Hymie Kloner

Hymie Kloner (23 May 1929 – July 2010) was a South African professional footballer who won four caps for his national team and who played in the Football League for Birmingham City. He played as a right half.
Kloner was born in Lithuania, the son of Jewish parents. The family emigrated to South Africa when Kloner was a boy. Though his parents were not keen on his playing football, the principal of the Jewish Government School encouraged him, and he eventually played for the Marist Brothers club. In June and July 1950, the 21-year-old Kloner played four matches for the South Africa national football team against a touring Australia team.
Later that year he came to England as a triallist. He was taken on by Birmingham City, and played once in the Football League, on 2 December 1950, standing in for Len Boyd in the Second Division game away to Leeds United which Leeds won 3–0. Kloner returned to South Africa that same month, and continued his football career domestically with Rangers FC. He played representative football for Southern Transvaal, and in 1954 played against a touring Israeli team.
In later life Kloner took up bowls. He died in July 2010.
Notes.
A. The "Jewish Report", while confirming Kloner's appearance for the Southern Transvaal side against the touring Israelis, also suggests that he played for the South African national team in the 1 May 1954 test match, though the RSSSF would disagree.


Pursuit racing

Pursuit racing is where two or more competitors (or teams) are either chasing after each other or chasing after a lead competitor or team.
Cycling.
In cycling, pursuit racing is a form of track racing.
In individual pursuit, two cyclists begin on opposite sides of the velodrome. After starting at the same time, each cyclist attempts to catch up to the other for the win. The cyclists are also timed, for comparison with other competitors. Men race for ; women race for . At the Olympics beginning in 2012, individual pursuit is competed only as part of the omnium event.
Team pursuit works similarly to individual pursuit. Two teams – each with three of four cyclists – start from opposite sides of the track. The team earns their time based on the third-finishing rider. All events are , although through the 2011-2012 season the women's competitions were three cyclists over .
Track and field.
The modern pentathlon is formatted such that the final event, a cross-country run with target shooting, is essentially a pursuit race. Athlete performance in the prior events determines the times in which they start the race. The idea is that the first athlete to cross the finish line wins the entire event.
Winter sports.
In biathlon, pursuit is the second part of a sprint-pursuit race. The sprint is held first. In the subsequent pursuit section, the competitors' starts are staggered according to their times: the sprint winner starts first, whoever finished second by a certain time follows the leader by that time, and so on. (For example, Competitor F finished 5 seconds ahead of Competitor S in the Sprint, so Competitor F will start 5 seconds ahead of Competitor S in the Pursuit event.) Pursuit can follow up to the individual race too. They just divide by 2 your extra time behind the winner of individual race.
In cross-country skiing a pursuit is a race where the skiers starts according to results in one or more previous races. The final stage of a ski tour event (i.e. Nordic Opening, Tour de Ski and World Cup Finals) is usually a pursuit where the overall leader starts first and is followed by the others starting behind according to their cumulative time from the stages raced before the pursuit.
In Nordic combined, the pursuit is determined by how well the competitors or team do in the ski jumping part of the competition. This is part of the Gundersen method developed in the 1980s. For the 15 km individual and 7.5 km sprint competitions, the computation is a 1 point advantage at the ski jump equals a 4 second advantage at the start of the cross-country skiing part of the competition. (For example, Competitor A finished the ski jump with 5 more points than Competitor B, so Competitor B must start 20 seconds after Competitor A in the cross-country skiing part.) For the 4 x 5 km team event prior to 2005, the computation was a 1 point advantage at the ski jump equals a 1.5 second advantage in the cross-country skiing part of the competition; since 2005, that computation is 1 point equals 1 second.
Long-track speed skating also has pursuit races. In team pursuit, two teams – each team comprising three skaters – begin on opposite sides of the ice, start at the same time, and attempt to catch the other team in the shortest elapsed time as measured by the third skater. Men race for eight laps and women for six laps.


Saint Petersburg Manege

The Manege is a former riding hall for the Imperial Horse Guards fronting on Saint Isaac's Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was built in 1804–07 to Quarenghi's austere Greek Revival design, one of his last commissions. It replaced a disused canal connecting the Admiralty to the naval warehouses. The Horse Guards Boulevard takes its name from the building.
The Manege is a low, rectangular block with arched openings and lunettes. According to the Companion Guide, "it mimics a 5th-century BC Athenian temple with a portico of eight Doric columns bearing a pediment and bas reliefs". The marble statues of the Dioscuri standing beside their horses were patterned by sculptor Paolo Triscornia after the Fontana dei Dioscuri in Rome.
After the Russian Revolution the riding academy was rebuilt to accommodate a NKVD garage. A second floor was added to the building in 1931. Since the latest reconstruction campaign (dating to the late 1970s), the Saint Petersburg Manege has housed the city's main exhibition hall.


Tom Knapp

Thomas J. Knapp (September 30, 1950 – April 26, 2013) was an American exhibition sharpshooter.
Television and media.
Knapp was featured on several television channels including The History Channel, Outdoor Channel, and Discovery Channel.
He also hosted Benelli’s American Birdhunter for 8 seasons.
Records.
Knapp holds three world records for clay shooting. Those records included breaking ten simultaneously tossed clays while using a semi-automatic (a Benelli M2 Field), shotgun in 2.2 seconds, as well as breaking eight with a pump-action shotgun (a Benelli Nova Pump, in 2000).
He also won a world record for shooting nine clay targets thrown with a Benelli M1 Super 90 in 1993.
World Record No. 1 Knapp joined Benelli in 1993 when he set his first World record with his Benelli M1 Super 90 by throwing nine standard clay targets (using no assistance) and breaking them with individual shots in less than 2 seconds.
World Record No. 2 On July 19, 2000, Knapp, with his pump shotgun in one hand, threw eight clay targets in the air with his other hand and broke every one of them with individual shots in an amazing 1.87 seconds.
World Record No. 3 In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on October 20, 2004, Knapp, while using a 12-ga. Benelli M2 Field Semi-Auto Shotgun and extended magazine tube, launched ten clay targets into the air with one hand and shot all ten with individual shots in 2.2 seconds.


Jenny Allard

Jennifer Lynn Allard is a former All-American softball player at the University of Michigan and the current head coach of the Harvard University softball team. Allard played for the Michigan Wolverines softball team from 1987–1990, where she was named an All-Big Ten player four straight years. She was a third baseman as a freshman and sophomore and a pitcher as a junior and senior. In 1989, Allard was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and a nominee for the Honda-Broderick Cup. She has been the head coach at Harvard since 1995, where she led the Crimson to its first Ivy League championship in 1992 and has followed with three more Ivy League crowns. In 1997, Allard told her team that she was a lesbian, becoming one of the first major college coaches to openly announce her homosexuality. In 2008, Allard was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.
All-American at the University of Michigan (1987–1990).
After graduating from Woodbridge High School in Irvine, California, Allard played softball for Hall of Fame coach Carol Hutchins at the University of Michigan from 1987-1990. She began at Michigan as a third baseman, but became a pitcher in her junior and senior years. As a freshman, Allard led the Wolverines with 26 RBIs, while hitting .331, second best on the team. She led the team in batting average in 1988 and 1989 and was named an All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year in 1989. She was also a four-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors as a senior. In 1989, Allard was also nominated for the Honda Broderick Award. She was the recipient of Michigan’s Conference Medal of Honor, an award given to the highest-achieving female student-athlete. Named to the Big Ten All-Decade team in 1992, Allard ranked in the top four all-time in 15 hitting and pitching categories at the time of her graduation from Michigan. In 2008, Allard was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, only the fourth softball player inducted into the Hall (after Penny Neer, Vicki Morrow, and Alicia Seegert).
Head coach at Harvard (1995–2015).
In 1992, Allard accepted a full-time coaching position as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa. In 1995, Allard accepted the head coaching position for the Harvard University softball team. She has been the head coach at Harvard for 21 seasons, compiling a career record of 536-400-3, and is the longest tenured softball coach in the Ivy League. She holds 313-249-1 overall record at Harvard, including a 127-49 record in the Ivy League. Harvard has won four Ivy League softball titles in its history, all during Allard’s time as coach. Allard has also been Harvard’s coach during each of its four 30-win seasons and its three NCAA Championship berths. She has coached 33 first-team All-Ivy League players selections, four Ivy League Players of the Year, three Ivy Pitchers of the Year and two Ivy Rookies of the Year.
In 1998, Allard led Harvard to the best season in the history of the program, as the team recorded a 34-22 record, captured its first Ivy League championship with a perfect 12–0 league record and earned its first bid to the NCAA Championship, where it defeated Boston College in the regional. The Crimson was led in 1998 by Ivy Player of the Year Tara LaSovage and Pitcher of the Year Tasha Cupp.
In 2000, Allard’s team won its second Ivy League championship and NCAA tournament berth. The 2000 Crimson went 11-1 in league play. In 2001, Harvard again won the Ivy League title after posting an 11–3 League record. In 2002, the team had a 31-10 record in 2002, breaking the record set by the 1998 team, and winning the ECAC championship. In 2007, Harvard won its fourth Ivy League championship under Allard with a record of 31–15 record and a 14–6 record in the Conference. Harvard also won back-to-back Ivy championships in 2011 and 2012.
Allard earned a master's degree from the Harvard School of Education in 1999 and a master's in psychology from the Harvard Extension School in 2003.
Personal life.
In 1997, Allard told her team that she was a lesbian, becoming one of the first major college coaches to openly affirm her homosexuality. Allard made the announcement to her players in an email. "What I wrote," Allard recalled, "was something like, 'I know you'll potentially be stopping by my suite or calling, and I just want to let you know that my partner has decided to move on campus with me and you'll soon get the opportunity to meet her.'" She added, "I wanted to be very honest about how I was living and not be shamed or silenced by it. I ask and expect my athletes to be honest about things. They don't have to tell me everything, but if they are going to tell me something, I want them to be truthful. And because I want to model that, I couldn't tell them I'm hiding my partner behind the left field fence and I'm embarrassed to have them know her." Allard has spoken at conferences on the subject of homosexuality in athletics and has become an advocate for the rights of gay and lesbian athletes. "As a coach, I'd like to see increased dialogue among teams, and resources for gay athletes need to come more to the forefront," she said. "It's a big learning experience to have a gay athlete on the team."


