Off Topic Other Sport

This thread has been set up to cover any other sport not specifically covered on this forum. Please note that there is a dedicated thread for boxing which can be accessed here. And there are usually specific threads set up for major golf tournaments

For starters

A couple of days ago at The Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, the men's 5000m brought together a cracking field to do battle. Man, I love this stuff.

 

Women's 1500m from the same meeting. I'm glad there's no hint to the result in the title.

 

Same meet. Men's Bowerman Mile. I think this 21 year old is going to win something big pretty soon. Ronald Kwemoi. I like the way he moved from sixth to third going down the back straight the last time.

 

The Eugene Women's 800m Guess who?

 

It looks like a new star has been born in the women's 3000m steeple. 18 year old Celliphine Chepteek Chespol of Kenya stopped with a shoe issue, then wins in outstanding time.

 

Scott Dixon's Indy crash.

 

Watched this a few times today....how on Earth does he walk away from this?

 

How cool is this?

 

Anyone remember when the America's Cup meant something? The days when the old 12m yachts used to dominate the news media? Well those glorious days are long gone. To the sounds of a global, "who gives a flying f***," the battle for the Auld Mug kicks off this weekend in Bermuda. 6 challenging teams will start the fight for the right to face the defending champion Team Oracle USA.

June 4. America's Cup Qualifiers.
June 5-9. Challenger's semi finals.
June 11-13. Challenger's Final.
June 18-19 the first 4 of 13 races of the America's Match. Five day break before the series restarts.

 

Game 1 of the 2017 State of Origin kicks off in about 20 minutes. We (Queensland) have won 10 of the last 11 series, but due to retirements and injuries, we go in as underdogs this year.

Go the mighty Maroons.

 

Rome. Diamond League Men's 800m.

 

Rio 200m Silver medalist Andre De Grasse looking good in the lead up to the London IAAF World Championships in August.

Rome Diamond League 200m

 

One of the premier athletes on the planet, Sifan Hassan in the Women's 1500m in Rome.

 

Rome 3000m Steeplechase.

 

Wayde Van Niekerk looking toward London, runs the season's leading best time.

 

And so the Kiwis see off the Swedes. It's to be a USA v NZ final.

 

While watching the goings on of the America's Cup, I came across some bits and pieces on how the competition used take place. With the pre-thirties yachts proving to be a bit too dangerous, a new design was called for, and as a result, the magnificent J-Class yacht was born. This class contested the three America's Cups in 1930, 1934 & 1937 before being discontinued due to the need for the steel and lead for the war effort. In that period, only 10 J-Class yachts were ever built. After the war, these huge yachts were considered far too expensive to build. No Cup would be contested until 1958 when the now legendary 12m was introduced.

In that initial J-Class Cup of 1930, Sir Thomas Lipton's syndicate took his Shamrock V across to New Port. The Americans threw four new Yachts against him. They defended with a competition between Wheetamoe, Yankee, Whirlwind & Enterprise. The latter, owned by the Harold Vanderbilt syndicate won the series and went on the successfully defend the Cup against Shamrock V, four races to nil.

In 1933, the sixth J-Class yacht was built, she was christened Velsheda. She would not contest an America's Cup. Through 1933-36 she won many races against the seventh J-Class built, Endeavour which was launched in 1934. Sir Thomas Sopwith's Endeavour would go down 4-2 against Harold Vanderbilt's Rainbow in the 1934 Cup.

Only two more J-Class yachts were ever built during that period. In 1936 Sir Thomas Sopwith launched the ninth of these monster yachts, Endeavour 11. She would have her colours lowered 4-0 by the mighty Ranger, the final J-Class built, and another of the Vanderbilt fleet.

All but Shamrock V, Velsheda & Endeavour have perished. Since those fantastic days, only six such yachts have been built, starting with Ranger, launched in 2004, and a replica of the original, Hanuman in 2009, a replica of Endeavour 11, Lionheart in 2010, Rainbow in 2012, a replica of the original, Topaz in 2015 Svea in 2017.

Below is some 2011 film of the 1933 built Velsheda match racing the 2004 built Ranger at Newport. Glorious yachts.

 

After securing a place in the London 800m, the 22 year old Scotsman Jake Wightman ran a cracker in the Oslo 1500m Diamond League event in Oslo. He's in the lemon coloured shorts. It was hot field. The leading two are pace setters.

 

The two big guns of the Women's 800 came together in Oslo. Caster Semenya and Francine Niyonsaba stole the show. Niyonsaba is near the lead in white top, Semenya as usual is in the purple.

 

Also on the program was an under 20 mile which featured the young star Jakob Ingebrigtsen. The 16 year old went out looking to do something special.