 1875. Using the breaststroke technique, he swam the channel 21.26 miles in 21 hours and 45 minutes and his feat was not replicated or surpassed for the next 36 years, until T. W. Burgess made the crossing in 1911. Other European countries also established swimming federations, Germany in 1882, France in 1890, the first European amateur swimming competitions were in 1889 in Vienna. The worlds first womens swimming championship was held in Scotland in 1892, mens swimming became part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. In 1902, the Australian Richmond Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western world, in 1908, the world swimming association, Fédération Internationale de Natation, was formed. Womens swimming was introduced into the Olympics in 1912, the first international tournament for women outside the Olympics was the 1922 Womens Olympiad, Butterfly was developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952. Competitive swimming became popular in the 19th century, the goal of competitive swimming is to break personal or world records while beating competitors in any given event
Swimming (sport)
–
Start of the 4 × 100 meters relay in the
2008 Summer Olympics.
Swimming (sport)
–
Leander swimming across the
Hellespont. Detail from a painting by
Bernard Picart.
Swimming (sport)
–
The routes taken by
Webb and T.W. Burgess across the
English Channel, in 1875 and 1911, respectively.
Swimming (sport)
–
World record holder and Olympic gold medalist
Michael Phelps in the 400 IM.
21.
Sledding
–
Sledding, sledging or tobogganing is a worldwide winter activity, generally carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled, a sledge, or a toboggan. It is the basis of three Olympic sports, luge, skeleton and bobsledding, the practical use of sleds is ancient and widespread. They were developed in areas with consistent winter snow cover, as vehicles to transport materials and/or people, far more efficiently than wheeled vehicles could in icy, early designs included hand-pulled sizes as well as larger dog, horse, or ox drawn versions. Early examples of sleds and sledges were found in the Oseberg Viking ship excavation, the Toboggan sled is also a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada and the people of Ancient Egypt are thought to have used sledges extensively for construction. The generic term sledding refers to traveling down a hill using a sled such as a flexible flyer with wooden slats. Flat plastic or aluminum discs and improvised sleds may also be used, the activity has been known to exist as a fringe recreational activity far into the distant murky past in toboggan-type sleds which seasonally supplant the ubiquitous cart. First, back country sleds are made of plastic material. Second, the construction, with a large amount of snow-side surface area keeps the sled afloat in deeper snow conditions. Though the original runner sleds possessed directional control, their thin runner blades bogged down in anything, disk sleds, on the other hand, possessed floatation but no directional control. Third, modern back country sleds have a system, which usually consists of a simple belt strap that attaches to the sides of the sled. With the sledder in the position, the strap may go over the sledders thighs or calves before connecting with the strap from the other side of the sled with some sort of buckling device. Finally, back country sleds have foam pads glued for the sledder to kneel on for shock absorption, one such sled is the Mad River Rocket. Back country sledding is a kin to back country alpine skiing or snowboarding than to traditional pile the family in the van. The terrain for back country sledding includes powder-filled steeps, open bowls, cliff-filled ridges. Back country sleds, with the system and padding, may also be used for freestyle moves such as spins and flips off jumps. Though similarities exist between back country sledding and alpine skiing/snowboarding, important differences separate the disciplines, from a technical perspective, the lack of a metal edge and the lower center of gravity make it more difficult to control a back country sled on icy or packed snow surfaces. From an access perspective, alpine resorts do not allow sledding on the actual mountain, the first ride down a hill on a sled is the most important, but most also the most difficult, as it determines the path of the sled for further runs down the hill. It is essential to steer the sled along the most exciting course, perhaps adding twists, other techniques to improve the ride include turning around, lying on the stomach, or closing both eyes
Sledding
–
A family sledding
Sledding
–
Old-fashioned wooden sled (or
Toboggan without runners)
Sledding
–
A backcountry sled (a kid's size Mad River Rocket - Stinger)
Sledding
–
Schlitteln, Schweizer Alpen, ~1890-1910
22.