2009 Chihuahua Express

The third edition of the Chihuahua Express started on March 27 and finished on March 29.


Tavua F.C.

Tavua F.C. (for "Football Club") is a Fijian football team playing in the first division of the Fiji Football Association competitions. It is based in Tavua, which is situated on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, between the town of Rakiraki and the town of Ba. Their home stadium is Garvey Park. Their uniform is gold shirt, black shorts and black socks.
History.
Tavua F.C. was founded in 1942, with the formation of Tavua Football Association, under the leadership of James Naidu. The team languished in the second division has moved up to the first division, and has performed credibly in recent times. However in 2012 they relegated again, but they managed to come back for the 2018 season


AFC Champions League

The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. The competition is a continuation of the Asian Club Championship which had started in 1967.
A total of 40 clubs compete in the round robin group stage of the competition. Clubs from Asia's strongest national leagues receive automatic berths, with clubs from lower-ranked nations eligible to qualify via the qualifying playoffs, and they are also eligible to participate in the AFC Cup. The winner of the AFC Champions League qualifies for the FIFA Club World Cup.
The most successful clubs in the competition are Al-Hilal and Pohang Steelers with a total of three titles each. The reigning champions of the competition are Ulsan Hyundai, who won the competition for the second time in 2020.
History.
1967–1972: Asian Champion Club Tournament.
The competition started as the Asian Champion Club Tournament, a tournament for the champions of AFC nations, and had a variety of different formats, with the inaugural tournament staged as a straightforward knockout format and the following three editions consisting of a group stage.
While Israeli clubs dominated the first four editions of the competition, this was partly due to the refusal of Arab teams to face them. In 1970, Lebanese side Homenetmen refused to play against Hapoel Tel Aviv in the semi-final, giving Hapoel a forfeit into the final, while in 1971, Al-Shorta of Iraq refused to play against Maccabi Tel Aviv on three occasions: in the preliminary round, the group stage, and the final itself. The Iraqi media considered Al-Shorta as the tournament's winners, and the team held an open top bus parade in Baghdad. After the 1972 edition had to be cancelled by the AFC when two Arab teams refused to commit to playing against Israeli side Maccabi Netanya, the AFC discontinued the competition, and Israel were expelled from the confederation.
1985–2002: Return as the Asian Club Championship.
Asia's premier club tournament made its return in 1985 as the Asian Club Championship, and in 1990, the Asian Football Confederation introduced the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, a tournament for the cup winners of each AFC nation. The 1995 season saw the introduction of the Asian Super Cup, where the winners of the Asian Club Championship and Asian Cup Winners' Cup played against each other.
2002–present: AFC Champions League.
The 2002–03 season saw the Asian Club Championship, Asian Cup Winners' Cup and Asian Super Cup combine to become the AFC Champions League. League champions and cup winners would qualify for the qualifying playoffs with the best eight clubs from East Asia and the eight best clubs from West Asia progressing to the group stage. The first winners under the AFC Champions League name were Al-Ain, defeating BEC Tero Sasana 2–1 on aggregate. In 2004, 29 clubs from fourteen countries participated and the tournament schedule was changed to March–November. In the group stage, the 28 clubs were divided into seven groups of four on a regional basis, separating East Asian and West Asian clubs to reduce travel costs, and the groups were played on a home and away basis. The seven group winners along with the defending champions qualified to the quarterfinals. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals were played as a two-legged format, with away goals, extra time, and penalties used as tie-breakers.
The 2005 season saw Syrian clubs join the competition, thus increasing the number of participating countries to 15, and two years later, following their transfer into the AFC in 2006, Australian clubs were also included in the tournament. Owing to the lack of professionalism in Asian football, many problems still existed in the tournament, such as on field violence and late submission of player registration. Many blamed the lack of prize money and expensive travel cost as some of the reasons. The Champions League expanded to 32 clubs in 2009 with direct entry to the top ten Asian leagues. Each country received up to 4 slots, though no more than one-third of the number of teams in that country's top division, rounded downwards, depending on the strength of their league, league structure (professionalism), marketability, financial status, and other criteria set by the AFC Pro-League Committee. The assessment criteria and ranking for participating associations would be revised by AFC every two years.
The current format sees the eight group winners and eight runners-up qualify to the Round of 16, in which group winners play host to the runners-up in two-legged series, matched regionally, with away goals, extra time, and penalties used as tie-breakers. The regional restriction continues all the way until the final, although clubs from the same country cannot face each other in the quarterfinals unless that country has three or more representatives in the quarterfinals. Since 2013, the final has also been held as a two-legged series, on a home and away basis.
Beginning from 2021, the group stage will be expanded from 32 to 40 teams, with both the West and East Regions having five groups of four teams. The slot allocation for the top six member associations in each region will remain unchanged.
Format.
Qualification.
As of the 2009 edition of the tournament, the AFC Champions League has commenced with a double round-robin group stage of 32 teams, which is preceded by qualifying matches for teams that do not receive direct entry to the competition proper. Teams are also split into east and west zones to progress separately in the tournament.
The number of teams that each association enters into the AFC Champions League is determined annually through criteria as set by the AFC Competitions Committee. The criteria, which is a modified version of the UEFA coefficient, measures such thing as marketability and stadia to determine the specific number of berths that an association receives. The higher an association's ranking as determined by the criteria, the more teams represent the association in the Champions League, and the fewer qualification rounds the association's teams must compete in.
Tournament.
The tournament proper begins with a group stage of 40 teams, divided into ten groups. Seeding is used whilst making the draw for this stage, with teams from the same country not being drawn into groups together. The group stage is divided into two zones; the first zone is the five East Asian groups and the other zone is the five West Asian groups. Each team meets the others in its group home and away in a round-robin format. The winning team and the runners-up from each group then progress to the next round.
For this stage, the winning team from one group plays against the runners-up from another group from their zone of the group stage. The tournament uses the away goals rule: if the aggregate score of the two games is tied after 180 minutes, then the team who scored more goals at their opponent's stadium advances. If still tied the clubs play extra time, where the away goals rule is no longer applied. If still tied after extra time, the tie shall be decided by a penalty shootout. East and West zones continue to be kept part until the final.
The group stage and Round of 16 matches are played through the first half of the year (February–May), whilst the knock-out stage thereafter is played during the second half of the year (August–November). The knock-out ties are played in a two-legged format, including the final.
Allocation.
Teams from only 19 AFC countries have reached the group stage of the AFC Champions League. The allocation of teams by member countries is listed below; asterisks represent occasions where at least one team was eliminated in qualification prior to the group stage. 32 AFC countries have had teams participate in qualification, and countries that have never had teams reach the group stage are not shown.
Prize money.
The prize money for the 2020 AFC Champions League:
Marketing.
Sponsorship.
Like the FIFA World Cup, the AFC Champions League is sponsored by a group of multinational corporations, in contrast to the single main sponsor typically found in national top-flight leagues.
The tournament's current main sponsors are:
Video game.
The current license holder for the AFC Champions League video game is Konami with the Pro Evolution Soccer series. The license also includes the competing teams.
Records and statistics.
Performances by region.
Note: Israeli clubs, winners of the 1967, 1969 and 1971 editions, are not included.


