A detailed look into Basketball, its history and the rules of this unique sport. Learn more about Basketball with Fixture Calendar.

Beginner's Guides

A Beginner's Guide to Basketball

A detailed look into Rugby Union, its history and the rules of this unique sport. Learn more about Rugby Union with Fixture Calendar.

A Beginner's Guide to Rugby Union

A detailed look into American Football, its history and the rules of this unique sport. Learn more about American Football with Fixture Calendar.

A Beginner's Guide to American Football

<img alt="A Geelong cats player jumps for the ball against Hawthorn" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4821_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Geelong Cats and Hawthorn" />

Australian Rules Football is a highly physical, energetic and engaging sport. Played on a cricket sized pitch with the aggression of rugby, the pizzazz of the NFL and a truly unique rulebook, there really is no sport like it. Characterised by crunching tackles, Aussie Rules is certainly not for the faint hearted. However, the brutality is balanced with sensational solo goals and moments of sheer brilliance, making it a must-see sport. With highly committed fans ever present, sampling Aussie Rules is worth it for the atmosphere alone. Here we provide a quick taste of the Aussie Rules basics, an overview of the rules, some key terms and recommendations of who to see and where to see them.

Country of Origin

As the name suggests, Australian Rules Football originated in Australia. There are 15 international governing bodies across the globe, including Germany and South Africa, but Australia is the only country with a professional Aussie Rules league.

Background

Aussie Rules was first played in Melbourne in the 1850&rsquo;s inspired by the football played in English public schools. Nearly 50 years later, eight teams joined forces to form the Victorian Football League, a professional Aussie Rules competition. The league still exists today and has been known as the Australian Football League (AFL) since 1990.

The Rules

An Australian Rules Football team is made up of 18 players. Their aim is to score more goals than their opponents by kicking an oval ball, similar to the one used in American Football or Rugby, through a set of large goalposts located at either end of the oval field. There are four posts, two larger in the centre (goal posts) and a smaller post on either side (behind posts).

The ball can be moved up the pitch by kicking, handballing (but not throwing) and running. The opposition prevent progression up the pitch by tackling with their hands and arms or blocking with their bodies.

Players cannot hold onto the ball for more than 10 seconds without bouncing it, otherwise a freekick is awarded. Freekicks are also awarded for fouls such as a high tackle (touching an opponent above the shoulders) and pushes in the back.

Matches are made up of four quarters of 20 minutes, plus additional time if needed.

Key Terms:

Goal &ndash; worth six points, scored when the ball is cleanly kicked through the goal posts without touching another player or the goalpost. The ball can bounce or fly through.

Behind &ndash; worth one point, scored when the ball passes through the gap between the behind post and the goal post, or when the ball passes the goal posts in any other manner than stated above (touching another player, hitting the goalpost).

Mark &ndash; A player catches the ball after it has been kicked by another player from at least 15 metres away. A mark allows the player to make their next move (kick or pass) without being challenged by the opposition.

Spoil &ndash; intercepting a pass, often by punching the ball away.

Disposal &ndash; passing the ball, via a handball or kick.

Contested Possessions &ndash; winning the ball back.

Scoring

An Aussie Rules score will display the number of goals, behinds and the total score. For example, if team A scored 12 goals and 15 behinds, and team B scored 10 goals and 12 behinds the score would be displayed as: team A 12.15 (87) defeated team B 10.12 (72).

Positions

There are 18 different Aussie Rules positions. The field is split up into defence, midfield and attack, and each of these has six positions. However, the positions are not rigid due to the fluid and dynamic nature of modern Aussie Rules Football:

Back Pocket (Left and Right) &ndash; the deepest lying defensive player, skilled at spoiling the ball. Often quick, as they mark the pacey, nimble opposition.

Fullback &ndash; a strong defensive player, responsible for stopping the Full-Forward from scoring.

Half-Back Flank (x2) &ndash; play slightly higher up the field than the two previous positions. Responsible for spoiling the ball and winning the ball in contests. Can help with the transition of play by bringing the ball out of defence and up the field.