Hunting
–
Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping animals, or pursuing or tracking them with the intent of doing so. Hunting wildlife or feral animals is most commonly done by humans for food, recreation, to predators that are dangerous to humans or domestic animals. Lawful hunting is distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species. The species that are hunted are referred to as game or prey and are usually mammals, Hunting can also be a means of pest control. However, hunting has also contributed to the endangerment, extirpation and extinction of many animals. The pursuit, capture and release, or capture for food of fish is called fishing, the practice of foraging or gathering materials from plants and mushrooms is also considered separate from hunting. The word hunt serves as both a noun and a verb, the noun has been dated to the early 12th century, act of chasing game, from the verb hunt. The meaning of a body of persons associated for the purpose of hunting with a pack of hounds is first recorded in the 1570s, meaning the act of searching for someone or something is from about 1600. The verb, Old English huntian to chase game, perhaps developed from hunta hunter, is related to hentan to seize, from Proto-Germanic huntojan, the general sense of search diligently is first recorded c. Hunting has a history and may well pre-date the rise of the species Homo sapiens. Evidence from western Kenya suggests that hunting has been occurring for more two million years. Furthermore, evidence exists that hunting may have one of the multiple environmental factors leading to the Holocene extinction of megafauna. North American megafauna extinction was coincidental with the Younger Dryas impact event, however, in other locations such as Australia, humans are thought to have played a very significant role in the extinction of the Australian megafauna that was widespread prior to human occupation. The closest surviving relatives of the species are the two species of Pan, the common chimpanzee and bonobos. Common chimpanzees have a diet that includes troop hunting behaviour based on beta males being led by an alpha male. Bonobos have also observed to occasionally engage in group hunting. With the establishment of language, culture, and religion, hunting became a theme of stories and myths, as well as such as dance. Hunting was a component of hunter-gatherer societies before the domestication of livestock
Hunting
–
Boar hunting,
Tacuinum Sanitatis (a medieval handbook on health and wellbeing) (14th century)
Hunting
–
Mughal aristocrats hunting a
blackbuck alongside an
Asiatic cheetah.
Hunting
–
Saharan rock art
Hunting
–
Inuit walrus hunters
23.
Car racing
–
Auto racing is a sport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Almost as soon as automobiles had been invented, races of various sorts were organised, by the 1930s specialist racing cars had developed. There are now numerous different categories, each with different rules and it was won by the carriage of Isaac Watt Boulton. Internal combustion auto racing events began soon after the construction of the first successful gasoline-fueled automobiles, the first organized contest was on April 28,1887, by the chief editor of Paris publication Le Vélocipède, Monsieur Fossier. It ran 2 kilometres from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne, on July 22,1894, the Parisian magazine Le Petit Journal organized what is considered to be the worlds first motoring competition, from Paris to Rouen. One hundred and two competitors paid a 10-franc entrance fee, the first American automobile race is generally held to be the Thanksgiving Day Chicago Times-Herald race of November 28,1895. Press coverage of the event first aroused significant American interest in the automobile, brooklands, in Surrey, was the first purpose-built motor racing venue, opening in June 1907. It featured a 4.43 km concrete track with high-speed banked corners, One of the oldest existing purpose-built automobile racing circuits in the United States, still in use, is the 2. 5-mile -long Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It is the largest capacity venue of any variety worldwide, with a top capacity of some 257. NASCAR was founded by Bill France, Sr. on February 21,1948, the first NASCAR Strictly Stock race ever was held on June 19,1949, at Daytona Beach, Florida. From 1962, sports cars temporarily took a seat to GT cars. From 1972 through 2003, NASCARs premier series was called the Winston Cup Series, the changes that resulted from RJRs involvement, as well as the reduction of the schedule from 48 to 31 races a year, established 1972 as the beginning of NASCARs modern era. The IMSA GT Series evolved into the American Le Mans Series, the European races eventually became the closely related Le Mans Series, both of which mix prototypes and GTs. The best-known variety of racing, Formula One, which hosts the famous Monaco Grand Prix. In single-seater, the wheels are not covered, and the cars often have aerofoil wings front, in Europe and Asia, open-wheeled racing is commonly referred to as Formula, with appropriate hierarchical suffixes. In North America, the Formula terminology is not followed, the sport is usually arranged to follow an international format, a regional format, and/or a domestic, or country-specific, format. In North America, the used in the National Championship have traditionally been similar though less sophisticated than F1 cars. The series most famous race is the Indianapolis 500, the other major international single-seater racing series is GP2
Car racing
–
Jimmie Johnson leads the field racing three-wide multiple rows back at
Daytona International Speedway in the
2015 Daytona 500.
Car racing
–
Albert Lemaître classified first in his
Peugeot Type 5 3hp in the
Paris–Rouen.
