International King of Sports
Encyclopedia
International King of Sports was a multi-sport competition held yearly. The events were unusual sport
s rarely undertaken outside of this competition and were often variants of standard track and field
sports.
Australia
n Adam Horder was the winner in 2002 but the 2004 winner is unknown after the show's cancellation.
The course for the 2004 competition is designed with the first half of the course being steep, requiring nimbleness and technique as much as speed, while the second half allows the contestants to run faster.
In 2002, Kengo Shiomi (JPN) won this event in the heats, despite never having taken part in the event before.
The lubricant coating of the track was changed for the 2004 competition, from olive oil to xanthan gum
. This led to the world record being broken three times in the first heat. The current record is held by Brian Clark (GB), and is around 55 metres.
track event, except that the competitors must go under the horizontal bar of the hurdle instead of over it. This makes the event more difficult, and the times taken to complete the course are greater than standard hurdling times. International hurdler Liam Collins smashed the world record dipping his way to a staggering 19.62.
event, shot put
(throwing a ball with a pushing motion), except that it takes place under water. Rather than being made of metal, the shot used is a leather ball filled with sand. Competitors can achieve distances of 4 m and more.
), a man who couldn't swim.
is as a result of the completed 2003 series being delayed and re-edited as the 2004 series.
, and in the UK was broadcast on Five. It was presented by Helen Chamberlain
and Mark Robson
, with commentary from Alan Parry
.
The programme won a bronze award in the Game Show category at the Montreux Television Festival in 2003.
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s rarely undertaken outside of this competition and were often variants of standard track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
sports.
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Adam Horder was the winner in 2002 but the 2004 winner is unknown after the show's cancellation.
Events
There are seven heats, each made up of five of the following events. Each heat has four competitors. The winner from each heat goes through to the final, along with the highest-scoring runner-up, to give eight contestants.3 metre Sprint
The 3 metre sprint is similar to the 100 metre sprint; however, it takes place over a three metre distance. The races last under a second and require a photo finish to determine who has won. Two false starts lead to disqualification from the event.10G human slalom
Contestants run downhill, taking a zigzag course through ten gates, each composed of a pair of flags on pole. They are allowed to touch the flags, but they must not be knocked down.The course for the 2004 competition is designed with the first half of the course being steep, requiring nimbleness and technique as much as speed, while the second half allows the contestants to run faster.
Association bobbage
Contestants wearing flippers jump into a swimming pool from a platform, the height of which is gradually raised. The aim is to land without your head going underwater. The world record is currently held by Laszlo 'The Human Dolphin' Fazekas (Hungary) and is 2.40 m.Backwards 200 m
This is a 200 m race in which the contestants run backwards. They must only run within their appointed lane.Individual fall down
Contestants have to fall to the floor as fast as possible from a standing position. For a fall to be valid the contestants head must make contact with a cushioned pressure sensitive pad on the floor. The event is run as a knockout with the slowest contestant in each round being eliminated, until one winner is left.Headlong dive
This event takes place on a long jump track and pit. Rather than landing feet first, contestants jump headlong; if their feet touch the sand, their effort is a no-jump. Iggy Singh (GB) broke the world record with a majestic leap of 8.75m only to be beaten again by training partner Liam Collins who jumped a world record 8m96. The jump itself cannot be classed as a world track and field record as the head long technique is not permitted in actual Olympic Games.Double footed over-hurdles
Contestants must keep both feet together and clear 10 hurdles on the 110m hurdles track.In 2002, Kengo Shiomi (JPN) won this event in the heats, despite never having taken part in the event before.
International skids
Contestants take a short run-up to a lubricant-coated track, on which they skid. Skids only count if the contestant does not fall over.The lubricant coating of the track was changed for the 2004 competition, from olive oil to xanthan gum
Xanthan gum
Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, derived from the bacterial coat of Xanthomonas campestris, used as a food additive and rheology modifier, commonly used as a food thickening agent and a stabilizer...
. This led to the world record being broken three times in the first heat. The current record is held by Brian Clark (GB), and is around 55 metres.
Pool hang
Contestants must hang onto a bar suspended above a swimming pool for as long as possible. They can only use their hands to grip the bar. The event is done as a knockout with contestants competing in pairs. The winning contestants in the heats meet in a final to decide first place, with the losers competing for third place.Tennis whack
This event has contestants competing using a tennis racquet and a tennis ball. The aim is to see who can hit the ball vertically up in the air the longest time. This is measured in seconds. This is also sometimes known as "Screeding".Speed-gun run
Contestants sprint down a twenty metre track; their speed is measured close to the end, just before they run into an upright crash mat. The current world record of 20.27 mph (32.62 km/h) is held by Hugo 'The Human Rhino' Mybergh (RSA).Under hurdles
This event is identical to the 110 metres hurdles110 metres hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight...
track event, except that the competitors must go under the horizontal bar of the hurdle instead of over it. This makes the event more difficult, and the times taken to complete the course are greater than standard hurdling times. International hurdler Liam Collins smashed the world record dipping his way to a staggering 19.62.
Underwater shot put
This is identical to the track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
event, shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
(throwing a ball with a pushing motion), except that it takes place under water. Rather than being made of metal, the shot used is a leather ball filled with sand. Competitors can achieve distances of 4 m and more.
Vertical standing jump
Contestants must jump from standing onto a table-like platform. There is no run-up, and no bouncing is allowed; momentum is gained primarily through swinging the arms. The contestants' feet - and not their knees - must touch the platform first. The current world record was set at 137.5 centimetres by Jean Piers (RSA).Water jump
From a short run-up, contestants jump from a springboard over a horizontal pole into a swimming pool. Unlike the high jump, which this event resembles, contestants tend to favour a face-down dive over the bar, sometimes with a somersault. The world record is 180 centimetres, and was set in the 2003 competition by William Pobie (GBUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), a man who couldn't swim.
2004 Competition
For reasons unknown, the program was removed from the schedules part-way through the 2004 competition, and has not been shown since. As a result, the winner of the 2004 competition has not been revealed to the general public, although Brian Clark (GB) was leading the competition before broadcasting was cancelled. It is noted that, in one episode, one of the athletes refers to the '2003' competition, which does not exist. It is believed that this blooperBlooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...
is as a result of the completed 2003 series being delayed and re-edited as the 2004 series.
Broadcasting International King of Sports
The television programme of International King of Sports was produced by EndemolEndemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
, and in the UK was broadcast on Five. It was presented by Helen Chamberlain
Helen Chamberlain
Helen Marie Chamberlain is an English television presenter.She previously worked as a holiday camp entertainer and Disc Jockey before working on a variety of radio and television programmes...
and Mark Robson
Mark Robson
Mark Robson was a Canadian-born film editor, film director and producer in Hollywood.-Career:Born in Montreal, Quebec, he moved to the United States at a young age. He studied at the University of California, Los Angeles then found work in the prop department at 20th Century Fox studios...
, with commentary from Alan Parry
Alan Parry
Alan Parry is a British sports commentator, born and raised in Garston, Liverpool, concentrating on football and athletics. He has commentated for all three main broadcasters of football in the UK - the BBC, ITV and Sky TV, as well as for both BBC and commercial radio.Starting his career at BBC...
.
The programme won a bronze award in the Game Show category at the Montreux Television Festival in 2003.