A brief round up of some notable sporting events happening in 2010:
Polo World Cup on snow – St Moritz - Throughout January
St Moritz, Switzerland hosts the 2010 Polo World Cup. Traditionally considered a British elite pastime, polo walks a delicate line between power and grace, human control and animal instincts, and the World Cup has no shortage of thoroughbred horses and equally well bred riders.
What makes this event extraordinary is that the whole game is played out on a snow turf covering the frozen lake of St Moritz, with the Alps looming beyond like a row of shark’s teeth.
Six Nations Rugby - Europe - 6 Feb - 26 March
The six nations playing in the tournament are England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales – and because of the notable exclusion of the big names in rugby hailing from the southern hemisphere it's considered to be the european championship. The competition layout is simple: each team plays each other once, if you win you get two points if you draw you get one, and the winner is the team with the greatest number of points at the end.
American Footballs Super Bowl – Florida USA -February 7th
The Super Bowl is the National Football League’s showcase as the National Football Conference (NFC) champion faces off against the American Football Conference (AFC) title holder. Not only does the Super Bowl display the best two teams in the NFL for the given season, it's also Christmas day for big time advertisers and companies across the nation. The pre-game show and the half-time show are usually rich with high profile stars: recently, artists like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Prince, and Janet Jackson.
Winter Olympics – Vancouver - 12 – 28th Feb
In 2010 Vancouver and Whistler get to host the 21st (or XXI) Winter Olympics, a snow and ice festival including 86 sporting events. Some of the highlights will probably be the Luge, Figure Skating, Bobsleigh, Ice Hockey and Snowboarding – mostly because those are the sports that come up best for television viewers. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies are usually the biggest ticket events – and 2010 is the first time in Olympic history that the Opening Ceremony will be held indoors.
Arctic Winter Games - Grande Prairie, Alberta - 6 – 13 March
Canada is also the 2010 host of the Arctic Winter Games, which is like the Winter Olympics, but only for the proper winter nations. No part time snow nations take part, this games is strictly for the coolest of the cool: Greenland, Alaska, Russia's Yamalo-Nenets, the Sami Nations, and five Canadian teams, from the Yukon, Nunavut, Nunavik, the Northern Territories and Northern Alberta. And the events reflect the competing nations – as well as ice hockey, skiing and snowboarding, more traditional Inuit games, like the 'Alaskan high kick' and the 'head pull' are contested, and there are dog mushing competitions.
2010 Dubai World Cup – Dubai - 27 March
The Dubai World Cup is encapsulated in one fact: it's the world’s richest horse race with a purse of almost US$ 10 million going to the winner. The brainchild of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai World Cup is a fitting tribute to his love of horses, the gentlemanly sport of horseracing and of the accoutrements of wealth. Depending on your views you are either going to be bowled over by the event or offended by the decadency.
Kentucky Derby - Churchill Downs - 1 May
There are three places to experience the Kentucky Derby: Millionaire’s Row, the Infield and Turn One. On Millionaire’s Row you're up close to the spectacle with the trainers, owners and the odd celebrity. Turn One is more a family-picnic setting, but the Infield is where you’re likely to witness something not often seen at other race meetings.
The Grand National – Aintree - 8-10 April
The Grand National is one of the most famous steeplechases in the world, attracting a global audience of around 600 million viewers every year. The four-and-a-half miles are a thrilling spectacle as horses jump, tumble and sprint towards the finishing line, where glory beckons riders over the final resting place of race legend, Red Rum’s.
One of the few sporting events that can still claim to get the whole nation’s attention, with over £100 million being placed in bets in the UK
UEFA Champions League Final - Santiago Bernabéu Stadium - 22 May
2010 marks the 55th UEFA Championship League Final. No one knows which of the 76 teams in the competition will be playing in this high stakes final, but Barcelona are the defending Champions, and we know it's going to be played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid.
Monaco Grand Prix – Monaco -23 May
Few race tracks in the world have the glamour and prestige of Formula One's Grand Prix de Monaco. The circuit de Monaco speeds all over Monte Carlo’s city streets and famous harbour, and seeing the cars scream round the city - navigating the tight hairpins and passing the luxurious yachts - is an experience racing enthusiasts cherish.
Even though overtaking is nigh on impossible on the tight corners and narrow roads, the Monaco Grand Prix is often one of the most dramatic races on the Formula One calendar.
French Open - Stade Roland Garros - 24 May - 6 June,
Stade Roland Garros was built to host the 1928 Davis Cup final, but has become one of the finest sport venues in the world. The stadium has a foot in France’s tennis past, with many of the venue's features named in honour of famous French players and the strong ties to the past give the French Open a certain grandiosity only on the Grand Slam Tournament by Wimbledon.
But it's not all historic prestige, these clay courts are considered some of the most physically demanding playing surfaces around, and clay-court specialists such as Rafa Nadal bring the drama and the crowds.