Centre Half-Back &ndash; a tall, strong player with the job of preventing the Centre Half-Forward from scoring or taking marks.

Wing (Left and Right) &ndash; a fit midfielder, responsible for both attacking and defending. He/she is usually strong at kicking.

Centre &ndash; a real allrounder, with good stamina and the ability to win the ball back and get the ball forward.

Ruckman &ndash; a tall midfielder, normally the tallest player on the team. This is a crucial role as they are responsible for winning the ball at key times. It is very physically demanding, as they are often dueling with the opposition Ruckman.

Ruck-Rover - a fit and sturdy player responsible for winning the ball back and getting it down the field.

Rover &ndash; often the smallest player on the field, they are very agile and follow the ball around the field.

Full-Forward &ndash; a well-built player who plays very high as a target. Capable of taking marks and will often be the player who kicks the most goals.

Forward Pocket (x2) &ndash; a small, agile and skillful player who will often produce moments of brilliance, be it a solo goal or a weaving run.

Half-Forward Flank (x2) &ndash; are an option for a long ball put wide and deliver forward balls to bigger players.

Centre Half-Forward &ndash; considered the most demanding position in the game, a Centre Half-Forward is tall, strong and athletic. Responsible for taking marks and scoring goals. A centre half forward can determine whether a game is won or lost.

Competitions

The Australian Football League (AFL) is the nation&rsquo;s professional Aussie Rules league. With bitter rivalries and huge levels of excitement guaranteed, the AFL is Australia&rsquo;s highest attended sporting league. It is made up of 18 teams from five out of the six Australian states (there are no teams in Tasmania). The season runs from March to September and is made up of 23 regular season rounds, with each team playing 22 games and getting 1 bye. The team who tops the ladder after these 23 rounds is crowned minor premier, but the season does not finish there. The top eight teams progress to the finals series, a knock out format which concludes with the illustrious Grand Final. Typically 100,000 fans flock to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, for what is one of the great occasions in the Australian sporting calendar. The atmosphere is always electric and the action is captivating.

The women&rsquo;s Australian Football League (AFLW) began in 2017 following the success of exhibition matches in 2013. The second season in 2022, AFLW Season Seven, will see eighteen teams play a 10 round season, with a four week final series taking place for the top 8 clubs. The women&rsquo;s game is progressing rapidly in Australia, considering discussions for a women&rsquo;s league only began in 2010, in spite of the male format running since 1897. With increasing media coverage and proper player contracts in place, it is only going to continue to grow.

Traditions

Aussie Rules is full of eccentric customs. Between 2003-2007, one round in the AFL was Heritage Round in which teams played in a retro style kit. Rivalry Round was another themed week, where traditional rivals all played each other in one blockbuster weekend. This was scrapped in 2010 in order to spread out the big games throughout the season. There has been talk of trying to resurrect both of these rounds.

Another tradition that we have not seen for a few years occurs when a player kicks their 100th goal of the season. This accomplishment is marked by the crowd all running onto the field in celebration. Only 28 men have achieved this feat in the history of the game, with Lance Franklin of Hawthorn being the last back in 2008.

Each team has their own chant. After a win, teammates link arms in the clubrooms and sing their hearts out in celebration.

Teams begin the game by running onto the field through a huge 10 metre banner which sports the teams colours, an inspirational message and is held aloft at the start of the game by the team&rsquo;s cheer squad. The team captain, or a major player, leads the team when breaking the banner, which can also be used to poke fun at the opposition. In 1971, a poorly performing South Melbourne side took on St Kilda. St Kilda&rsquo;s run through banner was emblazoned with &ldquo;South Melbourne, the Invincible Masters and Supreme Conquerors of&hellip; the wooden spoon&rdquo;. Banners have also been used to celebrate milestones, protest against the AFL and pay tribute to the passing of former players.

