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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 15, 2017 12:25:43 GMT 1
This thread is to celebrate British sporting success on the global stage during 2017.
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 15, 2017 12:32:24 GMT 1
SAM SUNDERLANDEndurance motor cyclist Sam Sunderland has become the 1st Briton ever to win the toughest motor sport event in the world, the Dakar Rally. The 2017 edition was staged during the first 2 weeks of January in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Competitors raced for 9,000km across deserts and mountains, enduring temperatures above 40 degrees and below freezing, and altitude sickness too. Sunderland was riding a works KTM, sponsored by Red Bull, and won by over 30 minutes, in a total time of 36 hours 6 minutes 22 seconds. It was the 38th edition of the Dakar Rally. Sunderland hails from Poole in Dorset, and is 27 years old. It was the 4th time he had competed in the Dakar Rally, but the first time he has finished. He broke his leg in training for the 2016 race, and missed 2013 because he had broken both wrists.
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Post by suedehead on Jan 15, 2017 13:08:54 GMT 1
Congratulations to my fellow Pudlian!
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Post by Panda on Jan 17, 2017 19:14:38 GMT 1
Great idea for a thread. Glen Durrant! UTFB
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 18, 2017 1:32:25 GMT 1
Great idea for a thread. Glen Durrant! UTFB I'm afraid I had to Google Glen Durrant. I don't know much about darts, but would I be right in saying the PDC Championship is the tougher one to win ? It seems to have a more international look to it, and the prize money is an order of magnitude higher. And what does UTFB abbreviate ?
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Post by Panda on Jan 18, 2017 2:26:17 GMT 1
Great idea for a thread. Glen Durrant! UTFB I'm afraid I had to Google Glen Durrant. I don't know much about darts, but would I be right in saying the PDC Championship is the tougher one to win ? It seems to have a more international look to it, and the prize money is an order of magnitude higher. And what does UTFB abbreviate ? Yes, the PDC title is now seen as the premier title in darts as most of the world's top players compete in it. But the BDO world title is the original competition and still carries a lot of prestige. All but one PDC champion (Adrian Lewis) previously played on the Lakeside stage in the BDO equivalent. UTFB = up the f***ing Boro
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 18, 2017 13:26:54 GMT 1
Yes, the PDC title is now seen as the premier title in darts as most of the world's top players compete in it. But the BDO world title is the original competition and still carries a lot of prestige. All but one PDC champion (Adrian Lewis) previously played on the Lakeside stage in the BDO equivalent. UTFB = up the f***ing Boro Thanks for the first answer. I wish I hadn't asked the second question.
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 20, 2017 10:37:12 GMT 1
ALEX THOMSON41 year-old Alex Thomson, born in Bangor (Wales) and resident of Gosport (Hampshire), has just finished the Vendee Globe solo round-the-world sailing race in 2nd place. He thus equals Britain's best ever result in the most gruelling sailing race of them all - Ellen MacArthur finished 2nd in 2001. The Vendee Globe is held every 4 years. This year there were 29 starters, 11 of whom have already dropped out. Thomson finished 16 hours behind the winner, France's Armel Le Cleac'h, after completing the circumnavigation in 74 days, which is the second fastest of all-time, 4 days faster than the record which was broken yesterday by Le Cleac'h. To illustrate how close Thomson was to the winner, it is worth noting that 11 of the 18 competitors still in the race have more than 5,000 nautical miles left to complete, and are still in the southern hemisphere, which suggests they have anything between 1 and 2 months to go before they finally reach the finishing line in France. During the event, Thomson became the fastest racer to get from the start in France to the Cape of Good Hope (18 days, breaking the previous record by 5 days); and set a world 24-hour record for a monohulled boat, when he covered 537 nautical miles in his last ditch bid to catch Le Cleac'h.
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 30, 2017 2:31:14 GMT 1
JAMES WOODSGold medal at the Winter X Games in the Ski Big Air competition.
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Post by Shireblogger on Jan 30, 2017 2:38:35 GMT 1
GORDON REIDCareer Grand Slam in wheelchair tennis doubles, after winning the Australian Open. His roll of honour to date:- DoublesAustralian Open 2017 with Joachim Gerard (Belgium) French Open 2015 & 2016 with Shingo Kunieda (Japan) Wimbledon 2016 with Alfie Hewett (GB) US Open 2015 with Stephane Houdet (France) SinglesAustralian Open 2016 Wimbledon 2016 Paralympics 2016 (Rio)
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Post by Shireblogger on Feb 25, 2017 18:20:04 GMT 1
LIZZY YARNOLDSport: Skeleton 2017 Achievement: Bronze in the World Championships held in Konigssee, Germany Previous: 2014 Olympic gold; took the 2015/16 season off Target: 2018 Olympics in South Korea
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Post by Shireblogger on Mar 12, 2017 18:56:43 GMT 1
ELISE CHRISTIEOn Saturday Elise Christie became the first British woman to win a gold medal at the Short Track Speed Skating World Championships, by winning the 1000m. [World Championships have been held annually since 1976]. Today she has added gold in the 1500m and bronze in the 3000m, to give her a third gold as the overall winner. Earlier this season, she set a world record in the 500m. Elise was a contender for medals at the Sochi Olympics, but was disqualified from all 3 of her races. She was born in Livingston, West Lothian, in 1990, and is now based in Nottingham. Her medal tally prior to this weekend included 8 World silvers and bronzes, and 10 European Championship gold medals.
