AP PHOTOS: Runners trip, stumble and roll their way to victory in annual downhill cheese chase
Tom Kopke slipped, stumbled and tumbled his way to victory in the annual Cooper's Hill cheese rolling race.
'All the people at the top said they were going to steal my title but this is mine,' a shirtless Kopke declared as he clutched his prize, a 7-pound (3-kilogram) wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. 'I risked my life for this. It's my cheese. Back to back.'
Kopke, from Munich, won the first race of the day as men and women competed in several groups to chase a wheel of cheese down the 200-yard (180 meter) perilously steep pitch near Gloucester, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of London. The first to reach the bottom of the hill behind the speedy cheese wins the wheel.
The contest, traditionally held on the late-May public holiday, dates back at least two centuries, maybe longer. It's attended by thousands, who pack the woods flanking the hill or take cover behind fences at the bottom, as competitors from around the world risk serious injury in the hope of glory.
Gravity and acceleration combine to leave few runners on their feet, leading to epic wipeouts that can result in twisted ankles, broken collarbones and concussions.
Ava Sender Logan, from London, won the women's race after somersaulting and rolling at least a dozen times as she clutched her head.
'I will probably feel it tomorrow,' she said. 'It felt quite long coming down and then I hit my head. I'm down, that's what matters. I'm fine.'
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
World Boxing will require sex testing for fighters before world championships in September
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The governing body for Olympic-style boxing will require sex testing for all fighters wishing to compete in the women's division at its world championships next month. World Boxing already had announced its plan to require competitors to undergo a polymerase chain reaction test or an equivalent genetic screening test to determine their sex at birth. The rules will be implemented ahead of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England, in early September, the organization announced Wednesday. The tests identify the presence or absence of Y chromosome genetic material as the indicator of biological sex. 'World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible,' World Boxing president Boris Van Der Vorst said. 'Yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness fairness, which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy.' Paris Olympic champion Imane Khelif of Algeria declined to enter a World Boxing tournament in the Netherlands in June, shortly after the governing body initially announced its plans to introduce sex testing. Van Der Vorst later apologized for specifically naming Khelif, who initially planned to fight in the tournament, while outlining World Boxing's future testing plans. Khelif and fellow gold medalist Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan excelled in Paris under a harsh spotlight of widespread scrutiny and misconception about their sex. The 26-year-old Khelif repeatedly has said she was born a woman, and she has competed at all levels of women's amateur boxing for nearly a decade. Chromosome testing was common in Olympic sports during the 20th century but was largely abandoned in the 1990s because of numerous ambiguities that couldn't be easily resolved by the tests, collectively known as differences in sex development. Many sports switched to hormone testing to determine sex eligibility, but those tests require governing bodies to make difficult decisions on the eligibility of women with naturally high testosterone levels. World Boxing said athletes with DSD in which male androgenization occurs will be eligible to compete only in the men's category. But the governing body also said it would offer extensive additional analysis and evaluation for athletes with Y chromosome genetic material who wish to compete in the women's categories, including genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination and further evaluation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists. An appeals process also is available. National federations are responsible for conducting the tests and submitting the results, World Boxing said. Earlier this year, World Athletics — the governing body for track and field — became the first Olympic sport to reintroduce chromosome testing, requiring athletes who compete in the women's events to submit to the test once in their careers. World Athletics has set a deadline of Sept. 1 for athletes to submit to the gene tests ahead of the world championships. The last two Olympic boxing tournaments were run by a task force from the International Olympic Committee under previous rules of sex eligibility. World Boxing, which was founded two years ago after a split from the scandal-plagued International Boxing Association, has been provisionally recognized by the IOC and will organize the next cycle of Olympic qualification heading to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kei Nishikori will miss the US Open because of a back injury
NEW YORK (AP) — Kei Nishikori withdrew from the U.S. Open on Wednesday, saying a back injury has not fully healed. Nishikori was injured in May and pulled out of the French Open. The 2014 U.S. Open runner-up from Japan returned earlier this month for a first-round loss in Cincinnati but said his back isn't healthy enough to play in New York. 'Hi fans, unfortunately I will not be ready for the U.S. Open yet. I had an MRI taken of my back and it's not 100% healed yet,' Nishikori wrote in a social media post. 'Working hard to be back on court soon. Thanks for the support.' Nishikori was ranked No. 4 in 2015, the highest by an Asian men's player but has struggled with injuries in recent years and has fallen to No. 88. He missed the entire 2022 season after a hip injury. ___
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Pirates are going to call up Bubba Chandler, baseball's top pitching prospect
PITTSBURGH — Baseball's top pitching prospect is getting called up to the majors. The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to promote 22-year-old right-hander Bubba Chandler ahead of their game Friday against the Colorado Rockies, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the roster move was not yet official. Chandler will join a staff that already includes 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. The person told the AP that Chandler will initially work in a 'bulk' bullpen role. Chandler got off to a hot start in Triple-A this year but has stumbled lately and is currently 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 100 innings pitched this year for Indianapolis. The Pirates have been careful with Chandler's workload since he moved to pitching full-time ahead of the 2023 season after being projected as a two-way player when he was drafted in 2021. Chandler saw time at shortstop and as a designated hitter early in his minor-league career but struggled at the plate, hitting just .184 with Class-A Greensboro in 2022. Asked in February if he missed hitting, Chandler joked he learned in the minors that for a position player, he's a pretty good pitcher. And potentially a very good one. Yet Pittsburgh has been cautious in bringing Chandler along. He pitched 106 innings in 2023 and 119 innings last season. Chandler got off to a scorching start at Triple-A this spring, posting a 1.33 ERA in April and a 2.54 ERA in May. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, however, had been hesitant to promote Chandler, citing his relative inexperience as opposed to Skenes, who had a standout career at LSU before the Pirates called him up in May 2024. Chandler's effectiveness has waned of late. He went 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA in three starts this month for Indianapolis. Yet with Pittsburgh heading for a last-place finish in the NL Central, Chandler will get an extended audition in the majors as the club points toward 2026. The top of the Pirates' rotation for next year appears to be set with Skenes and Mitch Keller. The other three spots are a question mark at the moment, with Jared Jones (who has missed all season after having Tommy John surgery), Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo (who made his second start after having Tommy John surgery of his own in late 2023), all in the mix. Chandler can join them with a solid showing, with the club likely looking for chances to put him in low-leverage situations. In that way, having him available for a weekend series against MLB-worst Colorado makes sense.