Jason Zucker

Jason Alan Zucker (born January 16, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Zucker played in the 2010 World Juniors for Team USA, winning a gold medal. He was also a member of Team USA's bronze medal-winning team at the 2011 World Juniors. Playing for the University of Denver in 2010–11, he was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Year. He was drafted in the second round (59th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild.
Early life.
Zucker was born in Newport Beach, California, and is Jewish. His mother, Natalie Zucker, is a former competitive figure skater, and his father, Scott Zucker, is a general contractor who built ice rinks and roller rinks when Jason was young. He has two older brothers, Evan and Adam, and a younger sister, Kimmie, and brother, Cameron.
When he was two months old, Zucker and his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. As a youth, he played in the 2004 and 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Los Angeles. He moved to Plymouth, Michigan, when he was 15 so he could play with the Compuware AAA Minor Midget Team, and finally to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for two years.
Zucker attended Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Zucker has multiple tattoos: on his back, "USA" (a nod to his playing for the national team); on his chest, "Game Time" (in memory of his best friend, Nick Scheafer, who died in 2010 at the age of 19 in a car accident); and on his left arm, written in Hebrew, "In pursuit of perfection" (in honor of his Jewish heritage). In 2016, he got a young cancer patient's name, who he met at Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night, tattooed onto his wrist, along with the words "shoot more" in memory of the boy who died on July 2, 2016.
Playing career.
Early career.
Zucker played in the 2009 World Juniors and 2010 World Juniors for Team USA, and won a gold medal in 2010. He was also a member of Team USA's bronze medal-winning team at the 2011 World Juniors.
Playing for the University of Denver in 2010–11, he was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Rookie of the Year, and was also named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and 2nd All-Star Team. In his two seasons playing for Denver, he had 45 goals and 91 points in 78 games. He turned pro following the 2011-12 season.
Professional career.
Minnesota Wild.
Zucker was drafted in the second round (59th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the first Nevada-raised draft pick (and, subsequently, player) in NHL history. Zucker signed his entry-level contract with the Wild on March 27, 2012. He made his NHL debut in a victory against the Florida Panthers on March 29, 2012. He scored his first NHL goal against Petr Mrazek on February 17, 2013, in a Wild win over the Detroit Red Wings.
The lockout-shortened 2012–13 NHL season saw Zucker split time between the Minnesota Wild and the Houston Aeros. He appeared in 20 regular season games with Minnesota, and played mostly on the team's second line alongside Matt Cullen and Devin Setoguchi.
On May 5, 2013, Zucker scored at 2:15 of the extra period to give the Wild a 3–2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, to pull within 2–1 in the Western Conference quarterfinal series.
On March 26, 2014, Zucker underwent successful surgery on his left quadriceps to repair a tendon. He missed the remainder of the 2013–14 season, but was ready for the start of the 2014–15 campaign.
In 2014–15 he scored 21 goals in 51 games, and was tenth in the NHL with a 16.9% shooting percentage. On October 25, 2015, he set a Wild team record by scoring 10 seconds into a 5-4 win against the Winnipeg Jets (Zucker later tied his own record in a game against the Colorado Avalanche in April 2017). The only other NHL players who have scored within the first 10 seconds of two different games are Montreal's Bobby Rousseau (once in 1962–63, and once in 1965–66) and Yvan Cournoyer (both in 1973–74).
In 2015–16 he played in a career-high 71 games, and had 13 goals and 10 assists. In June 2016, the Wild re-signed him to a two-year, $4 million contract.
During the 2016–17 season, Zucker set new career highs once again by playing in 79 games while recording 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points. He finished tied for sixth in team scoring.
Zucker recorded his first NHL hat-trick on November 9, 2017 against the Montreal Canadiens. On May 2, 2018, Zucker was named a finalist for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, along with P. K. Subban, and the Sedin brothers.
On July 25, 2018, Zucker signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract extension with the Wild. Zucker scored his 100th NHL goal on October 13, 2018, in a home overtime loss against the Carolina Hurricanes. He is the 7th Minnesota Wild player to record 100 goals with the team. Zucker received the 2018-19 King Clancy Memorial Trophy as "the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."
In his career with the Wild, in 456 NHL games he had 132 goals (4th on the Wild's all-time list), 111 assists, and 243 points (9th).
Pittsburgh Penguins.
On February 10, 2020, Zucker was traded by the Wild to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk, Calen Addison, and Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Zucker is under contract with the Penguins for three years, through the 2022–23 season, for an average annual value of $5.5 million.
Personal life.
Zucker married Minneapolis-based sports and entertainment journalist and television personality Carly Aplin in the summer of 2016. She is a television host for the Minnesota Timberwolves Entertainment Network (T.E.N.) and a reporter for CBS Sports and Fox Sports North, who in February 2018 premiered a sports talk radio show named "Overtime with Carly Zucker" on KFAN 100.3 FM. Jason and Carly have a son. The family lives in Edina, Minnesota.
Zucker is Jewish, though not religious. He did not have a bar mitzvah celebration because he never wanted to miss hockey; however, he does celebrate Hanukkah.
Career statistics.
Regular season and playoffs.


Embrunman

The Embrunman is a long distance triathlon held on August 15 each year around Embrun in the Hautes-Alpes, France. It is an equivalent triathlon consisting of a swim of 3.8 km, a 186 km cycle ride and running a marathon (42.2 km), but is not affiliated with the World Triathlon Corporation which owns the brand Ironman, so is not promoted as such. The French newspaper "Le Dauphiné libéré" described it in 2012 as the hardest triathlon in the world.
The men's record time for the event is 9 h 34 m 10 s by the Frenchman Hervé Faure on August 15, 2011 and the women's record is held by Carrie Lester from Australia at 10 h 46 m 26 s. The men's record number of victories in this event is held by spanish triathlete Marcel Zamora Pérez with six wins (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017), and women's record by Briton Bella Bayliss Commerford with 3 victories (2002, 2008, 2009).
The Embrunman is the culmination of a multi day series of events dedicated to the sport of triathlon with an Olympic distance triathlon (1.5 km swim, 43.5 km bike, 10 km run) and events reserved for youth and beginners.
History.
Beginnings.
The first event was held on the 19 August 1984, but was only a hint of what it would become. It had a 750 m swim, 30 km bike and 10 km race walk. However, the first bike ride included the steep climb up the Cote de Chalvet (indeed the competitors had to tackle it twice) and which still features today at the end of the bike stage - triathletes today still call it "The Beast"
In 1985, the event was given the organisation of the standard distance triathlon championship of France. The route was adapted by lengthening the distance to 1,500 m swim, 70 km bike and 21 km run on a difficult circuit. 280 triathletes participated in the event, backed by 200 volunteers and 20,000 supporters.
A long distance event.
In 1986 the Embrun triathlon became a long distance event with a 4 km swim, 131.5 km bike and 42.2 km run. The organisers claimed at the time that among all categories of triathlon it was the most difficult in the world. In 1987, the distances were increased to 5 km swimming, 180 km cycling and 42 2 km of running. A larger climb was introduced of 2600 m on the bike course and 400 m in the marathon. The event's popularity increased with 420 competitors, 480 volunteers and a large audience attending the event. In 1989, the swimming distance of long-distance triathlon was reduced to 3800 m, to meet the specifications of the French Triathlon Federation (FFTRI). In 1990, the route was changed for the last time with the introduction, in the bike portion, of the ascent of the Col d'Izoard. This new route of 186 km in one loop is characterized by increased difficulty: 3600 m of climbing.
In 2008, despite the competition of the Olympic Games in Beijing, the event see a record of number of participates with 1260 registered on the long route and 600 on the short. Despite awful weather the race is held, although there are over 110 dropouts during the descent of the Izoard. In 2010, the event supports the twinning of the town of Embrun with the Thai island of Ko Samui with the creation of a long-distance triathlon on the island. The planned first event in 2011 was canceled due to natural disasters, but an event took place on 22 April 2012.
The short distance triathlon.
In 1988, in addition to the long-distance triathlon, an Olympic distance triathlon (triathlon M) was started, with 1.5 km swim, 43.5 km bike, and 10 km run. 520 competitors, 600 volunteers and 40,000 spectators participate in this event. In 1991, the Embrun short distance triathlon became a stage of the World Cup triathlon , a competition with 11 stages and held across 5 continents. For this event, the bike course was totally changed, with greater technical challenge and a vertical climb of 1,200 m located mainly on the first part of the course. 1,260 triathletes participated in the various formats as well as 1,000 volunteers and nearly 100,000 spectators. As part of its tenth event in 1993, Embrun hosts a stage of the World Cup triathlon for the third consecutive time. The attendance increased, to a record with 1,500 triathletes involved in various formats, 1300 volunteers, and over 100,000 spectators. It was not until 1997 that the short distance triathlon Embrun was a stage of the World Cup triathlon again, and for the last time. To date, with these 4 appearances, Embrum is the French triathlon which has most often hosted a stage of the World Cup circuit.
The Current Embrunman.
The 30th staging of the Embrunman in 2013 saw several events spread over five days of racing:
3500 triathletes, amateurs or professionals, juniors and veterans participated in these competitions, including 1000 registered on the short-distance triathlon and 1500 inscribed on the long distance triathlon.


Plaza de toros de El Puerto

The Real Plaza de Toros de El Puerto de Santa María is a bullring in El Puerto de Santa María, Spain.
Dating from the 19th century, it has an eclectic architectural style and was completed in 1880. It is the work of Manuel Portillo de Avila y Herrera. The arena is 99 metres in diameter and the central "ruedo" measures 60 m. It is estimated to hold 12,186 spectators, making it one of the largest rings in Spain behind Madrid's Las Ventas and the ring in Valencia.


Roadster (horse)

Roadster is a type of driving competition for horses and ponies where the horse and exhibitor appear in equipment similar to that used in harness racing. It is derived from the historical use of certain horses hitched to light carts that traveled quickly from one place to another, often racing on ordinary dirt roads, hence the name. The term is also used to describe the horse used for such competition. Horses pull a light sulky and drivers wear racing silks. However, the exhibitors do not race. Instead, they perform in an arena at horse shows at trotting gaits that include a slow jog, a medium speed "road gait," and a rapid and long-strided but controlled trot referred to as showing "at speed." Animals are evaluated on performance and manners.
This type of class is particularly popular in Shetland pony and Morgan horse breed shows.


