The World’s First Free Running Contest
Free running is a sport practised out of doors in which participants (free runners) use urban and rural areas to perform movements through objects and structures focused on freedom and beauty. It is a sport whose movements aim to be both efficient and aesthetically pleasing – so there are ‘vaults’ – jumps – which are carried out with care and precision so that they look impressive. Free running also incorporates acrobatics, tricks and stunts which are attractive to watch.The world’s first free-running world championships were held in the UK in 2008 and attracted over 2000 athletes from all over the world. In this video one of the event’s promoters, ‘Ez’, explains the history behind the sport and the aim of the contest.
1 What 2 factors to date have made London ‘pretty much the centre’ of this sport at the moment?
2 The two documentaries on free-running are called ….
3 What specific contribution to the sport of free running did these two documentaries make?
4 How many countries will be represented in the contest?
5 Ez does not describe free-running as a sport – how does he describe it?
6 What phrase does he use meaning ‘the best you will see anywhere’?
7 What phrase does he use which means we are ‘doing what we really love’?
8 How many hours a day are young runners training?
9 Can you give 2 details which suggest spectators will witness some great new developments in this sport?
10 What verb conveys the sense of preparing really hard or being really prepared for a job, activity or sport, by learning skills and/or by mental or physical exercise?
11 What is the main thing that the winner will win?
12 What are we told about the winner’s prize?
13 What 4 distractions might be daunting or unnerving about this event for competitors?
14 How have these people managed to get to know each other to date?
15 What is it worth, being a World Champion in free-running?
If you want to see more: ‘Start slow, stay low’ – more about free-running!