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Post by Shireblogger on Mar 19, 2017 10:48:57 GMT 1
ENGLAND WOMEN'S RUGBY TEAMA Grand Slam in the Six Nations, with 216 points scored and only 35 in reply. (They beat Scotland 64-0 and Wales 63-0). England last completed the Grand Slam in 2012. The World Cup runs from 9th to 26th August this summer, based in Ireland. England are defending World Champions, having broken New Zealand's stranglehold in 2014.
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Post by Shireblogger on Mar 26, 2017 17:43:40 GMT 1
SCOTLAND WOMEN'S CURLING TEAMA bronze in the World Championships this weekend in Beijing, for Eve Muirhead and her team - Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams, Lauren Gray and Kelly Schafer. Scotland have previously won the World Championships in 2002 and 2013; been runners-up in 1985, 1990, 1994 and 2010; and taken bronze in 1979, 1980, 1982, 1991 and 2007. This puts Scotland 5th in the all-time medals table behind Canada, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway. Muirhead's personal tally is one of each colour, to go with her 2014 Olympic bronze.
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Tom
Member
*Of Royal Blood*
Posts: 15,419
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Post by Tom on Apr 2, 2017 9:45:53 GMT 1
Hope it's ok to make a suggestion for something to be included?
Johanna Konta winning the Miami title yesterday is worthy of mention. No not a Grand Slam but, along with Indian Wells, Miami is the biggest tournament outside a Slam for the women and no GB woman had ever got past the quarter-finals before. It was said yesterday that journalists were saying that it was the biggest moment for GB women's tennis since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977, which shows its significance.
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Post by rubcale on Apr 2, 2017 11:17:04 GMT 1
Just goes to show how quickly things change.
A while ago Curling was the glamour event of British sport, now it's hardly getting a mention.
I hadn't even heard about Scotland's success until reading it here - congrats to them.
Great achievement for Johanna Konta but I'm afraid it only underlines the inherent weakness of the women's game today. Any of the top 50 or more women can win the big events now.
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Post by Shireblogger on Apr 2, 2017 13:22:40 GMT 1
Hope it's ok to make a suggestion for something to be included? You are welcome to nominate whoever you want. This thread isn't exclusively for my own choices.
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Post by Shireblogger on Apr 13, 2017 13:36:16 GMT 1
WORLD TRACK CYCLING MEDALLISTS
The UCI World Championships have just started in Hong Kong. Despite the turbulent year that UK Cycling has just endured, mostly as a result of its own failings, we are certain to see a number of British medallists, again.
Rather than a separate post for each of them, I will just list them here as the podiums accumulate.
Women Katie Archibald - GOLD - Omnium Elinor Barker - GOLD - Points Race Elinor Barker - SILVER - Scratch Race Elinor Barker & Emily Nelson - SILVER - Madison
Men Chris Latham - BRONZE - Scratch Race
GB finished 4th in the medal table:-
Australia 3G - 5S - 3B France 3G - 1S - 1B Russia 3G - 0S - 1B GB & Germany 2G - 2S - 1B
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Post by Shireblogger on Apr 21, 2017 17:22:44 GMT 1
EUROPEAN GYMNASTICS MEDALLISTS
Being held this weekend in Cluj, Romania. Another championship which will probably see British male and female success.
Women Ellie Downie - GOLD - All-Around Ellie Downie - SILVER - Vault Ellie Downie - SILVER - Floor Ellie Downie - BRONZE - Bars
Men Courtney Tulloch - SILVER - Rings James Hall - BRONZE - All-Around
GREAT BRITAIN finished 4th in the medals table behind Russia, Rumania & Ukraine.
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Post by Shireblogger on Apr 30, 2017 7:15:15 GMT 1
ANTHONY JOSHUAI don't follow boxing, and don't know much about it. But this morning's headlines say that Watford's Anthony Joshua is now WBA and IBF World Heavyweight Champion, after beating Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium. Previous British World Heavyweight Champions:- Bob Fitzsimmons, Lennox Lewis, Herbie Hide, Frank Bruno, Harry Akinwande, David Haye & Tyson Fury.
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