Leslie Gabriel

Leslie Gabriel (born circa 1977) is an American volleyball coach.
Since 2001, she has served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the University of Washington women's volleyball team. In addition to assisting head coaches Jim McLaughlin and Keegan Cook with all administrative responsibilities, Gabriel works with the team's setters and defense.
Gabriel was four-year letterwinner who started for the Huskies from 1995 to 1998.
Early life.
Raised in Woodinville, east of Seattle, she helped Woodinville High School to back-to-back Class AAA (now 4A) state volleyball tournament appearances as a sophomore and junior and one trip to the state basketball tournament before dropping the sport as a sophomore. In 1995, the three-time All-KingCo volleyball pick was the state's top volleyball recruit by her senior year, and considered one of the top recruits in the country.
Collegiate career.
Gabriel, along with All-American Makare Desilets, formed one of the nation's best blocking tandems, leading the Huskies to the top of the NCAA blocking rankings in 1997. A Pac-10 first-team selection as a junior, Gabriel ranks in the UW career top-10 in five categories, including total blocks (second - 613) and block assists (second - 520). She also ranked in the top-25 nationally in blocks per game in each of her four seasons at Washington.
After completing her eligibility in 1998, Gabriel trained with the United States women's national volleyball team program and was selected to participate at the 1999 Universiade (also known as the World University Games) in Spain.
She returned to Washington to complete her degree and graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Psychology degree and a minor in speech communications.
From August 2000 until May 2001, Gabriel played professional volleyball in Murcia, Spain.
Coaching career.
Since 2001: Washington.
Gabriel has served as the associate head coach alongside McLaughlin since 2001 and has played a key role in developing Washington's setters, which have ranked among the nation's elite during Gabriel and McLaughlin's tenure.
In 2006, Gabriel helped guide senior setter Courtney Thompson to one of the best individual seasons in Husky history. Thompson was named First Team All-America by both the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and "Volleyball Magazine". In addition, she was named the CVU.com (Collegiate Volleyball Update) National Setter of the Year, and was a finalist for the Honda Award after winning the award in 2005. In 2008, Jenna Hagglund led the Pac-10 and ranked second in the nation in assists per set with 12.17, and finished her career as a two-time AVCA All-American, and was 10th in Pac-10 history in career assists.
Gabriel also aided in the development of Tamari Miyashiro (2006–09) into the top libero in the nation. Miyashiro was twice named the Volleyball Magazine National Defender of the Year in 2007 and 2008, and was a three-time AVCA All-American from 2007-09. She set the school digs record with 2,382 which ranks her ninth in NCAA history.
Prior to the 2006 season, Gabriel worked with the team's middle blockers.
Personal.
She was born Leslie Tuiasosopo, a daughter of former NFL defensive lineman, Manu Tuiasosopo, who played collegiately at UCLA, then professionally from 1979 to 1986 for the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, being a starter at nose tackle and winning Super Bowl XIX. She is the oldest of five children, including former UW starting quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo.
She married Anthony Gabriel, an academic advisor at the University of Washington, in the summer of 2010, and has two children, Daylon and Myles.


Ardnamurchan Camanachd

Ardnamurchan Camanachd is a shinty club based in Strontian, Ardnamurchan. The club covers a wide area taking in Strontian, Ardgour, Morvern, Acharacle and Moidart all in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It was established in 2005. It competed in Marine Harvest North Division 3 but withdraw for the 2012 season. seeking to return in 2013. However, in a radical step the club then applied to join South Division Two at a late juncture, becoming the first club to ever switch districts. A part of the club's area draws from Morvern, which is South of the Ballachulish divide. The club has not competed in the senior leagues since 2013 but maintains a youth and women's presence in the sport, as well as supporting irregular friendly games by a select team in Glenfinnan.
History.
Shinty in Ardnamurchan and surrounding areas.
Historically, shinty has always been played in Morvern and the Ardnamurchan area but this was the traditional New Year's game and there is no history of clubs in the area. Latterly Morvern played an annual game against Kilmallie. The club's colours were taken from the coats of arms of two of the main ruling clans of the area. The MacIains who were a branch of Clan Donald and the Camerons. The colours are red, gold and black.
New school 2005 and early success.
Ardnamurchan High School was built with shinty in mind, having a fantastic shinty pitch to rival any in Scotland. A team was started in October 2005. The Ardnamurchan junior team was affiliated to Kilmallie. Soon old shinty hands in the area started their own training and it was decided to form a senior team and enter North Division 3 for the 2006 season. With limited experience and low numbers the team struggled manfully throughout the season.
Success came early for the U14s when the high school team made it through to the final of the MacPherson Cup. This team then went on to win the North of Scotland League Shield, beating Inverness in the final. A fantastic achievement for a club new to shinty.
In 2007 Ardnamurchan amalgamated their small primary schools to form one team at this level. The senior team was strengthened by more experienced players joining their ranks and new home grown talent emerging. The club hosted the 2007 Mod Cup on 13 September 2007 at their ground.
Stuart Carmichael stepped down as manager at the end of 2008. The club proactively sought a new manager but the club is at present managerless. Shaun Olsen took on the role of player/manager and continued with this into the 2010 season.
Team raising difficulties, move South, league withdrawal 2011-.
In 2011, but also in previous years, Ardnamurchan were afflicted by call-offs, often struggling to put together a team as many young players emigrated to Glasgow as well as the long trips to places such as Aberdeen and Ullapool. These team-raising difficulties resulted in the club taking a step back from senior level in 2012, with the intention of reapplying to North Division Three in 2013. However, the club then took the decision to apply to join South Division Two in January 2012.
The club was a South club for 2012. The club competed reasonably well in South Two but they did not compete in 2013 due to no manager. Again in 2014 Ardnamurchan will not be competing at senior level, with many of their younger players joining the ranks of the Ballachulish 2nd team.
Ladies Team.
As of 2013, the only Ardnamurchan team competing at senior level is the Ladies branch of the club. This team, which like the men's side grew out of the efforts in Ardnamurchan High School. The Ardnalassies have developed as a team, having originally started in school competitions and then competing in the North, then National league setups.
Honours.
"School Competitions
U14 - MacPherson Cup, runners up (2006).
U14 - MacPherson Cup, third place (2007).
U13 - MacBean Cup, runners up (2007).
U14 - MacRae & Dick 6s, Winners (2012)
U16 - Donella Crawford Cup, runners up (2011/2012) (girls competition")
U16 - Wade Cup, runners up (2013) ("Ardnamurchan High/Kinlochleven High)
Camanachd Association Competitions
U14 - North Division two champions (2006).
U14 - Feill Chaluim Cille (shinty/hurling) third place (2007).
U14 - North Division Three champions (2008)
U17 - WJ Cameron Cup (Ardnamurchan/Ballchulish team) (2013)


Latin American Youth Table Tennis Championships

The Latin American Youth Table Tennis Championships currently includes two categories: cadets (under 15) and juniors (under 18).
Currently, the championships include boys' team, girls' team, boys' singles, girls' singles, boys' doubles, girls' doubles and mixed doubles events for juniors and cadets. There are also consolation events for players defeated in the qualifying
stages and in the first round of the singles events.
The final ranking of the junior boys' and girls' team events determines the qualification for the same year's World Junior Championships.


David S. Goodman

David Simon Charles Goodman (born 25 February 1958 in England) is an International Master of chess, and a chess writer. Awarded the IM title in 1983, he won the World Youth Chess Championship (Cadets) in 1975. He played #10 on the English national team in Moscow in 1977. The following year he was part of the five-man English team that won the World Under-26 Team Championship in Mexico City. He was a reporter and editor for AP before becoming a full-time chess teacher in New York City in 2002. He started his career as a stringer reporting on international chess tournaments for AP, before joining the company as a full-time newsman in 1990.
Goodman was educated at Latymer Upper School in London and at Keble College, Oxford. He has a BA and honorary MA from Oxford in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
Goodman became known for helping to break the news that Soviet Defense Minister Dmitriy Ustinov was dead. The 1984–1985 Kasparov-Karpov World Championship was played in Moscow's Hall of Columns where the bodies of Soviet leaders used to lie in state. After a series of unusual timeouts at the match, Goodman was able to establish through his chess contacts that Ustinov had died.
Goodman has interviewed Woody Allen and John Cleese and covered speeches by the first President Bush and former President Gerald Ford. He was the chess teacher of Don Imus and his son and has appeared on "Imus in the Morning."
He has a FIDE Elo rating of 2405.
As of December 2009, Goodman is currently a coach for the elementary school chess team of the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School in New York City.