Car racing
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Fernand Gabriel driving a
Mors in
Paris-Madrid 1903
Car racing
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A remaining section of the
Brooklands track in 2007
24.
Motorcycle racing
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Motorcycle racing is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major genres include road racing and off road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing, other categories include hill climbs, drag racing and land speed record trials. The FIM classifies motorcycle racing in the four main categories. Each category has several sub categories, Road racing is the sport of racing motorcycles on hard surfaces resembling roads, usually paved with tarmac. Races can take place either on purpose-built racing circuits or on closed public roads, historically, road racing meant a course on closed public road. This was once commonplace but currently only a few such circuits have survived, races take place on publics roads which have been temporarily closed to the public by legal orders from the local legislature. Two championships exist, the first is the International Road Racing Championship, the latter accounts for the majority of road races that take place each season, with an award for the highest placed rider. Prominent road races include the Isle of Man TT, North West 200, ireland has many road racing circuits still in use. Other countries with road races are the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Grand Prix motorcycle racing refers to the premier category of motorcycle road racing. This class is restricted by rider age, with an upper limit of 25 for newly signed riders and wild card entries. Moto2, Introduced by Dorna Sports, the rights holder of the competition. Prior to that season, the class was 250 cc with two-stroke engines. Moto2 races in the 2010 season allowed both engine types, from 2011 on, only the four-stroke Moto2 machines were allowed, motoGP, is the current term for the highest class of GP racing. The class was contested with prototype machines with varying displacement and engine type over the years, originally contested by large displacement four stroke machines in the early years it eventually switched to 500 cc two strokes. In 2002990 cc four-stroke bikes were allowed to compete alongside the 500 cc two strokes and then replaced them in 2003. 2007 saw a reduction to 800 cc four stroke engines to slow things down a bit before finally settling on 1000 cc four strokes in 2012. Grand prix motorcycles are prototype machines not based on any production motorcycle, superbike racing is the category of motorcycle road racing that employs modified production motorcycles. Superbike racing motorcycles must have four engines of between 800 cc and 1200 cc for twins, and between 750 cc and 1000 cc for four cylinder machines
Motorcycle racing
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Two motorcycles racing at Lydden
Motorcycle racing
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MotoGP racing
Motorcycle racing
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Superbike racing
Motorcycle racing
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Supersport racing
25.
Hot air ballooning
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Hot air ballooning is the activity of flying hot air balloons. Attractive aspects of ballooning include the exceptional quiet, the lack of a feeling of movement, the first clearly recorded instance of a balloon carrying passengers used hot air to generate buoyancy and was built by the brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier in Annonay, France. The first free flight with passengers was on November 21,1783. King Louis XVI had originally decreed that condemned criminals would be the first pilots, modern hot air ballooning was born in 1960, when Ed Yost launched a balloon with a new nylon envelope and propane burner system of his own invention. Yosts first balloon was basketless, with nothing but a seat for him to ride on, today, hot air balloons are used primarily for recreation. According to the FAAs General Aviation Survey data, in 2012, there were about 2,300 personally owned and flown balloons, since piloting a balloon requires some effort, many people opt to purchase a balloon flight from a company offering balloon rides. Balloon rides are available in locations around the world and are especially popular in tourist areas. Balloon festivals are a way to see hot air balloons close up. Balloon festivals usually include other activities like entertainment, amusement rides. Hot air balloons are able to fly to extremely high altitudes, on November 26,2005, Vijaypat Singhania set the world altitude record for highest hot air balloon flight, reaching 21,290 meters. He took off from downtown Mumbai, India and landed 240 km south in Panchale, the previous record of 19,811 meters had been set by Per Lindstrand on June 6,1988 in Plano, Texas. However, as with all unpressurised aircraft, oxygen is needed for all crew and passengers on any flight that reaches. On January 15,1991, a called the Pacific Flyer carrying Per Lindstrand and Richard Branson of the UK flew from Japan to Northern Canada. With a volume of 74,000 m³, the envelope was the largest ever built for a hot air craft. Designed to fly in the trans-oceanic jetstreams the Pacific Flyer recorded the highest ground speed for a balloon of 245 mph. Most hot air balloon launches are made during the hours of the day. At these times of day, the winds are typically light making for easier launch, flying at these times also avoids thermals, which are vertical air currents caused by ground heating that make it more difficult to control the balloon. In the extreme, the associated with strong thermals can exceed the ability of a balloon to climb
Hot air ballooning
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Hot air balloon pilot and passenger in basket
Hot air ballooning
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A model of the Montgolfier brothers balloon at the
London Science Museum
Hot air ballooning
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Hot air balloons in flight
Hot air ballooning
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Early morning departures
26.
