About

Hurtling down a mountain on a glorified tea tray

The luge is an incredibly fast and dangerous winter sport. Run on a traditional bobsleigh track, it involves male and female athletes attempting to get to the end in the fastest time, achieving speeds of well over 100 kilometres per hour. This event is generally dominated by Europeans, with Germany taking gold and silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Fast and furious cycling action

A recent addition to the Summer Olympics, Keirin is a fast cycling event which features a pace-setter on a motorcycle. Raced over eight laps, the action is frantic and exciting. The Keirin’s origins are in Japan, where it remains immensely popular. The 2008 men’s Olympic champion is Scotland’s Sir Chris Hoy.

Eddie the Eagle soars to stardom

In 1988, Britain’s Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards became an unlikely superstar, partly thanks to his lack of success. The ski-jumper finished last in both events, but remains famous to this day, having endeared himself in the affections of millions. His performances proved a little embarrassing to the organisers, however, and they tightened up on qualifying distances in the following years.

On the oche and ready to play

Darts has become one of the most popular participation sports in the UK and around the world in recent years. Some of the top players are extremely well-known, especially Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, commonly regarded as the greatest player the sport has ever produced. In 2010, he picked up his 15th world title, and his crown shows no sign of slipping just yet.