2010 FIFA World Cup - South Africa - 11 June – 11 July
Since its return to the international world of sport in 1994, South Africa has hosted a multitude of major international events, from the Rugby World Cup to the Cricket World Cup.
26 international teams have qualified, and they'll play heated matches up and down the country, from Johannesburg to Durban, to Cape Town to Pretoria.
Wimbledon – England - 21st June – 4th July
Wimbledon has hosted some memorable tennis matches: the 1980 final between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg which saw Borg come out on top, the 1999 final between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi that some cite as the greatest display of grass court tennis ever, with Agassi remarking on his opponent: ‘today he walked on water’. There was also the 2008 final that saw Rafa Nadal overcome Roger Federer in one of the most fiercely competitive and brilliant matches witnessed. Wimbledon has its fair share of legends and these will rouse together again between June 21st and July 4th 2010 to create that special Wimbledon atmosphere at the SW19 venue.
There's more to Wimbledon than the great tennis. The atmosphere is one of a by-gone era, English tranquillity lingers still amongst the strawberries and cream before the roars of Henman Hill or Murray Mound, are heard backing the latest British hope.
Tour de France - France - 3 July - 25 July
The 2010 race, over almost 3,600km, will start with an 8km prologue in Rotterdam then run along the North Sea before heading into Belgium. The second stage chases through the Liège-Bastogne-Liège stretch, while leaders will have to be extremely cautious in the third stage, which features the treacherous cobbled sections, Paris-Roubaix. The 2010 Alpine stages aren't supposed to be too arduous, but theres's a one-stage detour in the Jura mountains which is expected to prove tricky and 56km of climb over the last 120km in the seventh stage to Station des Rousses. Those who survive the Pyrenees will then head to Bordeaux after the last rest day on 21st of July before a final individual, 51km time-trial to Pauillac through the Bordeaux vineyards. The end of the race always takes place at the Champs-Elysees, and reaching it unscathed is a supreme honour and triumph for the riders, leading to scenes of jubilation at the finishing line, followed by Parisian parties.
Henley Regatta - Henley - 30 June - 4 July
The 2010 Henley Regatta will be raced over five days, in a series of mile long paddling sprints contested by international teams, who will probably be enjoying both the history and charm of the event, and probably also appreciating the chic style surrounding it – think hats, nice dresses and clinking champagne glasses.
One Day International Cricket England V Australia: Lords England - 3 July
Over one hundred Test matches have been played at Lord's, the first in 1884 when England defeated Australia by an innings and 5 runs. Australia's first win was in 1888 by 61 runs – so a one day game between these two nations on this hallowed ground is pretty much a cricketing pilgrimage.
Scottish Golf Open: Loch Lomond - 8 – 11 July,
The Scottish Open has been held on the Loch Lomond course since 1996 and will be there again in 2010. Behind the course are the mountains and along the perfect edges of the greens are woods – but don't let the beauty distract you from the golf at hand.
Golf Open Championships - St. Andrews -15 - 18 July
'The Open' is the oldest of the world's major golfing championships – the 2010 event marks 150 years since the first Open was held. The purse is around £4.2 million for whoever wins on the 72 par St. Andrew's course, another historic golfing fixture.
US Open Tennis - US - 30 Aug – 12 Sept
The American fans are boisterous and good-fun, especially if a homegrown player such as Andy Roddick or a Williams sister is on court. Food is also something that the US Open does exceedingly well, from a host of exclusive restaurants and bars to the more straight-forward food village that has most types of food, no matter what you’re hankering for. Opt for exclusivity and you never know who you’re going to bump into, with a plethora of celebrities also popping up annually.
Commonwealth Games 2010 - New Delhi - 3-14 Oct
New Delhi's 2010 Games are only the 19th Commonwealth Games, and will be the largest sporting event Delhi has ever hosted. The popular-with-the-viewing-public Opening Ceremony will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and huge attendance is expected, but tickets to some of the less well known and loved events are still available if you fancy seeing some Badminton, Lawn Bowls, Netball or Squash.
The Melbourne Cup - Australia - 2 Nov
An event so important and well loved that for three minutes a year pretty much everyone in the country is glued to their screen watching horses run around a track? It doesn’t matter if you don’t like horse racing, if you’re an avid animal rights activist or leader of a chapter of Gamblers Anonymous, if you’re in Australia at around 3pm on the first Tuesday in November, you’ll probably still find yourself in front of a telly.
The Ashes – Australia - 25 Nov - 7 Jan 2011
The 2010 Ashes tour hits cricket grounds in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Melbourne's MCG has great bounce and pace conditions for wickets and is the biggest venue with over 100 000 seats, while the Adelaide Oval is one of the most aesthetically pleasing venues with great wicket conditions.
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