Levade


Indigenous North American stickball

Indigenous North American stickball is considered to be one of the oldest team sports in North America. Stickball and lacrosse are similar to one another, the game of lacrosse is a tradition belonging to tribes of the Northern United States and Canada; stickball, on the other hand, continues in Oklahoma and parts of the Southeastern U.S. where the game originated.
Although the first recorded writing on the topic of stickball was not until the mid-17th century, there is evidence that the game had been developed and played hundreds of years before that.
History.
Traditional stickball games were sometimes major events that could last several days. As many as 100 to 1,000 men from opposing villages or tribes would participate. The games were played in open plains located between the two villages, and the goals could range from 500 yards (460 m) to several miles apart. Rules for these games were decided on the day before. Generally, there was no out-of-bounds, and the ball could not be touched with the hands. The goals would be selected as large rocks or trees; in later years wooden posts were used. Playing time was often from sun up until sundown.
The game began with the ball being tossed into the air and the two sides rushing to catch it. Because of a large number of players involved, these games generally tended to involve a huge mob of players swarming the ball and slowly moving across the field. Passing the ball was thought of as a trick, and it was seen as cowardly to dodge an opponent. Medicine men acted as coaches, and the women of the tribe were usually limited to serving refreshments to the players and betting on the sidelines.
The historical game played a huge role in the peace kept between tribes who played it. The game was not only used as a way to settle disputes and grievances among the many tribes but was also played to toughen young warriors for combat, for recreation, as part of festivals, and for the bets involved. Often before the game was even played terms would be set and agreed upon and the losing team would have no choice but to accept the outcome. If a tribe did not accept the terms of the game, the dispute often would end in battle.
Although the entire historical timeline of the game is only fragmentary, there have been several documented games throughout history that have not only impacted the tribes but the nation as a whole. In the mid-17th century, a Jesuit missionary named Jean de Brébeuf was the first to write about the Native American game after witnessing the Huron Indians play. Even though the Jesuit despised the game and condemned it for its violent nature, many English colonists were captivated by it and began playing the game themselves.
One of the most historical references to the game was in 1763 when the Ottawa tribe used a game of stickball to gain entrance into Fort Mackinac. The chief of the Ottawas, Chief Pontiac invited soldiers from the fort to watch a game in honor of the king's birthday. While the soldiers enjoyed the festivities and entertainment the Ottawa players moved close enough to rush the fort and massacre the soldiers.
In 1834, after the Caughnawaga Indians demonstrated a game of stickball in Montreal, Canada, many Canadians took interest in the game and in 1856 William George Beers codified the aboriginal game into modern lacrosse.
These ancestral games of the Native Americans are still played by many tribes across North America today, however, it was not until around the mid- to late-20th century that the Native American game of stickball began to see a what some have called a "renaissance" across the southern region of North America.
Before Game Rituals.
Pre-game rituals were very similar to rituals associated with war. The night before the game was to be played a tribal ball dance was held in which most of the community would take part. The dances consisted of conjuring ceremonies and spiritual songs and practices that were believed to bring good luck to the team. The players wore ceremonial regalia, sacrifices were held, and sacred expressions were yelled to intimidate opponents.
The medicine man performed rituals to prepare players and their sticks. One by one the Shaman would take each player away from the dance to perform the "mystic rite known as going to the water" at which time the shaman blesses the game and each player receives ritualistic scratches that were said to "cause the blood to flow more freely" during the game, assuring a win for the team. In many instances, winning the game meant winning a dispute with another tribe or community.
Players would decorate their bodies with paint and charcoal and their sticks or stick racks with objects representing qualities desired in the game. In addition to athletic training, strict taboos were held on what players could eat before a game. Players would fast and be banned from eating certain foods in hopes that the absence of this food would mentally, spiritually, and physically enhance the player's capability to move the team towards a win in the game.
On the day of the game, teams walked to the field and were slowed by constant rituals. Before the game, every player was required to place a wager. Items such as handkerchiefs, knives, trinkets, horses, and even wives and children would be at stake. The bets would be displayed on a rack near the spectators, and items would be awarded proportionally to the winner of each quarter. When the game was over another ceremonial dance took place, along with a large feast for the hungry players.
The modern game.
Though the size of the game may have dwindled over the years, "the game played today is not that different from the historical version."
Much like the game of the tribal ancestors, today stickball is bringing tribal people and communities together in schoolyards and college campuses across the southern states. Many of the southeastern tribes in the U.S. are beginning to see more games being played at tribal festivals and tournaments. The modern game of stickball is, in fact, experiencing such a resurgence that several tribal tournaments are being held annually across the nation, such as the Jim Thorpe Games and the Choctaw Labor Day Festival. The World Series hosted by the Mississippi band of Choctaws in Philadelphia, Mississippi is "arguably the biggest, most hotly contested Indigenous ballgame in the country."
The game today is played on a field roughly about one hundred yards with a tall cylindrical pole or set of poles at each end of the field for goals. Points are scored by hitting the pole with the ball or game sticks while holding the ball or running through the set of poles with the ball. In recreational games, scoring is loosely kept, most times by the audience or a few players.
Historically and presently every game begins with a jump ball thrown into the middle of the field, groups of players from each team scramble and fight to get the ball and launch it towards their goal with their sticks. The beginning of the game has been described as "rolling and tumbling over each other in the dust, straining and tugging for possession of the ball"
Although the number of players participating in the game is somewhat unimportant, the number of players from each team on the field must be equal and is normally about thirty from each team. In many games the players are split into three groups on the field. One group or the "pole men" guard their own goal to prevent the other team from scoring. The second group is placed in the middle of the field and is responsible for moving the ball down the field towards the goal to score points, and the third group or "returners" are gathered around the opponent's pole to help their team score points on the opposing team's pole. Due to the nature of the game and the number of players trying to retrieve one ball, injuries are unavoidable.
Stickball is and always has been a full-contact sport played without protective padding, helmets, and in most cases without shoes. The earlier game had very few rules and because the game was often used as an alternative to war, fatalities did occur. Today stickball injuries are common, however, there are rules in place to prevent players from being seriously injured. A few of the most common rules include no touching the ball, no swinging sticks at other players, no hitting below the knees, and the only player that can be tackled is the one in possession of the ball and the player doing the tackling must drop his sticks first.
In contemporary stickball games, it is not unusual to see women playing. Female stickball players are the only players on the field who are not required to use sticks and are allowed to pick up the ball with their hands, while men are always required to play with a pair of stickball sticks. Teams are usually split into men vs. women for social games. The men will suffer some sort of penalty or disqualification for being too aggressive towards the women players, but the women have no such restrictions on their methods of playing.
Equipment.
Depending on the tribe playing the game, stickball can be played with one or two wooden sticks made from tree trunks or saplings of hardwood such as Hickory. The wood is thinned at one end and bent around and attached to the handle to form a loop that is bound with leather or electrical tape. Leather strips are stretched across the back of the loops on the sticks to form netting so the ball can be caught and held in the cup of the stick.
Some versions of stickball used unusual stick designs, for instance, in the St. Lawrence Valley a version was played in which the head took up two-thirds of the stick. In the Southwestern United States a double-stick version was played with sticks about two and a half feet long.
Many early stickball sticks were essentially giant wooden spoons with no netting. A more advanced type had one end bent into a 4 to diameter circle, which was filled with netting. This netting was made of wattup or deer sinew.
Many players decorate their playing sticks with hair from animals such as horses or raccoons hoping to match desirable qualities of that specific animal, such as speed or agility. Some sticks often had elaborate carvings on them intended to help players in the game, sticks were so treasured that many players requested to be buried with their stick beside them.
Much like the sticks used in the game, the game ball is handmade from "tightly wadded cloth" and wrapped in a weaving of leather strips. Some early stickball balls were made out of wood. Others were made of deerskin stuffed with hair. They were typically three inches in diameter.


Nate Silver (quarterback)

Nathan Silver was an American football player from North Division High School in Chicago, Illinois.
Silver was the first player to hold the starting quarterback job at The University of Notre Dame for three consecutive years, from 1903-1905. He was also one of the first Jewish athletes to compete at the traditionally Catholic university, and was described as having exceptionally quick feet and being "slippery".
Led by Silver, the Irish achieved their first-ever undefeated season in 1903, outscoring their opponents by a combined total of 292-0 for a final record of 8-0-1. The combined record over the next two seasons would be a more modest 10-7. However, the 1905 season would include the most lopsided victory ever by a Notre Dame team: a 142-0 win over the American College of Medicine and Surgery, in which Silver's touchdowns included a 40-yard run and an 80-yard kickoff return. The margin likely would have been much larger had the game not been called after just thirty-three minutes of play.