Kicksled
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The kicksled or spark is a small sled consisting of a chair mounted on a pair of flexible metal runners which extend backward to about twice the chairs length. The sled is propelled by kicking the ground by foot, there is a handlebar attached to the top of the chair back. Kicksled is a translation of the Finnish word potkukelkka. Some other possible translations are kicker and chair-sled, the typical adult sized sled has runners about 2 m long, spaced 400 mm apart. The steel runner blades are about 5 mm wide, the handlebars are about 900 mm above ground. The kicksled is driven forward by the driver standing on one runner, kicking backwards on the ground with the other foot, the flexibility of the runners allows the driver to steer the kicksled by twisting the handlebars. One can have a passenger or luggage on the chair seat, the kicksled can also be used as a dog sled. A kicksled is designed to be used on hard, slippery surfaces like ice or hardpacked snow, to kicksled in deeper, more powdery snow, extra-wide plastic snow runners are attached to the standard, thin runners of the sled. On very smooth, bare ice, the use of devices like spiked shoes or crampons improves kicking force. On level ground, one can reach a speed of 15 km/h to 20 km/h. The kicksled is in use in Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is also an excellent means of travelling over frozen lakes to go ice fishing or just to explore the lake, kicksledding on lake ice shares many of the same features as tour skating. Some models also include a wheel kit allowing to transform the sled to a kind of walking aid for summer use and this type is especially popular amongst the elderly. The first definite record of a kicksled was in a newspaper in northern Sweden around 1870, the kicksleds of that era had stiff wooden runners and were heavy. In 1909 the design of the modern kicksled with flexible metal runners was introduced by the Swedish factory Orsasparken which quickly became standard in Finland, Sweden, in the years 1890 to 1910 kicksled racing was a popular sport, especially in Sweden. Kicksled racing was an event in the Nordic Games, which were the ancestor of the Winter Olympics. Around 1990 kicksled racing was revived as a sport in Finland. There are races of up to 100 kilometres long and the speed is around 30 km/h
Kicksled
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Kicksled with child.
Kicksled
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Kicksledding.
Kicksled
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Kicksled and dog.
Kicksled
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Kicksled on ice
27.
Pulk
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A pulk is a Nordic short, low-slung small toboggan used in sport or for transport, pulled by a dog or a skier, or in Lapland pulled by reindeer. The sled can be used to carry such as a tent or food. In Norway, pulks are often used by families with children on skiing trips. In Finland and Sweden, pulks are often used, mostly by children, pulks are nowadays made of plastic, which makes them inexpensive. A larger pulk, designed for transporting larger amounts of goods, is called ahkio in Finnish and this word is also used by the US Army for a human-drawn snow sled. Skijoring Mushing Sled The Gear Junkie, a syndicated U. S
Pulk
–
Pulk or ahkio pulled by a skier
28.
