Why women can’t jump
Plus marathon man, Chinese cricket, surfing icon Layne Beachley, and African football dreams.
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| FIS believe it is medically unsafe for women to ski jump at the highest level |
If you are a fan of sports quizzes we have got a question just for you.
What is the only Winter Olympic sport that women do not currently compete in?
The answer is ski jumping.
With the Northern Hemisphere ski season winding down, Al Jazeera’s European sports correspondent travelled to Slovenia to find out why women can’t jump.
Marathon man
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| Kenya’s Paul Tergat |
This weekend sees one of the most hotly contested events in the running calendar.
Marathon runners from around the globe will take to the streets of London on Sunday.
This year the main attraction will be the Men’s Elite Race where, once again, Kenya’s Paul Tergat will go head-to-head with long-time rival Haile Gebraselassie of Ethiopia.
They are arguably the two best marathon runners of all time, and Sportsworld’s Joanna Gasiorowska caught up with Tergat, the world record holder, in Nairobi ahead of the race.
Cricket in China
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| The Chinese Cricket Association plans a national league and a credible international side |
At a time when the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean is being criticised for failing to attract big crowds, the sport’s world governing body is trying to invigorate the game with an injection of new talent, and from a rather unexpected source.
The Chinese Cricket Association has announced plans to encourage 150,000 men, women and children to be playing the game by 2020.
In addition they expect to have a fully functioning national league, and a credible international side.
Tony Cheng, Al Jazeera’s Beijing correspondent, reports.
Surfing icon
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| Australian surfing icon Layne Beachley |
Australia has consistently produced the world’s best surfers.
However it may surprise you to know that the most successful surfer in the country’s history is a woman.
Layne Beachley is a seven-time World Champion.
The 34-year-old has single-handedly inspired the next generation of young women to take up the sport.
As Wayne Hay reports, the Australian sporting icon is now trying to hold off the young stars who grew up emulating Beachley’s style.
African dreams
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| Many young Africans dream of playing football overseas |
Thousands of young boys in Africa dream of becoming the next Samuel Eto’o or Didier Drogba.
Their goal is to play their favourite game and escape a life of poverty.
Many families are willing to pay football agents a small fortune in the hope that their sons can join a European club.
But as Gabi Menezes, Al Jazeera’s West Africa correspondent, found out, their dreams are more likely to be exploited than realised.
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This episode of Sportsworld aired from 16 April 2007
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