<img alt="Archrivals Hawthorn and Essendon go head-to-head" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4822_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="Hawthorn and Essendon" />The Teams and Matches to Watch

Naturally, the grand final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is an awesome spectacle and the best place to soak up the Aussie Rules atmosphere. Further fixture highlights in the AFL season include Anzac Day (the Australian and New Zealand day of remembrance) when Collingwood have played Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 25th every year since 1995 to pay tribute to those who have served their country. This is considered the biggest game in the AFL calendar outside of the grand final, and much like the season finale it is the hottest ticket in town, with close to a six-figure crowd spilling into the MCG every year.

Dreamtime at the &lsquo;G is another huge AFL fixture. Contested between Essendon and Richmond at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, it attracts one of the biggest attendances of the season. The game was first hosted in 2005, aiming to recognise the contribution made by Indigenous players to the AFL. The team who emerge victorious are awarded the Kevin Sheedy Cup, named after the great Kevin Sheedy, who was not only one of the most talented players to pull on the Richmond colours, but also coached Essendon for a staggering 26 years.

As you can probably guess from the previous existence of the Rivalry Round, rivalries are a huge part of Aussie Rules Football. Regardless of positions in the AFL ladder, they are always the biggest games and draw the biggest crowds. Aussie Rules fans are passionate enough as it is, and this is heightened on a Derby Day. Carlton versus Collingwood is arguably the most historic, deep-seated, bitter rivalry in the AFL. Put simply, these two teams detest each other. Not only are they close geographically, they have also met in six grand finals, just to intensify the rivalry. Carlton famously trailed by 44 points in the 1970 final before going on and spectacularly winning the game. Although the in form team changes from season to season the rivalry remains constant, making a Collingwood &ndash; Carlton showdown a game like no other.

Collingwood are also big rivals with suburban neighbours Richmond. This is a rivalry steeped in history, with the sides having met in five grand finals between 1919 and 1929. The 70&rsquo;s and 80&rsquo;s were a particularly heated period, as big names from both sides transferred from one to the other almost bankrupting the two clubs. The rivalry was re-ignited in the 2018 season, when underdogs Collingwood battered Richmond in the preliminary final. Huge crowds and hostility are a guarantee from a Collingwood versus Richmond encounter.

Hawthorn against Essendon is a more modern rivalry in comparison to the two previous examples. This came to the boil in the 1980&rsquo;s, when the two sides met in three consecutive Grand Finals. And these weren&rsquo;t any old Grand Finals. These were bruising, fierce and brutal encounters. Matches in a similar ferocious vein have followed, with the occasional controversy sprinkled in for good measure.

Further great rivalries include Carlton versus Richmond, Essendon against Carlton, Adelaide versus Port Adelaide and West Coast against Fremantle. The best place to sample the unique atmosphere of Aussie Rules Football is at a derby match. With so many huge AFL rivals, there are plenty of opportunities.

<img alt="Robert Campbell playing for Hawthorn on 5 August 2008" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4824_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Robert Campbell" />Players to Watch&nbsp;

Dustin Martin won a cluster of individual accolades in 2017, following a dazzling season. He won the AFL player of the year award (the Brownlow Medal) with a record vote haul and was awarded the player of the match award in the 2017 Grand Final (the Norm Smith Medal) as he guided Richmond to a 48-point victory. However, since his storming season in 2017 Martin has struggled with a string of injuries. Despite a lack of playing time of late, the Richmond player is a fan favourite and will be one to watch for years to come.

Christian Petracca&rsquo;s ability to play dual-positions as a forward and midfielder, both on the inside and outside, makes him incredibly exciting to watch. The 26 year-old is a two time All-Australian and won the premiership with Melbourne in 2021, helping the side win their first premiership in 57 years. In doing so Petracca equalled Simon Black&rsquo;s record for the most disposals in a grand final and won the prestigious Norm Smith medal for his best-on-ground performance. Melbourne will be hoping his form continues this year.

Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe is the 2015 and 2019 Brownlow Medal winner. He is an incredible athlete; strong and aggressive, making him awesome at winning contested possessions, with leading disposals statistics and a strong goal return too. A real allrounder, Fyfe has had to recover from multiple injury setbacks, bouncing back each time to the top of his game. With Fremantle very much towards the top of this year&rsquo;s table, he is certainly a player to keep an eye out for in the upcoming matches.

