Sumo Suit Athletics is an international sport which started in the United Kingdom in the year 2008. It is a sport where participants wear sumo fat suits while doing regular athletic events.ITN NEWS "QUIRKY: Sumo Suit Athletics World Championships", Retrieved 2010-06-30 The suits used weigh around 11 kg. The suits restrict leg movement, and participants are not allowed to use their hands to lift the suits up. This results in participants raising their arms and shoulders while running producing a comedic effect.
World championships
There have now been three World Championship events held since 2008 with the next event set to take place some time in 2012.
The five main events at the World Championships include: 100m sprint, Long jump, High jump, Shot put and the 400m endurance race.
The 2009 men's event, held at the Battersea athletics track in London, was dominated by three South Africans, Willem Muller, Jeremy Gallop and brother Michael Gallop, who won in all 5 events.Butler, Lee-Ann "Ex-PE man calls shots at oddball sports" ,The Weekend Post, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 14 August 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-30 Four world records were broken with only the 100m record standing from the previous year. In the women's event Charlotte Willis from Great Britton won 3 events, and four new world records were set in part due to the introduction of 'child's' suits for the women instead of adult suits. The women's high jump record from 2008 was not beaten.
The 2010 event was again held at the Battersea athletics track in London. In the men's event all but the shot put world record was broken. Ed Moyse set a new 100m record with 14.43secs and also a Long Jump record of 4.25m. Jeremy Gallop bettered his own record from 2009 in the High Jump by jumping 1.31m. Sam Hyatt-Twynam ran a blistering pace in the 400m to set a new world record of 1.26secs. In the women's event Jo Higgins dominated by setting four new world records in the 100m, Long Jump, Shot Put and 400m. Gabrielle Morales from Hungary set a new women's high jump record with a height of 1.05m.
Records The current world records (as of June 2010) are:
Men's world records EVENTMARKATHLETEYEARPLACE100m Sprint14.43sec2010Battersea Park, LondonHigh Jump1.31m2010Battersea Park, LondonLong Jump4.25m2010Battersea Park, LondonShot Put8.71m2009Battersea Park, London400m "Endurance"1min26sec2010Battersea Park, London
Women's world records EVENTMARKATHLETEYEARPLACE100m Sprint18.50sec2010Battersea Park, LondonHigh Jump1.05m2010Battersea Park, LondonLong Jump2.87m2010Battersea Park, LondonShot Put5.10m2010Battersea Park, London400m "Endurance"1min30s2010Battersea Park, London
Men's seasons best (Updated August 2010)
100m sprint YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE200817.5secTooting Bec, London200918.87secBattersea Park, London201014.43secBattersea Park, London
High jump YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE20081.03mTooting Bec, London20091.29mBattersea Park, London20101.31mBattersea Park, London
Long jump YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE20083.32mTooting Bec, London20094.00mBattersea Park, London20104.25mBattersea Park, London
Shot put (Updated August 2010) YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE20088.34mTooting Bec, London20098.71mBattersea Park, London20108.14mBattersea Park, London
400m "endurance" YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE20081min32secTooting Bec, London20091min31.8secBattersea Park, London20101min26secBattersea Park, London
Women's seasons best (Updated August 2010)
100m sprint YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE200829.68secTooting Bec, London200927.61secBattersea Park, London201018.50secBattersea Park, London
High jump YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE20080.88mTooting Bec, London20090.85mBattersea Park, London20101.05mBattersea Park, London
Long jump YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE20081.18mTooting Bec, London20092.56mBattersea Park, London20102.87mBattersea Park, London
Shot put (Updated August 2010) YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE20084.16mTooting Bec, London20094.73mBattersea Park, London20105.10mBattersea Park, London
400m "endurance" YEARMARKATHLETEPLACE20083min07secTooting Bec, London20091min43secBattersea Park, London20101min30secBattersea Park, London
Record Sources: "Sumo Suit Athletics World Championships Results", Accessed 2009-06-30
References
External links
www.sumosuitathletics.co.uk