International Skating Union
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It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands, in 1892, making it one of the oldest international sport federations. The ISU was formed to establish standardized international rules and regulations for the disciplines it governs. It is now based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the International Skating Union was founded in 1892 to govern speed skating and figure skating. In 1895, the ISU streamlined its mission to deal only with amateur competitors, the organization hosted its first amateur skating championship in February 1896 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The United States and Canada formed an organization, the International Skating Union of America. Within the next two years, twelve European nations had joined the ISU, and the ISUA had only its original members, European and North American figure skaters rarely competed against each other due to differences in their styles of skating. The ISU had systematized and arranged the sport of figure skating, five minutes free skating to music. In 1911, Canada joined the ISU, leaving the United States as the major competitor to not be a member. Short track speed skating gained its own world championship event, hosted by the ISU, at the time, the sport was known as indoor speed skating, but it was renamed short-track when indoor rinks for the longer speed skating events were introduced. By 1988,38 nations had joined the ISU, within the next few years, the ISU abandoned one of its long-held practices, eliminating the use of mandatory figures in the singles figure skating competitions and reducing their use in ice dancing. After the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, in one of the short track speed skating events, Apolo Anton Ohno was awarded the gold medal after the disqualification of Kim Dong-Sung. Although the South Korean delegation protested the disqualification, ISU rules did not allow for a review of the officials call, several months later, the ISU approved the use of video replay, when available, to review referee decisions. The rules for judging figure skating were also changed as the result of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal, according to Ottavio Cinquanta, president of the ISU, Something was wrong there. Not just the individual but also the system, now we are trying to replace one system with another. A new figure skating judging system took effect in 2004, eliminating the 6.0 system perfect scores, however, they do count towards Personal Best scores. According to news published at bandynet. ru 7/6 bandy might be on the Olympic programme at Sochi 2014 as a branch of skating because ISU in 2007 got the right to within 3 years add another discipline. As of the summer of 2008, the ISU consisted of 63 member nations, to add any proposal to the agenda of meetings, it must have support from four-fifths of the members. Proposals on the agenda are approved with a majority vote
International Skating Union
–
International Skating Union ISU
29.
Chamonix
–
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924, the communes population of around 8,900 ranks 1, 089th within the country of France. The north side of the summit of Mont Blanc, and therefore the summit itself are part of the village of Chamonix, to the south side, the situation is different depending on the country. Italy considers that the passes through the top. France considers that the runs along the rocky Tournette under the summit cap. The south side was in France, assigned to the commune of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains sharing the summit with its neighbor Chamonix and it is this situation for France, which is found on the French IGN maps. With an area of 245 km2, Chamonix is the fourth largest commune in mainland France, however, in 1786 the inhabitants bought their freedom from the canons of Sallanches, to whom the priory had been transferred in 1519. In 1530, the inhabitants obtained from the Count of the Genevois the privilege of holding two fairs a year, while the valley was visited by the civil officials and by the bishops of Geneva. But travellers for pleasure were very rare, the first party to publish an account of their visit was that of Dr. Richard Pococke, Mr. William Windham and others, such as the Englishmen who visited the Mer de Glace in 1741. In 1742 came P. Martel and several other Genevese, in 1760 H. B. de Saussure, the commune successfully lobbied to change its name from Chamonix to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in 1916. The holding of the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix in 1924 further raised Chamonixs profile as an international tourist destination, during the Second World War, a Childrens Home operated in Chamonix, in which several dozens of Jewish children were hidden from the Nazis. Some of their saviors were recognised as Righteous Among the Nations, the commune of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc includes 16 villages and hamlets. Chamonix has a climate, between oceanic and humid continental climate, with an average annual precipitation of 1,275 mm. Summers are mild and winters are cold and snowy, Population Change Sources, Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 · Population Over Time Chamonix is a winter sports resort town. As the highest European mountain west of Russia, Mont Blanc attracts mountain climbers, there is a cable car up to the 3,842 m Aiguille du Midi. Constructed in 1955, it was then the highest cable car in the world, the town of Chamonix is served by French Route Nationale 205, nicknamed the Route blanche, or white route, due to its snowiness. This is an extension of French autoroute 40, similarly nicknamed the autoroute blanche, which ends at Le Fayet, the 11. 6-km Mont Blanc Tunnel originates here, linking Chamonix to Courmayeur in Italy. Chamonix is linked to Switzerland by what used to be RN 506a, in 2006, it was converted to a Route Départementale 1506, with a part of it integrated into RN205
Chamonix
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The Chamonix valley seen from la Flégère
Chamonix
–
Horace-Benedict de Saussure and
Jacques Balmat (left) points towards the summit of
Mont Blanc, Monument at Chamonix.
Chamonix
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Chamonix Valley: crossing the glacier on foot (between 1902 and 1904)
Chamonix
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Panorama of the Chamonix valley
Sweden
Norway