All Time Great Players&nbsp;

Gary Ablett is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to grace the Australian Rules field. He starred for Geelong during the 1980&rsquo;s and 90&rsquo;s, and is one of five players in Aussie Rules history to kick over 1000 goals. Ablett&rsquo;s prowess led to him being nicknamed &ldquo;God&rdquo;, high praise indeed for a man who shied away from the spotlight. Interestingly, his son Gary Jnr was also a highly talented player, following in his father&rsquo;s footsteps at Geelong where he was considered one of the best players in the AFL, before retiring following the Cat&rsquo;s Grand Final defeat in 2020.

Leigh Matthews has also been afforded legend status. His goal return is up there with the very best (he amassed a staggering 915 goals for Hawthorn in 332 appearances), but it was the lasting impression he would leave on games that he is best remembered for. Matthews was a one-man match winner thanks to an array of spectacular solo goals, and his sheer strength made him near impossible to win the ball off. Matthews was part of the hugely successful Hawthorn side who made seven Grand Finals between 1969-1985.

Tony Lockett is the highest scoring Aussie rules player of all time. In a career spanning nineteen years and 281 matches, he scored a staggering 1360 goals for both St Kilda and then the Sydney Swans before his retirement in 2002. Lockett scored 100 goals in a season on a record six occasions, and his individual score of 16 goals against Fitzroy in 1995 is the fourth highest in AFL history. At 6 ft 3, he was a towering presence and his shooting, strength, pace and leap made him a complete player.

Where to See It

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground is undoubtably the number one venue to sample Australian Rules Football. When all 100,024 seats are full of passionate Aussie Rules fans for a big fixture, there is no place like it.

The Docklands Stadium in Melbourne is another great place to catch Aussie Rules Football. Boasting a capacity of 53,359, it is the AFL headquarters. The stadium has a retractable roof, making it perfect for all weather conditions.

No matter whether you are new to AFL or have followed it for as long as you can remember, it can be easy to miss the first bounce of your teams biggest game or lose track of who is playing when. However, this is where <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/">Fixture Calendar</a>comes in. Fixture Calendar provides extensive and time zone accurate <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-australian-rules-football/competition-afl">AFL fixture information</a>, as well as fixture specific links to tickets, travel, news and more. Use our site to make sure you don&rsquo;t miss any Aussie Rules Football action, no matter where you are in the world.

Written on 22nd July 2022

Photos by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/28135215@N00" rel="nofollow">thomasrdotorg</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/74279471@N00">Simon Yeo</a>

![A Geelong cats player jumps for the ball against Hawthorn](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4821_default_big.jpeg "Geelong Cats and Hawthorn")

Australian Rules Football is a highly physical, energetic and engaging sport. Played on a cricket sized pitch with the aggression of rugby, the pizzazz of the NFL and a truly unique rulebook, there really is no sport like it. Characterised by crunching tackles, Aussie Rules is certainly not for the faint hearted. However, the brutality is balanced with sensational solo goals and moments of sheer brilliance, making it a must-see sport. With highly committed fans ever present, sampling Aussie Rules is worth it for the atmosphere alone. Here we provide a quick taste of the Aussie Rules basics, an overview of the rules, some key terms and recommendations of who to see and where to see them.

**Country of Origin**

As the name suggests, Australian Rules Football originated in Australia. There are 15 international governing bodies across the globe, including Germany and South Africa, but Australia is the only country with a professional Aussie Rules league.

**Background**

Aussie Rules was first played in Melbourne in the 1850’s inspired by the football played in English public schools. Nearly 50 years later, eight teams joined forces to form the Victorian Football League, a professional Aussie Rules competition. The league still exists today and has been known as the Australian Football League (AFL) since 1990.

**The Rules**

An Australian Rules Football team is made up of 18 players. Their aim is to score more goals than their opponents by kicking an oval ball, similar to the one used in American Football or Rugby, through a set of large goalposts located at either end of the oval field. There are four posts, two larger in the centre (goal posts) and a smaller post on either side (behind posts).

