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International King of Sports is a multi-event sports competition held yearly. The events are unusual sports rarely undertaken outside of this competition and are often variants of standard track and field sports.
The current International King of Sports (2003) is Australian Adam Horder.
Events
There are seven heats, each made up of five of the following events. Each heat has four competitors. The winner from each heat goes through to the final, along with the highest-scoring runner-up, to give eight contestants.
3 metre Sprint
The 3 metre sprint is similar to the 100 metre sprint; however, it takes place over a three metre distance. The races last under a second and require a photo finish to determine who has won. Two false starts lead to disqualification from the event.
10G human slalom
Contestants run downhill, taking a zigzag course through ten gates, each composed of a pair of flags on pole. They are allowed to touch the flags, but they must not be knocked down.
The course for the 2004 competition is designed with the first half of the course being steep, requiring nimbleness and technique as much as speed, while the second half allows the contestants to run faster.
Association bobbage
Contestants jump into a swimming pool from a platform, the height of which is gradually raised. Flippers are worn. The world record was broken twice in the is currently held by Laszlo 'The Human Dolphin' Fazekas (Hungary) and is 2.40 m.
Backwards 200 m
This is a 200 m race in which the contestants run backwards. They must only run within their appointed lane.
Fall down
Contestants have to fall to the floor as fast as possible from a standing position. For a fall to be valid the contestants head must make contact with a cushioned pressure sensitive pad on the floor. The event is run as a knockout with the slowest contest in each round being eliminated, until one winner is left.
Headlong dive
This event takes place on a long jump track and pit. Rather than landing feet first, contestants jump headlong; if their feet touch the sand, their effort is a no-jump. Iggy Singh (GB) holds the current world record of 875 centimetres.
International skids
Contestants take a short run-up to a lubricant-coated track, on which they skid. Skids only count if the contestant does not fall over.
The lubricant coating of the track was changed for the 2004 competition, from olive oil to xanthan gum. This lead to the world record being broken three times in the first heat. The current record is held by Brian Clark (GB), and is around 550 centimetres.
Pool hang
Contestants must hang onto a bar suspended above a swimming pool for as long as possible. They can only use their hands to grip the bar. The event is done as a knockout with contestants competing in pairs. The winning contestants in the heats meet in a final to decide first place, with the losers competing for third place.
Tennis whack
Speed-gun run
Contestants sprint down a twenty metre track; their speed is measured close to the end, just before they run into an upright crash mat. The current world record of 20.27 mph (32.62 km/h) is held by Hugo 'The Human Rhino' Mybergh (RSA).
Under hurdles
This event is identical to the 110 metres hurdles track event, except that the competitors must go under the horizontal bar of the hurdle instead of over it. This makes the event more difficult, and the times taken to complete the course are greater than standard hurdling times.
Underwater shot put
This is identical to the field athletics event shot put (throwing a ball with a pushing motion), except that it takes place under water. Rather than being made of metal, the shot used is a leather ball filled with sand. Competitors can achieve distances of 4 m and more.
Uphill long jump
Vertical standing jump
Contestants must jump from standing onto a table-like platform. There is no run-up, and no bouncing is allowed; momentum is gained primarily through swinging the arms. The contestants' feet - and not their knees - must touch the platform first. The current world record was set at 137.5 centimetres by Jean Piers (RSA).
Water jump
From a short run-up, contestants jump from a springboard over a horizontal pole into a swimming pool. Unlike the high jump, which this event resembles, contestants tend to favour a face-down dive over the bar, sometimes with a somersault. The world record is 180 centimetres, and was set in the 2003 competition by William Pobey (GB), a man who couldn't swim.
2004 Competition
The 2004 competition is currently underway. The winners of the heats so far are:
1 Brian Clark (GB)
2 James Christie (GB)
3 Joshua Wood (Jamaica)
At the moment the highest-scoring runner-up is Adam Horder, who took second place in the first heat.
Broadcasting International King of Sports
The television programme of International King of Sports is produced by Endemol, and in the UK is broadcast on Channel 5. It is presented by Helen Robson and Mark Chamberlain, with commentary from Alan Parry.
The programme won a bronze award in the Game Show category at the Montreux Television Festival in 2003.
External links
Article on International King of Sports from The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8304-1242886,00.html)
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