Gliding competition

Some of the pilots in the sport of gliding take part in gliding competitions. These are usually racing competitions, but there are also aerobatic contests and on-line league tables.
History of competitions.
In the early days, the main goal was to stay airborne for as long as possible. However, flights could last for days and some pilots killed themselves by falling asleep. This type of duration contest was abandoned by 1939.
From the earliest days of gliding there was also 'free distance' flying. Pilots launched themselves from a hill top, attempting to glide as far as possible. Once pilots learned to exploit ridge lift and thermals, flights could be extended further. Eventually they mastered flying from thermal to thermal, resulting in ever longer retrieves. As the pilots and gliders became better, the winner of a competition day might fly so far that they could not get back to the competition site for the next day. Turn-points were therefore used. Those pilots who managed to fly all the way to the turn-point and back would score the same distance as for free distance flights. When pilots and gliders became even better, most of the pilots would complete the task. Points were then awarded for speed.
Initially, observers would be stationed at the turn-points to verify that the pilots rounded them. Large easily seen contest numbers (sometimes in addition to the glider's registration) were, and still are, located on the bottom of one wing, and each side of the fin, to ease identification. As the years progressed, pilots used (film) cameras to photograph each turnpoint from the air to prove that they had rounded each one and a barograph to prove that they had not landed en route. Today, all tracking methods have been totally replaced with GPS-based FAI approved flight recorders to (securely) log their positions and flight so that they can prove that the task was correctly completed.
Present day.
Modern gliding competitions now comprise closed tasks where everyone races on an aerial route around specified turn-points, plus start and finish points, that brings everybody back to base. The weather forecast and the performance of the gliders, as well as the experience level of the pilots, dictate the length of the task. Today, most of the points are speed points. The general rule is to set the task so that all pilots have a fair chance of completing it, with the fastest pilot gaining the most points for that day.
With the advent of GPS, new types of tasks were introduced such as speed or distance tasks within assigned areas, and speed or distance tasks with pilot-selected turn-points (during flight based on perceived advantages). Despite the use of pilot-selected turn-points made possible by GPS, tasks over a fixed course are still used frequently. In the European Gliding Championships in 2005, a task of 1,011 km was set in the open class; the longest task in an international competition.
The FAI Sporting Code for gliders sets out the rules and procedures to be used to verify soaring performances in competitions and badge flights. The main objective of these rules is to ensure that a consistent level of proof is achieved for all flights.
Levels of competition.
Competitions are held at the local, regional, national and international level. Strong performance at the regional level allows pilots to gain a high enough ranking to enter national championships. Thereafter international competitions are available for the most ambitious pilots: the European Gliding Championships, and the World Gliding Championships. There is also the prestigious Barron Hilton Cup, which is an invitation event for the top pilots. There are now six classes open to both sexes, plus three classes just for women, and two junior classes (See Glider Competition Classes).
Some competitive classes (Sports Class in the US, Club Class elsewhere) have scoring systems that are handicapped based on the type of glider each pilot is flying. This allows pilots to compete on a relatively equal basis even if their gliders have widely varying performance.
A typical competition day.
Gliding contests generally last one week, but international contests last two weeks. Sometimes days are allocated for practice before the contest to allow non-local pilots to familiarize themselves with the contest area.
Each day an initial decision is made as to the likelihood that the conditions for the day are adequate to remain aloft. If so, the pilots are told to prepare (assemble) their gliders and move them onto the runway launch grid and prepare to launch. The order of the gliders on the grid is predetermined for each day and rotates amongst the pilots. The contest pilots gather at the start of each contest day to learn about the day's forecast weather conditions, to obtain briefings on operational and safety related issues, to hear about the previous day's results (if any) and possibly to hear from the previous day's winning pilot(s). Behind the scenes, the weather forecaster will discuss the local predicted conditions for the day with the task-setter (which is sometimes a committee). Once the task for the day has been decided, a pilot's briefing is held to describe the task and provide an update on forecast weather and any airspace restrictions. Often a non-competing pilot will make a preliminary flight to verify conditions aloft (known as a "sniffer"). Launching takes place when the director believes that the gliders can stay airborne.
The task for the day is based on the predicted soaring and weather conditions of the day and is made up of a combination of a minimum time in the air (between 2 and 5 hours) coupled with a collection of locations (turnpoints) which must be overflown (within a specified radius). Some turnpoints may be mandatory, others may be optional, or a combination of both. Some days can simply not be flown and are referred to as "non-contest" days. In a typical 7 day regional contest, at least 3 days must be "contest days" to constitute a valid contest. If every day of the contest can be flown, then at least one day will not be flown (known as a "rest day"), in an effort to increase safety by preventing excessive fatigue.
Launching all the gliders usually takes less than an hour. While gliders are being launched, the other gliders which are already airborne will attempt to remain aloft and stay in the vicinity. Gliders that land due to loss of lift are allowed to relaunch ("re-light") but must wait until all other gliders have been launched at least once. Once all gliders in a class are launched and have had time to get into a position to start, the launch director will announce that the "start gate is open" via radio. This means that pilots can begin flying their assigned task and can start immediately, or might delay their start for tactical or weather-related reasons. The pilot must announce his start time via radio. Each pilot will then attempt to fly the task as quickly as possible.
Some pilots will be unable to find lift at the beginning of the flight and return to the airport for an additional tow (known as a "re-light") and start his attempted flight again - this is allowed any number of times. If the pilot is unable to find lift during some part of the task he may be forced to 'land out' in a farmer's field or at a distant airfield. Sometimes this is caused by deteriorating weather, sometimes because of rejecting an area of lift and flying on in the hope of finding even better lift (since the object is not to use every encountered lift source as this takes time without any gain in distance). The pilot will garner some contest points even if he does not completed the task for the day. For those that land out, the glider is either de-rigged and towed back in a trailer (always if landing at a non-airport), or (if at an airport) a tow-plane can be sent to re-launch the glider and so return it to base (both cases are known as a "retrieve"). Generally the start and finish locations are at, or quite near to, the home airfield for the contest. If there are severe weather conditions, an alternate "safety finish" location may have to be announced to the competitors.
Scoring.
Each glider carries a device for recording its GPS position every few seconds in a secure format. Following landing, the pilots hand in their loggers to the scorer for downloading. The scorer uses computer software to analyze the resulting GPS data. This provides evidence that the start, turn-points and finish have been legitimately reached. The winner on each competition day is the fastest around the task and is given the maximum score of 1000 points. This score can be devalued if very few gliders get around the task. This is because that luck was probably a key factor if only a few gliders get round the task. The scores for other pilots are then assigned according to their speed relative around the task of the winner. A small proportion of the maximum score is given for the distance covered so that competitors who do not complete the task, will still get a score. In some competitions handicapping that is based on the performance of the glider is used and so further factors are applied before determining each pilot's score for the day. Preliminary scores are usually available within a short time after the last landing, but there may be protests and penalties. The final scores are usually formally announced at the beginning of the next contest day during the pilot's briefing for the next day's task. Often the winning pilot in the each class is asked to speak about how they won.
Water ballast.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but pilots put water ballast into compartments in the wings to make their planes heavier. Modern gliders can take large quantities of water (a Nimbus-3 can hold 272 kg). The objective is to increase the gliding speed, while maintaining the same gliding angle. The downside is that the glider will climb more slowly in thermals. However in the right conditions, the time lost in climbing more slowly is more than recouped by the increased speed to the next thermal.
The benefits depend on three factors: the aerodynamic performance of the type of glider at various speeds and weights, the strength of the thermals on the day and the width of the thermals on the day. The increased sink rate will have a small percentage effect on the climb rate in strong thermals. The extra weight of ballast requires the pilot to bank more to stay in narrow thermals and this also increases the sink rate.
Competition pilots usually launch with ballast. If the thermals are weaker and/or smaller, it may be better to continue the flight without ballast and so they may dump it soon after the start or part way round the course. However it is possible that conditions may strengthen and so sometimes keeping the ballast throughout the task may be advantageous.
The airframe of a glider is not designed to withstand the stresses of a hard landing while the glider is loaded with water. Consequently, pilots start emptying the ballast tanks shortly before the gliders cross the finish line so they are empty when they land. This results in spectacular images when competition pilots cross the finish line at low altitude. Recent rules changes are making this practice less desirable for safety reasons.
Racing strategy and tactics.
Races are won on the basis of speed over the day's course. Time on course is measured from when each pilot leaves the start zone until they finish. Each competitor may elect to start any time after the start opens. To allow all competitors sufficient time to get into a good position to start, competition rules specify that no competitor may start until twenty minutes after the last competitor has launched. The start can be a line, or it can be a cylinder several miles in radius. In both cases there is a specified maximum altitude for the start and competitors typically will attempt to start as close to the maximum start height as possible.
One of the more important decisions of a flight is when to start. This decision is based mostly on each pilot's desire to be on course during the strongest weather conditions of the day. There are also competitive considerations. Often competitors will try to start just after other pilots, using them as "markers" for favorable lift conditions ahead on course. Using this technique, a skilled pilot can make up several minutes on the earlier starters during the early portion of the flight. Pilots who are being followed in this way may use a variety of tactics to shake off pursuers, such as doubling back after a start and starting again. Each pilot may start as many times as he or she chooses - only the last start counts. However, playing an endless game of "start gate roulette" can have disadvantages. Late starters can find themselves still out on course when the soaring weather becomes weak or wholly unsuitable. The best pilots are therefore also good weather forecasters.
The most important factors influencing the overall speed at which glider can fly around a given course is the average strength of the rising air the pilot chooses for climbing and the directness of the route chosen around the course (no credit is given for deviations, but a detour to reach stronger lift can often more than make up in speed for the extra distance travelled). Experienced pilots typically pass by relatively weak lift, selecting only the strongest lift for climbing. However, being too selective runs the risk of getting too low to the ground and being forced to accept any available sources of rising air (no matter how weak) in order to avoid "landing out". This can cost the competitor valuable time. The best pilots also are expert at getting the most out of each source of lift by maneuvering their glider quickly to the center of the lift where the rate of climb is greatest. They also are highly skilled as using a wide variety of information (weather forecasts, terrain features, clouds, other gliders on course) to estimate what conditions are likely to be like ahead on course and adapt their flying tactics to maximize their overall speed.
It is often possible to fly efficiently by merely slowing down in the rising air while flying straight ahead on course, instead of circling, then speeding up again when the air is no longer rising. This technique is known as 'dolphining'. If the conditions are favorable, the glider can gain enough energy from each source of lift and maintain its overall height for long distances without circling. Days with steady, moderate winds can be good for this, as the thermals often will line up into cloud streets, enabling the pilot to race without having to turn. Choosing a flight path directly on course line may not be the best tactic if a slight diversion can keep the glider in rising air for longer, or at worst keep out of the strongly sinking air.
Throughout the task gliders will often fly together in 'gaggles', because a group of gliders is more likely to find better lift than one glider on its own. Pilots sometimes have to decide whether to stay with a gaggle or go on their own in another direction where they believe there will be better lift. On days when there are no cumulus clouds to indicate where there is lift, gaggle flying is the norm. However gaggle flying makes it more difficult for a pilot to gain significantly more points than the other competitors.
One of the last key decisions that each competitor makes is determining when the glider is high enough to reach the finish line. This is a critical decision because, on the one hand, taking on unnecessary altitude wastes time because there are no points gained for arriving high at the finish. On the other hand, running out of altitude before the finish can result in a costly (and embarrassing) "land-out". For any given lift conditions, there is an optimal final glide speed to minimize the overall time required - the stronger the lift, the faster (and steeper) the final glide should be. Pilots use sophisticated glide computers to calculate the altitude required and to track progress along the way. Most pilots plan their final glide with extra altitude ranging from several hundred to more than a thousand feet as insurance in case unanticipated sinking air is encountered on the final part of the flight.
Grand Prix.
In an attempt to widen the appeal of gliding contests, a new format contest, the Grand Prix, has been introduced. Innovations introduced in the Grand Prix format include simultaneous starts for a small number of gliders, tasks consisting of multiple circuits, and simplified scoring.
Online contests.
Informal internet competitions are also popular where pilots upload their GPS data files and are automatically scored based on factors such as distance, achieved speed and whether the task flown was declared in advance. In 2009, 13.424 pilots worldwide participated in a contest sponsored by a German aviation magazine, 'Aerokurier', though other countries also operate their own national 'ladders'.
Aerobatics.
Aerobatic competitions are held regularly.
In this type of competition, the pilots fly a program of maneuvers (such as inverted flight, loop, roll, and various combinations). Each maneuver has a rating called the "K-Factor". Maximum points are given for the manoeuvre if it is flown perfectly, otherwise points are deducted. Efficient maneuvers also enable the whole program to be completed with the height available. The winner is the pilot with the most points.