The ball can be moved up the pitch by kicking, handballing (but not throwing) and running. The opposition prevent progression up the pitch by tackling with their hands and arms or blocking with their bodies.

Players cannot hold onto the ball for more than 10 seconds without bouncing it, otherwise a freekick is awarded. Freekicks are also awarded for fouls such as a high tackle (touching an opponent above the shoulders) and pushes in the back.

Matches are made up of four quarters of 20 minutes, plus additional time if needed.

**Key Terms:**

*Goal* – worth six points, scored when the ball is cleanly kicked through the goal posts without touching another player or the goalpost. The ball can bounce or fly through.

*Behind* – worth one point, scored when the ball passes through the gap between the behind post and the goal post, or when the ball passes the goal posts in any other manner than stated above (touching another player, hitting the goalpost).

*Mark* – A player catches the ball after it has been kicked by another player from at least 15 metres away. A mark allows the player to make their next move (kick or pass) without being challenged by the opposition.

*Spoil* – intercepting a pass, often by punching the ball away.

*Disposal* – passing the ball, via a handball or kick.

*Contested Possessions* – winning the ball back.

**Scoring**

An Aussie Rules score will display the number of goals, behinds and the total score. For example, if team A scored 12 goals and 15 behinds, and team B scored 10 goals and 12 behinds the score would be displayed as: team A 12.15 (87) defeated team B 10.12 (72).

**Positions**

There are 18 different Aussie Rules positions. The field is split up into defence, midfield and attack, and each of these has six positions. However, the positions are not rigid due to the fluid and dynamic nature of modern Aussie Rules Football:

*Back Pocket (Left and Right)* – the deepest lying defensive player, skilled at spoiling the ball. Often quick, as they mark the pacey, nimble opposition.

*Fullback* – a strong defensive player, responsible for stopping the Full-Forward from scoring.

*Half-Back Flank (x2)* – play slightly higher up the field than the two previous positions. Responsible for spoiling the ball and winning the ball in contests. Can help with the transition of play by bringing the ball out of defence and up the field.

*Centre Half-Back* – a tall, strong player with the job of preventing the Centre Half-Forward from scoring or taking marks.

*Wing (Left and Right)* – a fit midfielder, responsible for both attacking and defending. He/she is usually strong at kicking.

*Centre* – a real allrounder, with good stamina and the ability to win the ball back and get the ball forward.

*Ruckman* – a tall midfielder, normally the tallest player on the team. This is a crucial role as they are responsible for winning the ball at key times. It is very physically demanding, as they are often dueling with the opposition Ruckman.

*Ruck-Rover* - a fit and sturdy player responsible for winning the ball back and getting it down the field.

*Rover* – often the smallest player on the field, they are very agile and follow the ball around the field.

*Full-Forward* – a well-built player who plays very high as a target. Capable of taking marks and will often be the player who kicks the most goals.

*Forward Pocket (x2)* – a small, agile and skillful player who will often produce moments of brilliance, be it a solo goal or a weaving run.

*Half-Forward Flank (x2)* – are an option for a long ball put wide and deliver forward balls to bigger players.

*Centre Half-Forward* – considered the most demanding position in the game, a Centre Half-Forward is tall, strong and athletic. Responsible for taking marks and scoring goals. A centre half forward can determine whether a game is won or lost.

**Competitions**

The Australian Football League (AFL) is the nation’s professional Aussie Rules league. With bitter rivalries and huge levels of excitement guaranteed, the AFL is Australia’s highest attended sporting league. It is made up of 18 teams from five out of the six Australian states (there are no teams in Tasmania). The season runs from March to September and is made up of 23 regular season rounds, with each team playing 22 games and getting 1 bye. The team who tops the ladder after these 23 rounds is crowned minor premier, but the season does not finish there. The top eight teams progress to the finals series, a knock out format which concludes with the illustrious Grand Final. Typically 100,000 fans flock to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, for what is one of the great occasions in the Australian sporting calendar. The atmosphere is always electric and the action is captivating.

