Sports Mad!

England certainly does love its sport and has produced many World and Olympic champions. So I thought I'd highlight some of the biggest events which are held in England every year.

Silverstone

A major race in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The British Grand Prix takes place at the Silverstone Circuit and is the oldest continuously staged F1 race in the world. The weekend attendance is normally over 300,000 people. One of the most successful drivers of all time is the British driver Lewis Hamilton, who has won 7 World Drivers' Championships and holds the records for the most wins (95), pole positions (98) and podium finishes (165).

Wimbledon

The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and is considered the most prestigious in the sport. Taking place over two weeks in late June and early July, it is included in the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, and is the only tournament that is still played on grass. There are 18 grass courts, including the famous 'Centre Court'. Due to the problems of rain during a typical British summer, a retractable roof was added to the court in 2009.

The Grand National

One of Britain's most famous horse racing events, The Grand National is held each year in early April at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool. Run over a distance of 4 miles 856 yards, there are thirty fences that horses are required to jump. The owner of the winning horse will receive over £500,000. The jockey will receive around 8% of this. Notorious for the unforgiving fences such as Becher's Brook and the Chair, the sometimes controversial event attracts a worldwide audience of over 600 million viewers.

The FA Cup

The highlight of the football season, the FA (Football Association) Cup is a knockout competition between all the football clubs in the FA. Over 730 teams annually take part. Starting in August, the final happens in May. The final is traditionally held at Wembley Stadium in London. With 90,000 seats, it is the largest sports venue in the UK and the second-largest stadium in Europe.

Snooker World Championships

The World Snooker Championship is professional snooker's longest-running, most prestigious, and wealthiest tournament. Held over 2 weeks, the total prize money in 2020 was £2,395,000, including £500,000 for the winner. It has been annually held at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield for the last 44 years. First held in 1927, it is now one of the three tournaments that make up snooker's Triple Crown Series. The other 2 being 'The Masters' and 'The UK Championship'.

And finally, an event which maybe isn't so well known but has a long history.......

The Boat Race

Oxford and Cambridge Universities are very famous and prestigious, but did you know they have a rowing competition every year? It takes place close to Easter each year on the River Thames in south west London. It was first held in 1829. The teams compete in eight-oared rowing boats, each steered by a cox who sits in the back of the boat. The course is 4.2 miles long and the race lasts about 17 minutes.

So, maybe now you have just a little more knowledge about England and some of the fantastic sporting events which happen there. Maybe, you'll even get to see one of them in the future!

Until next time......

#nativeway, #brzegdolnylekcjeangielskiego, #englishsports