Dog agility

Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles. The handler's controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the animal and coordination of the handler.
An agility course consists of a set of standard obstacles laid out by a judge in a design of his or her own choosing in an area of a specified size. The surface may be of grass, dirt, rubber, or special matting. Depending on the type of competition, the obstacles may be marked with numbers indicating the order in which they must be completed.
Courses are complicated enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction. In competition, the handler must assess the course, decide on handling strategies, and direct the dog through the course, with precision and speed equally important. Many strategies exist to compensate for the inherent difference in human and dog speeds and the strengths and weaknesses of the various dogs and handlers.
Competition basics.
As each course is different, handlers are allowed a short walk-through (ranging from 5 to 25 minutes on average) before the competition starts. During this time, all handlers competing in a particular class can walk around the course without their dogs, determining how they can best position themselves and guide their dogs to get the most accurate and rapid path around the numbered obstacles. The handler tends to run a path much different from the dog's path, so the handler can sometimes spend quite a bit of time planning for what is usually a quick run.
The walk-through is critical for success because the course's path takes various turns, even U-turns or 270° turns, can cross back on itself, can use the same obstacle more than once, can have two obstacles so close to each other that the dog and handler must be able to clearly "discriminate" which to take, and can be arranged so that the handler must work with obstacles between himself and the dog, called layering, or at a great distance from the dog.
Printed maps of the agility course, called "course maps", are occasionally made available to the handlers before they run, to help the handlers plan their course strategy . The course map contains icons indicating the position and orientation of all the obstacles, and numbers indicating the order in which the obstacles are to be taken. Course maps were originally drawn by hand, but nowadays courses are created using various computer programs.
Each dog and handler team gets one opportunity together to attempt to complete the course successfully. The dog begins behind a starting line and, when instructed by their handler, proceeds around the course. The handler typically runs near the dog, directing the dog with spoken commands and with body language (the position of arms, shoulders, and feet).
Because speed counts as much as accuracy, especially at higher levels of competition, this all takes place at a full-out run on the dog's part and, in places, on the handler's part as well.
Scoring of runs is based on how many "faults" are incurred. Penalties can include not only "course faults", such as knocking down a bar in a jump, but also "time faults", which are the number of seconds over the calculated "standard course time", which in turn is determined based on the competition level, the complexity of the course, and other factors.
Agility obstacles.
The regulations of different organizations specify somewhat different rules and dimensions for the construction of obstacles. However, the basic form of most obstacles is the same wherever they are used. Obstacles include the following:
Contact obstacles.
Contact obstacles are obstacles made of planks and ramps, they require dogs to ascend and descend the obstacle and to place a paw on a "contact zone", an area that is painted a different colour. The height, width and angle of the planks and ramps varies by the organisation running the competition.
The a-frame comprises two ramps that meet in the middle forming an A shape, the ramps vary between and in length, and between and in height at the apex.
The dog walk is an elevated plank with ascending and descending ramps at each end, the ramps vary between in length and in height above the ground.
The crossover comprises four separate ramps that each ascend at an elevated platform in the middle, the dog must ascend and descend the correct ramps in accordance with the judge's course plan, the ramps are in length and the platform is between in height.
The seesaw, sometimes called the teeter-totter, is a seesaw, that the dogs walks the length of, the seesaw varies between in length and the apex between in height.
The tower is similar to the crossover except it has a plank, a set of steps to ascend and descend, as well as a slide for the dog to slide down, as with the crossover the must ascend and descend in accordance with the judge's course plan.
Tunnels.
The tunnel obstacles involve tunnels of different designs that the dogs run or crawl through.
The open or piped tunnel is an open flexible tube, they usually in diameter and between in length.
The closed, collapsed or chute tunnel is a tube of light fabric with a rigid end for the dog to enter, the entrance is between in diameter and long.
The hoop tunnel is a tunnel constructed from eight PVC hoops approximately in diameter arranged in a frame to form a tunnel approximately long.
The crawl tunnel is a series of low hurdles forming a tunnel long that the dog must crawl under, the hurdles are set between high.
Organization in groups.
Although each organization has its own rules, all divide dogs into smaller groups that are close to each other in size and experience for purposes of calculating winners and qualifying scores.
History.
The history of dog agility can be traced to a demonstration at the Crufts dog show in the late 1970s in the United Kingdom. Dogs were run around a course designed similar to horse jumping courses during intermission as a way to entertain the audience. It has since spread around the world, with major competitions held worldwide.
Agility as an international sport.
Globally, dog agility competitions are regulated and run by the FCI and its member organisations and a number of national kennel clubs and sport federations. Rules of each organisation, titles and selection process of national teams that represent the country at prestigious international events vary slightly. One reason alternatives to FCI organisations started to emerge is that FCI is an international pure-bred dogs federation and most of its members have restrictions for dogs without pedigrees. Such organisation as USDAA, UKI and IFCS and their members have opposed that and created their own international competitions that do not restrict participation for dogs without pedigrees.
Training.
Dogs can begin training for agility at any age, but care is taken when training dogs under a year old so as to not harm their developing joints. Dogs generally start training on simplified, smaller, or lowered (in height) agility equipment and training aids (such as ladders and wobbling boards to train careful footing), but puppies who learn quickly must be finished growing before training on equipment at standard height to prevent injury.
Introducing a new dog to the agility obstacles varies in response. Each individual dog learns at its own pace; confident dogs may charge over equipment with little encouragement, while more timid dogs may take weeks to overcome their hesitations with much encouragement. Both scenarios present their own challenges, as dogs may be overconfident and sloppy to the point where they have a serious accident and teaching the dog self-control becomes one of the goals for the trainer. Timid dogs need extra support to boost their confidence. Given the right encouragement, a timid dog can gain confidence through learning the sport. The size of the dog can also have an effect on training obstacles, particularly with the chute, in which smaller dogs are prone to get trapped and tangled inside. A trainer will take great effort to ensure that the dog is always safe and has a good training experience for agility so that it does not fear the obstacles, and instead performs them willingly and with enthusiasm.
The teeter-totter (or see-saw) and the weave poles are typically the most challenging obstacles to teach to a dog. Many dogs are wary of the see-saw's movement, and the weave poles involve behavior that does not occur naturally to the dog. Contact obstacles in general are challenging to train in a manner that ensures that the dog touches the contact zone without sacrificing speed. Whether for competition or recreation, the most important skill for an agility team to learn is how to work together quickly, efficiently, and safely. Dogs vary greatly in their speed and accuracy of completing a course, as well as in their preferences for obstacles; therefore, the handler must adjust their handling style to suit and support the dog.
Training techniques for each piece of equipment varies. The techniques for training the weave poles include using offset poles that gradually move more in line with each other, poles that tilt outward from the base and gradually become upright, wires or gates around the poles forcing the dog into the desired path, and putting a hand in the dog's collar and guiding the dog through while leading with an incentive. It also includes teaching the dog to run full speed between two poles and gradually increasing the angle of approach and number of poles.
Agility may be trained independently (for instance at home) or with an instructor or club that offers classes. Seasoned handlers and competitors, in particular, may choose to train independently, as structured classes are commonly geared towards novices. Seasoned handlers often instead look to seminars and workshops that teach advanced handling techniques, and then practice on their own.
Common reasons for joining an agility class include:
In addition to the technical and educational training, physical training must also be done. The dog must be fit enough to run and jump without causing stress or injury to its body. The handler can also benefit from being physically fit, but with some handling styles it is not necessary to keep up with the dog (nor is it possible with very fast dogs). Being able to handle a dog from a distance allows mobility-impaired handlers to participate in the sport on par with mobile handlers. Research has also demonstrated health benefits to handlers engaged in dog agility.
Competition process.
Competitions (also called "trials" or "matches" or "shows") are usually hosted by a specific local club. The club might be devoted solely to dog agility, or it might be primarily a breed club that wants to promote the working abilities of its breed, or it might be a club that hosts many types of dog sports. The club contracts with judges who are licensed by the sanctioning organization and applies to the organization for permission to hold a trial on a specific date or weekend; most trials are two-day weekend events.
Key trial jobs.