The women’s Australian Football League (AFLW) began in 2017 following the success of exhibition matches in 2013. The second season in 2022, AFLW Season Seven, will see eighteen teams play a 10 round season, with a four week final series taking place for the top 8 clubs. The women’s game is progressing rapidly in Australia, considering discussions for a women’s league only began in 2010, in spite of the male format running since 1897. With increasing media coverage and proper player contracts in place, it is only going to continue to grow.

**Traditions**

Aussie Rules is full of eccentric customs. Between 2003-2007, one round in the AFL was Heritage Round in which teams played in a retro style kit. Rivalry Round was another themed week, where traditional rivals all played each other in one blockbuster weekend. This was scrapped in 2010 in order to spread out the big games throughout the season. There has been talk of trying to resurrect both of these rounds.

Another tradition that we have not seen for a few years occurs when a player kicks their 100th goal of the season. This accomplishment is marked by the crowd all running onto the field in celebration. Only 28 men have achieved this feat in the history of the game, with Lance Franklin of Hawthorn being the last back in 2008.

Each team has their own chant. After a win, teammates link arms in the clubrooms and sing their hearts out in celebration.

Teams begin the game by running onto the field through a huge 10 metre banner which sports the teams colours, an inspirational message and is held aloft at the start of the game by the team’s cheer squad. The team captain, or a major player, leads the team when breaking the banner, which can also be used to poke fun at the opposition. In 1971, a poorly performing South Melbourne side took on St Kilda. St Kilda’s run through banner was emblazoned with “South Melbourne, the Invincible Masters and Supreme Conquerors of… the wooden spoon”. Banners have also been used to celebrate milestones, protest against the AFL and pay tribute to the passing of former players.

![Archrivals Hawthorn and Essendon go head-to-head](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4822_default_big.jpeg "Hawthorn and Essendon")**The Teams and Matches to Watch**

Naturally, the grand final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is an awesome spectacle and the best place to soak up the Aussie Rules atmosphere. Further fixture highlights in the AFL season include Anzac Day (the Australian and New Zealand day of remembrance) when Collingwood have played Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 25th every year since 1995 to pay tribute to those who have served their country. This is considered the biggest game in the AFL calendar outside of the grand final, and much like the season finale it is the hottest ticket in town, with close to a six-figure crowd spilling into the MCG every year.

Dreamtime at the ‘G is another huge AFL fixture. Contested between Essendon and Richmond at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, it attracts one of the biggest attendances of the season. The game was first hosted in 2005, aiming to recognise the contribution made by Indigenous players to the AFL. The team who emerge victorious are awarded the Kevin Sheedy Cup, named after the great Kevin Sheedy, who was not only one of the most talented players to pull on the Richmond colours, but also coached Essendon for a staggering 26 years.

As you can probably guess from the previous existence of the Rivalry Round, rivalries are a huge part of Aussie Rules Football. Regardless of positions in the AFL ladder, they are always the biggest games and draw the biggest crowds. Aussie Rules fans are passionate enough as it is, and this is heightened on a Derby Day. Carlton versus Collingwood is arguably the most historic, deep-seated, bitter rivalry in the AFL. Put simply, these two teams detest each other. Not only are they close geographically, they have also met in six grand finals, just to intensify the rivalry. Carlton famously trailed by 44 points in the 1970 final before going on and spectacularly winning the game. Although the in form team changes from season to season the rivalry remains constant, making a Collingwood – Carlton showdown a game like no other.

Collingwood are also big rivals with suburban neighbours Richmond. This is a rivalry steeped in history, with the sides having met in five grand finals between 1919 and 1929. The 70’s and 80’s were a particularly heated period, as big names from both sides transferred from one to the other almost bankrupting the two clubs. The rivalry was re-ignited in the 2018 season, when underdogs Collingwood battered Richmond in the preliminary final. Huge crowds and hostility are a guarantee from a Collingwood versus Richmond encounter.

