Jessica Ennis the Sheffield lass was outstanding this weekend. World champion as a heptathlete, she was up against one of the best specialist hurdlers in the world, Lolo Jones. Winning the 60 metres hurdles and beating the world indoor champion in that event is extraordinary. A great performance by a great all-rounder.
“Letting a heptathlete, who practises every event, beat me when I’m only working on one thing…that’s kind of crazy but no excuses Ennis had a great race” said Lolo Jones.
Already there have been eight personal best’s from the South Yorkshirewoman in 2010 including this weekends hurdles and 1.94 meters in the highjump.
Jessica captained the British team at the Aviva International Match in Glasgow on 30 January 2010 but is to miss the Commonwealth games in Dehli this backend. Keep up to date with her career by clicking on her name.
Heptathlon
Heptathlons replaced the pentathlon as the primary women’s combined event when the javelin and 800 m were added for the 1984 Olympics. The women’s outdoor heptathlon consists of the following seven events, with the first four contested on the first day, and the remaining three on day two,
100 m hurdles
high jump
shot put
200 m
long jump
javelin throw
800 m
Other multiple event contests are now becoming progressively more popular particularly involving water sports. The established and key competitive events are:
- Biathlon, cross country skiing and shooting
- Duathlon, Triathlon running and Cycling with swimming for a triathlon, Quadrathlon with Kayaking
- Pentathlon, the old Greek competition of long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw, followed by (the stadion) a short foot race and wrestling.
- Modern pentathlon, a late 19th century soldier Pierre Coubertain established this event with shooting, swimming, fencing, equestrian, and cross country running.
- Octathlon, primarily a youth or junior event
There is a Yorkshire racecourse to suit all tastes for a day visit or evening out! Some key links are listed below to find dates and times of key events.
Where there’s muck there’s brass but it might be horse muck and horse brasses so don’t bet the farm.
Catterick
Beverley
Doncaster
Pontefract
Redcar
Ripon
Thirsk
Wetherby
York
York Special Mention
The celebration of fifty years of the John Smith’s Cup on 10th 11th July 2009 is an event not to be missed. The informal party highlight of the year combines betting excitement and summer fun. Ever since it was first run in 1960, the John Smith’s Cup has had a story to tell.
The support of the Tadcaster brewer makes this the longest running sponsorship on the flat anywhere in the world and the golden jubilee celebrations promise to be fun. A range of special cask ales will be brought in specially to toast the occasion. Other special events will be announced here as the big day approaches.
Every year the World Coal Carrying Championship is held in Yorkshire on Easter Monday. On the 13th April 2009 in Gawthorpe grown men will run the mile from The Beehive public house to the Royal Oak, known locally as t’Barracks , carrying a hunderedweight sack of coal.
According to the organisers this is how thew World Championship came about ‘Reggie Sedgewick and one Amos Clapham, a local coal merchant and current president of the Maypole Committee were enjoying some well-earned liquid refreshment whilst stood at the bar lost in their own thoughts. When in bursts one Lewis Hartley in a somewhat exuberant mood. On seeing the other two he said to Reggie, ” Ba gum lad tha’ looks buggered !” slapping Reggie heartily on the back. Whether because of the force of the blow or because of the words that accompanied it, Reggie was just a little put out.‘’ Ah’m as fit as thee’’ he told Lewis, ‘’an’ if tha’ dun’t believe me gerra a bagga coil on thi back an ‘ah’ll get one on mine an ‘ah’ll race thee to t’ top o’ t’ wood !’’ ( Coil, let me explain is Yorkshire speak for coal ). While Lewis digested the implications of this challenge a Mr. Fred Hirst, Secretary of the Gawthorpe Maypole Committee ( and not a man to let a good idea go to waste) raised a cautioning hand. ” ‘Owd on a minute,’’ said Fred and there was something in his voice that made them all listen. ‘Aven’t we been looking fer some’at to do on Easter Monday? If we’re gonna ‘ave a race let’s ‘ave it then. Let’s ‘ave a coil race from Barracks t’ Maypole.’
2009 will be the 46th World Coal Carrying Championship and the BBC claim these facts about world champions (more…)
Football clubs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes but our two Football league teams in Sheffield have a combined 242 years experience behind them. The grounds at Bramall Lane (Sheffield United) and Hillsborough (Sheffield Wednesday) have a combined capacity of 72,426. However the oldest football club in the world is Sheffield FC (now playing in the Unibond First Division and the Ladies team in North East Regional WPL Premier division). The last thing I am suggesting is a combined team playing as Sheffield City – that would be an own goal of epic proportions.
A wife tired of her husband spending so much time at Hillsborough said ‘Sometimes I think you love Sheffield Wednesday more than you love me’ and he replied ‘Lass I love United more than I love thee’
At the junior end of the leagues Sheffield and Hallamshire FA (what a naff name) run SoccerScene holiday football camps scheduled for the Easter and Summer breaks at the Westfield Sports Centre, Sheffield. Each camp costs just £8.33* per day for 5 hours of football coaching, fun and games with FA qualified CRB checked coaches. The SoccerScene Camps have continued top grow in popularity since they were launched in summer 2007. Boys and girls between the ages of 7-11 years are welcome.