The club designates a member to be the chairperson or show manager, who is responsible for ensuring that the trial takes place, and another member to be the secretary, who is responsible for providing competitors with the show premium or schedule—a document that describes the specific competition, summarizes the rules, describes the trial site, and includes an entry form—receiving completed entry forms, sending out running orders, producing running-order lists for the day of competition, and compiling the results from the trial to send to the sanctioning organization.
The designated chief ring steward or ring manager is responsible for finding and assigning workers, almost always volunteers, to perform the myriad tasks involved in putting on a trial. For example, if electronic timing is not being used, each class needs a timer, who ensures that the dog's running time is recorded, a scribe, who records the judge's calls as a dog runs the class, and pole setters (or "ring stewards"), who ensure that jump bars are reset when they are knocked off and change jump heights for dogs of different sizes.
Competition locations.
Agility competitions require considerable space. Each ring is usually at least 5,000 square feet (I.e 465 square meters); however, exact dimensions vary according to the organizations. Competitions can have anywhere from one to a dozen rings. The ground must be non-slip and level, usually being either packed dirt, grass, carpeting, or padded matting.
Competitors additionally need space to set up quarters for their dogs and gear. When space permits, competitors often bring pop up canopies or screenroom awning tents for shade. Dogs, when not competing, are usually left to rest in exercise pens, crates, or dog tents familiar and enclosed environments in which they can relax and recover between runs. Handlers also bring reflective cloths to protect their dogs from sun exposure and to calm them down (by covering their crates with the cloths). There also needs to be space for many handlers with dogs on leashes to move freely around the rings without crowding, and space for warming up, exercising, and pottying dogs. Adjacent to the site, parking must be available for all competitors. At weekend or weeklong shows that offer camping, space needs to be provided both for competitors' caravans and tents, and for the small fenced enclosures or gardens that they set up around them.
In heavily populated areas, therefore, it is uncommon to find real estate inexpensive enough to devote entirely to agility, so sites are usually rented for the weekend. Even in more rural areas, agility-only sites are uncommon. Popular locations include large parks, covered horse-riding arenas, and in cold-winter areas, large, empty warehouses in which mats or carpet can be laid.
Course design.
Before the trial, each judge designs the courses that he or she will judge at the competition. The sanctioning organization usually reviews and approves the courses to ensure that they meet the organization's guidelines. Guidelines include such issues as how far apart obstacles must be, how many turns are allowed (or required) on a course, which obstacles and how many of each must appear on the course, and so on. The rules vary by level of competition and by organization.
Building a course and calculating times.
Before each class, or the evening before the first class, course builders use course maps provided by the judges to place equipment on the course. The chief course builder is usually an experienced competitor who understands what equipment is legal, how it must be configured, how each must be aligned compared to other obstacles, and can direct several course-building volunteers to efficiently move the equipment into place. To make the job easier, courses are often marked in some way to correspond to a grid: for example, if course maps are printed on a grid of 10-foot-by-10-foot squares, the posts that hold the ring ropes marking the course's four sides are often set 10 feet apart.
When the course builders finish, the judge walks through the course and double-checks that the obstacles are legal, that they are placed where the judge intended, and that there are no unintended hazards on the course (such as potholes, uneven ground, or mud puddles) around which the course must be adjusted. For many classes, the judge then measures the path through the course to determine the optimal running distance of a typical dog. The judge uses that measurement with a speed requirement determined by the rules to calculate the standard course time, which is the time under which dogs must complete the course to avoid time faults. For example, if the course is 150 yards (or meters) long, and the rules state that dogs must run the course at a rate of at least 3 yards (or meters) per second, the standard course time would be 50 seconds. Other organizations, though, leave the decision on course time to the judge's discretion
Running a course and determining results.
The judge often holds a briefing for competitors before each class, to review the rules and explain specific requirements for a particular course. For Standard courses for experienced competitors, the judge's briefing is often minimal or dispensed with altogether. For novice handlers in classes with complex rules, the briefings can be much longer.
The competitors then walk the course (as described earlier). When the walk-through ends, the gate steward or caller ensures that dogs enter the ring in the running order previously determined by the trial secretary and manages changes to the running order for handlers who might have conflicts with other rings of competition. As each dog and handler team runs the course, the dog is timed either by a person with a stopwatch or with an electronic timer, and the scribe writes the judge's calls and the dog's final time on a scribe sheet or ticket, which is then taken to the score table for recording.
At the score table, scorekeepers compile the results in a variety of ways. Some organizations require or encourage computerized scorekeeping, while others require certain types of manual score sheets to be filled out. When all the dogs in a given height group, level, and class have run, the score table compares run times, faults, and any other requirements to determine placements (and, for classes that provide qualifying points towards titles, which dogs earned qualifying scores).
Each ring might run several classes during a day of competition, requiring multiple course builds, walk-throughs, and briefings.
Awards and titles.
Awards are usually given for placements and for qualifying scores. Such awards are often flat ribbons, rosettes, commemorative plaques, trophies, medals, or pins. Some clubs award high-in-trial awards, calculated in various ways, or other special awards for the trial. Dogs who complete their final qualifying scores to become agility champions are often presented with special awards.
Many Kennel Clubs also award titles to those who manage to qualify enough times in a particular level. Most clubs require three qualifying scores in any level to get the corresponding title, however, other clubs may require more or less.
In the United States in most sanctioning organizations, there are a variety of titles that a dog and handler can earn by accruing sufficient qualifying runs—also called legs—that is, runs that have no more than a certain number of faults (typically none) and are faster than the maximum standard course time (SCT).
For example, under USDAA rules, a dog can earn novice-level titles in Standard, Jumpers, Gamblers, Snooker, and Pairs Relay classes by earning three qualifying runs in each of the classes. The dog can also earn intermediate-level titles and masters-level titles in the same classes. After earning all of the masters-level titles—five qualifying runs in each, with some that must be in the top 15% of dogs competing at each trial—the dog earns its Championship.
Other organizations have similar schemes; in AKC, to earn the Championship, the dog's qualifying runs must be earned two at a time on the same day. In NADAC, the quantity of qualifying runs is much larger; and so on. Most champion titles have "CH" in the title: NATCH (NADAC Agility Trial Champion), ADCH (Agility Dog Champion for USDAA), CATCH (CPE Agility Trial Champion), MACH (Master Agility Champion for AKC), TACH (Teacup Agility Champion), ATCH (ASCA Agility Trial Champion) and so on.
Injuries.
Surveys of handlers indicates that about 1 in 3 dogs incur injuries from agility related activities. The most common types of injuries were (in order) strains, sprains and contusions. Locations most commonly injured were shoulders, back, phalanges (forelimb/hindlimb) and neck. Injuries were most commonly perceived as being caused by interactions with bar jumps (contact), A-frames and dog walk obstacles (contact and/or fall). There were no relationship between the use of warm-up and cool-down exercises and injuries.


Australia national beach handball team

The Australia national beach handball team are the national team of Australia. It is governed by the Australian Handball Federation and takes part in international beach handball competitions.
The Australian teams of both Women and Men were present to all world championships and world games since 2010. Both teams are currently preparing for the 2016 world championships in Budapest (Hungary) during July 2016.
The qualifier Oceania took place in Gold Coast at the end of February 2016. Both the Women and Men team have won the Oceania Qualifiers and won a spot in the 2016 World Cup.


Amber Corwin

Amber Corwin Farrow (born December 21, 1978) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 1999 Four Continents silver medalist and 2004 bronze medalist.
Personal life.
Corwin was born on December 21, 1978, in Harbor City, California. In December 2004, she completed her degree in fashion merchandising and marketing from Cal State Long Beach. She is married to Franklin Farrow, with whom she has a daughter, Vienna.
Career.
Corwin started skating at the age of five. Making her Champions Series (Grand Prix) debut, she placed 10th at the 1996 NHK Trophy. At the 1997 U.S. Championships, she became the first U.S. woman to land a triple-triple combination in the short program. During her career she attempted to learn the quadruple toe loop jump in hopes of becoming the first woman to land one in competition.
During the 1997–98 ISU Junior Series, Corwin was awarded gold in Germany and silver in Slovakia. She qualified to the ISU Junior Series Final, where she won the silver medal. She won silver at the 1999 Four Continents Championships.
After finishing fourth at the 2004 U.S. Championships, she won the bronze medal at the 2004 Four Continents Championships.
Corwin was represented by Michael Collins Enterprises. She retired from competitive skating in March 2006 to focus on a career in the fashion industry. She designed many of her skating costumes.
Results.
"GP: Champions Series / Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Series / Junior Grand Prix"


2004 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

The 2004 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship was held at Tijuca Tênis Clube, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.