Welcome to the Science of Sport where we bring you the second, third, and fourth level of analysis you will not find anywhere else.
Be it doping in sport, hot topics like Caster Semenya or Oscar Pistorius, or the dehydration myth, we try to translate the science behind sports and sports performance. Consider a donation if you like what you see here!
December, 2009 // Posts published in December, 2009
Favourite videos of 2009
Two great “alternative” sports videos One final post for 2009, to bring the curtain down on a great year. These are my two favourite alternative sports videos of the year, for you to enjoy as the curtain comes down on a great (and controversial) year in sport. It’s easy to be bogged down in the […]
Number 1: Caster Semenya’s saga
Less than a day remains of 2009, and we’ve spent the last week recapping the biggest sports science stories of the year. And it comes as no surprise that the number 1 science of sport story of the year is that of Caster Semenya. There is little more that can be written about Semenya, so […]
2009 news stories
2009 produced some fascinating sports stories. Below are links to our coverage of those top stories of 2009 This post is part of the thread: News/Controversies – an ongoing story on this site. View the thread timeline for more context on this post.
Number 2: The cleansing of swimming’s record books
Swimming went through a frantic year in 2009. It featured the showpiece of the sport, the 13th FINA World Championships in Rome, but it was dominated by an ongoing pursuit of world records, powered by swimmers wearing high-tech swimsuits that arguably contributed to the biggest rush of records in the history of the sport. And record […]
Semenya not suing – reports. The fog thickens
Two days ago, I interrupted our countdown of the top sports stories of 2009 to comment on a report that Caster Semenya was to sue the IAAF and ASA for $120 million and $18 million respectively. Today, reports in SA are suggesting that the report, which you can read here, is false. In fact, the latest reports quote Jeffrey Kessler, chairman […]
Top 9 of 2009: Number 3 – the marathon
Kibet, Kwambai, Kirui, Wanjiru, Kebede, Gharib, Gebrselassie, Kipruto, Goumri, Makau, Kirwa, Worku, Yegon, Cheruiyot, Kemboi, Tsegay, Keitany, Kisri, Kipkorir, Mutai. 20 names of 20 men who have broken 2:07 in the marathon in 2009. In what has been an unprecedented explosion of super-fast marathon running, more performances (25) and more men (20) have cracked what […]
Semenya to sue for $120 million
I realise I’m interrupting my series on the Top 9 sports science stories of 2009, and I am bombarding you with posts at a time when you may not even be reading (you’ll have a lot to get through when your vacation is over – apologies!), but I came across this link courtesy Alessandra at our last […]
Top 9 of 2009: 4 to 6
As mentioned, today is second installment in our Top 9 of ’09 series, looking back at the top sports stories of 2009, as covered here on the Science of Sport. Yesterday we covered stories 7 through 9, looking at sudden death during marathons, Meb Keflezighi’s win in New York and the Tour de France and […]
Top 9 of 2009: 7 to 9
We trust you all had a wonderful Christmas yesterday, and are still enjoying the festive season! As promised, we begin a recap of the year’s top sports stories, as viewed through science, and featured here on The Science of Sport. Nine stories for 2009, and today, we recap 7 through 9. That will be followed by […]