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Wimbledon Winners
June 14th, 2009 by Denise I Smithson, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
There are few things which are regarded more highly in the world of professional tennis as competing at the Wimbledon tournament; except of course, winning one of the events at this world famous tournament. The glory of being a Wimbledon winner is without compare for tennis players and of course there is also the fame of being a winner and the large prizes which are awarded.
The oldest of the four tournaments which make up the Grand Slam, the Wimbledon tournament is hosted by the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Quite a few tennis players think of even competing in this prestigious tournament as one of the highest honors in the sport. The major events at this tournament are held, as they always have been on grass courts for a period of over two weeks in midsummer; starting in late June and concluding in early July.
The matches at Wimbledon are played in both best of three and best of five set formats. In the event of a tie, a tie breaking game is held. The players who win the most of their sets are the winners of the tournament.
The Gentlemen’s final is the longest event. It lasts for nearly 5 hours of play. Last year in 2008, the event went for more than 7 hours due to weather conditions. Wimbledon (tennis) winners of the gentlemen’s event are held up high because this is the most prestigious event. This event begins with strawberries and cream. The Gentlemen’s events include the singles, which is a 128 draw and the Gentlemen’s doubles which is a 64 draw. The winners of the singles event win more than $1 million dollars in award money and a silver gilt cup that is 18.5 inches high and 7.5 inches wide. The Gentlemen’s doubles will more than $300,000 and a silver cup.
There are also women’s events that take place at Wimbledon. These events include Ladies singles and Ladies doubles. The singles event is a 128 draw and the doubles is a 64 draw. The awards for the ladies Wimbledon (tennis) winners are the same as the men with a cash prize and a silver cup.
Other than these high profile events, there are a number of other events which are held at the Wimbledon tournament. Even at the world’s top tennis event, there are opportunities for many players to compete. Junior’s tournaments are a part of the Wimbledon tournaments, with singles and doubles events for both boys and girls. Additionally, there are invitation matches, Round Robin tournaments for men, women and seniors and even a 4-pairs wheelchair tournament. Being the winner of any event at Wimbledon is a very great honor.
Winners of Wimbledon events include the best tennis players in the world, with many of the most famous names in the tennis world competing each year. While every player dreams of being a Wimbledon winner and taking the trophy and the winner’s purse, even competing in the world’s most prestigious tournament is an achievement in its own right. Any player who competes here, even if they leave with a consolation prize is still very much a winner.
The Facts About Crashes in NASCAR
June 7th, 2009 by Denise I Smithson, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
When you watch a NASCAR event, you are fully aware that there is the possibility of a crash. In fact, there is a strong possibility of at least one serious crash taking place in each and every race. Some racetracks are known for their tendency to produce potentially fatal crashes in each race it hosts. While some people are taken aback by this, others revel in the opportunity to witness such carnage.
There will always be fans who are interested in the sport mostly because of the possibility of seeing a crash. These are the fans that come to the races to see the speed and feel the thrill of the close calls and for these people; a crash is the icing on the cake. While crashes certainly are a dramatic sight, they’re not good for the popularity or even the survival of the sport over the long haul. Crashes have caused the death of several drivers over the years and fatalities have even occurred among spectators at NASCAR races.
NASCAR has been working to implement safety protocols over the last ten to fifteen years which aim to make the sport safer and reduce the incidence of injuries and deaths. The organization was spurred to put these measures into place due to a tragedy at the Daytona 500; namely, the death of NASCAR’s biggest star Dale Earnhardt. Following his untimely death, NASCAR began to add more padding to the walls of racetracks, stipulate certain safety features be added into the design of vehicles used in NASCAR racing and require drivers to use improved head and neck stabilization technologies.
Change, naturally takes some time to adjust to – and when this change has to do with redesigned vehicles for NASCAR racing, time is exactly what the drivers can least afford. It’s important to keep in mind that the majority of these drivers have spent their whole career in the sport on one type of car – and that auto racing is not an ideal environment for on the job training. The high speeds and crowded tracks of a NASCAR event mean that a single mistake can have disastrous consequences.
This is not to say that the added safety requirements put into place by NASCAR were not necessary; they were and are needed. However, there is still much work to be done to make the sport a safer one for drivers and spectators alike. Some drivers have opined that while improvements have been made, there are still many tragedies waiting to happen at many NASCAR racetracks and that the organization should take a proactive stance rather than waiting for another death before taking action.
At a recent race in NASCAR a car flipped over and went flying into the fence separating the stands from the track. While the car didn’t end up in the stands, it came perilously close, and debris that went into the stands injured many. The images were shocking at how close the car was to taking out entire rows of spectators.
So while fans may be lining up to watch the next crash at the NASCAR event, the sport would be wise to institute further measures against such disasters. The next major tragedy could be the last one and could leave the sport no room to recover. It would be a shame if more drivers had to die because NASCAR felt the need to satiate their crash happy fans.