quantumofsport.com

Maths in sport #1

An interesting lunchtime lecture at the Museum of London yesterday by Prof. John D. Barrow gave a whistle-stop tour of some miscellaneous uses of physics and mathematics in sport, including, inter alia:

* Why Bradley Wiggins uses solid disc wheels at the velodrome (a lower moment of inertia means it’s easier to accelerate).
* Why the classic alternating configuration of oarsmen in a rowing crew may be sub-optimal and results in an unwanted lateral wiggle (albeit usually imperceptible to the onlooker).
* Why, somewhat unexpectedly, the optimal launch angle for the shot-put is a little less than the 45° learnt for classical projectile motion in A-Level mechanics (even if the effect of air resistance is discounted).
* Why the old ice skating ranking scoring system led to perverse results.

QoS will be looking to provide some maths-in-sports related gubbins of its own in due course.

Winter Olympics: That’s (not) Entertainment

It is not the Canadians’ fault but I am struggling to get into these Winter Olympics. Why? Firstly, the modern Games have become too costly, commercial and generally bloated. Secondly, there is the jingoism: switch over to any country’s channel and you will have a flag-waving national medal-hunt. Thirdly, TV broadcasters and commentators over-egg the pudding: so much Is Thrilling – so little is left to speak for itself. Fourthly (last but by no means least), the death of the Georgian luge competitor cast a long, long shadow. What these things have in common is that Sport is being confused with Entertainment. We must be enthralled by a lavish opening ceremony. And we’ll feel better about ourselves if our boys and girls bring back some medals but it’s all going to be a must-watch in any event. As for the luge, you have to feel that if a sport or track is designed for speed, this is done at least partly for the ‘excitement’ of those who merely sit and watch. Sport has become a fast-moving consumer good but it is not there solely for our viewing pleasure. Sometimes it should be allowed to be just a little bit dull.

Winter Olympics: redemption in defeat for Jacobellis

As Lindsey Jacobellis lost control and slid out of her snowboard cross semi-final last night, one of the most-hyped stories of the 2010 Winter Olympics had ended in anti-climax. This was supposed to have been the American’s great chance for Redemption after infamously missing out on gold in 2006 when a showy board-grab saw her botch a landing within sight of the finish. But Jacobellis, one of the big favourites for 2010 gold, had blown it again – all the more gallingly for her as the manner in which Canada’s impressive Maelle Ricker breezed through the competition to victory perhaps suggested this was not a field with overwhelming strength in depth. Yet this was not quite the end of the story. Just moments after the semis the racers were convened for the Small Final – an endearing but essentially superfluous run-off for minor placings between losing semi-finalists staged before the Big Final medals race. That Jacobellis found it in herself to make it to the start-line and complete this run so soon after such a crushing failure arguably said as much for her character and competitive spirit as winning the gold would have done. A case of redemption in defeat, you might say.

Poll result: "Baseball Rules!"

Poll question: Which is your top US sport?

Poll opened on quantumofsport.com: October 17

Poll closed: February 4

Remarks: QoSer worldinmotion was treated to some baseball in the not-too-distant past and very enjoyable it was too. Unfortunately he never got around to writing about it. But it got us thinking here at QoS - what is the best 'typical' US/North American sport? Well, other sports were given plenty of time to catch up, but the verdict must now be declared: baseball is the fave for most of the QoS readership. Admittedly, a survey based on a low numbers base. We get far more pageviews than votes cast, honest guv, so get voting folks! :)

Which is your top US sport?

Baseball
	54%		7
American football
	31%		4
Basketball
	8%		1
Ice hockey
	8%		1
NASCAR
	0%		0
All of the above
	0%		0
None of the above
	0%		0

Sports calendar: The Big 10 for 2010

Having taken advantage of one or two quieter moments over the festive season to scour the schedules for the year ahead, quantumofsport.com is proud to present its brand new “Sports calendar 2010”. As ever, it will be a busy 12 months in the world of sport, with a range of top events competing for our attention. The calendar represents our (non-exhaustive) selection of what to look out for. We’ve also picked out – here below – ten of the biggest sporting occasions of the year, restricting ourselves to one entry for each sport we cover on a regular basis: it’s The Big 10 for 2010. Let’s hope there’s plenty of drama in store…

Feb 6-Mar 20, Six Nations rugby (for N. hemisphere fans at least!)
Feb 12-28, Winter Olympics, Vancouver, Canada
Apr 17-May 3, snooker World Championship, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
May 16, Formula 1 Monaco GP (or any other between Mar 14 and Nov 14!)
Jun 11-Jul 11, soccer World Cup, South Africa
Jun 21-Jul 4, Wimbledon tennis
Jul 3-25, Tour de France (starting in Rotterdam and Brussels)
Oct 1-3, Ryder Cup golf, Celtic Manor, Wales
Oct 3-14, Commonwealth Games, New Delhi, India
Nov 25->, Ashes Test cricket series Australia v England

For the full calendar, click here.