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, 2011 // Posts published in December, 2011
Science of Sport awards: Sports science story of the year
Looking back on 2011, but through an academic lens, leaves the impossible task of trying to pick a research highlight. I guess in much the same way as your choice of a Sports Star of the Year would be influenced by your choice of sport (Messi, Djokovic, Cavendish or Wellington), the choice of most exciting […]
Science of Sport Awards: More controversies
Having earlier awarded “Controversy of the Year” to the Oscar Pistorius story, here are some other noteworthy controversies that affected sport in 2011. Caster Semenya – back on the stage Caster Semenya was undoubtedly the big controversy of 2009, when she won the 800m world title amid speculation and tests about her gender. 2010 was […]
Science of Sport Awards: Controversy of the year, Oscar Pistorius
Controversy is never far from sport, and therefore the science of sport. Many of the controversies in recent years have been directly related to science – think Caster Semenya in 2009, doping in sport (every year), swimsuits and performance in 2008. 2011 didn’t produce a “new” controversy, but rather reruns of the same dramas we’ve […]
Merry Christmas from The Science of Sport
Merry Christmas everyone To all our readers: Thank you so much for your support and readership over the course of the year. Christmas is now only days away, and being the time for giving, it’s appropriate to give our thanks for all your comments, feedback, discussion and even criticisms! The Year in Review, aka Science […]
Science of Sport Awards: Website of the year
Choosing a best website is an impossible task, because it depends very much what you are looking for. My criteria for a great website include insight and analysis – I don’t wish to simply read about what happened, because chances are, if I’m a sports fan, I’ve already seen it. I don’t wish to wake […]
Science of Sport awards: Videos of the year
The title “Video of the Year” is often a euphemism for one of two things: 1) extreme sportsmen or -women doing outrageous stunts that defy belief (and sanity), or 2) people doing ordinary things, like mountain-biking, before some extra-ordinary event turns them into YouTube sensations. Both the above categories are catered for in the collection […]
Science of Sport awards: Comeback of 2011
The best sports comeback of 2011 The third of our 2011 Awards is for the best comeback of the year. We’ll do this one in reverse order – winner first, and then a list of “honorable mentions”. South Africa vs Australia, IRB Sevens World Series, Edinburgh I admit, I am unashamedly biased on this one, […]
Science of Sport Awards: The Villain of 2011
Let’s jump right to it – sport tends to create heroes and villains, hence its appeal (or part of it). But we’re less interested in the parochial rivalries and specific players who fans love to hate simply because of rivalries (though we are not immune to these, of course), and more in the management of […]
Science of Sport Awards: Surprise of 2011
Thank you all for your suggestions/nominations for the Science of Sport awards. I’m really glad I asked, because I’d completely overlooked some of the suggestions you made. I’d have felt foolish leaving them out! There was, as expected, quite a lot of overlap, but some “fringe” nominations as well, which is great because it is […]