Hawthorn against Essendon is a more modern rivalry in comparison to the two previous examples. This came to the boil in the 1980’s, when the two sides met in three consecutive Grand Finals. And these weren’t any old Grand Finals. These were bruising, fierce and brutal encounters. Matches in a similar ferocious vein have followed, with the occasional controversy sprinkled in for good measure.

Further great rivalries include Carlton versus Richmond, Essendon against Carlton, Adelaide versus Port Adelaide and West Coast against Fremantle. The best place to sample the unique atmosphere of Aussie Rules Football is at a derby match. With so many huge AFL rivals, there are plenty of opportunities.

![Robert Campbell playing for Hawthorn on 5 August 2008](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4824_default_big.jpeg "Robert Campbell")**Players to Watch**

Dustin Martin won a cluster of individual accolades in 2017, following a dazzling season. He won the AFL player of the year award (the Brownlow Medal) with a record vote haul and was awarded the player of the match award in the 2017 Grand Final (the Norm Smith Medal) as he guided Richmond to a 48-point victory. However, since his storming season in 2017 Martin has struggled with a string of injuries. Despite a lack of playing time of late, the Richmond player is a fan favourite and will be one to watch for years to come.

Christian Petracca’s ability to play dual-positions as a forward and midfielder, both on the inside and outside, makes him incredibly exciting to watch. The 26 year-old is a two time All-Australian and won the premiership with Melbourne in 2021, helping the side win their first premiership in 57 years. In doing so Petracca equalled Simon Black’s record for the most disposals in a grand final and won the prestigious Norm Smith medal for his best-on-ground performance. Melbourne will be hoping his form continues this year.

Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe is the 2015 and 2019 Brownlow Medal winner. He is an incredible athlete; strong and aggressive, making him awesome at winning contested possessions, with leading disposals statistics and a strong goal return too. A real allrounder, Fyfe has had to recover from multiple injury setbacks, bouncing back each time to the top of his game. With Fremantle very much towards the top of this year’s table, he is certainly a player to keep an eye out for in the upcoming matches.

**All Time Great Players**

Gary Ablett is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to grace the Australian Rules field. He starred for Geelong during the 1980’s and 90’s, and is one of five players in Aussie Rules history to kick over 1000 goals. Ablett’s prowess led to him being nicknamed “God”, high praise indeed for a man who shied away from the spotlight. Interestingly, his son Gary Jnr was also a highly talented player, following in his father’s footsteps at Geelong where he was considered one of the best players in the AFL, before retiring following the Cat’s Grand Final defeat in 2020.

Leigh Matthews has also been afforded legend status. His goal return is up there with the very best (he amassed a staggering 915 goals for Hawthorn in 332 appearances), but it was the lasting impression he would leave on games that he is best remembered for. Matthews was a one-man match winner thanks to an array of spectacular solo goals, and his sheer strength made him near impossible to win the ball off. Matthews was part of the hugely successful Hawthorn side who made seven Grand Finals between 1969-1985.

Tony Lockett is the highest scoring Aussie rules player of all time. In a career spanning nineteen years and 281 matches, he scored a staggering 1360 goals for both St Kilda and then the Sydney Swans before his retirement in 2002. Lockett scored 100 goals in a season on a record six occasions, and his individual score of 16 goals against Fitzroy in 1995 is the fourth highest in AFL history. At 6 ft 3, he was a towering presence and his shooting, strength, pace and leap made him a complete player.

**Where to See It**

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground is undoubtably the number one venue to sample Australian Rules Football. When all 100,024 seats are full of passionate Aussie Rules fans for a big fixture, there is no place like it.

The Docklands Stadium in Melbourne is another great place to catch Aussie Rules Football. Boasting a capacity of 53,359, it is the AFL headquarters. The stadium has a retractable roof, making it perfect for all weather conditions.

No matter whether you are new to AFL or have followed it for as long as you can remember, it can be easy to miss the first bounce of your teams biggest game or lose track of who is playing when. However, this is where [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/)comes in. Fixture Calendar provides extensive and time zone accurate [AFL fixture information](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-australian-rules-football/competition-afl), as well as fixture specific links to tickets, travel, news and more. Use our site to make sure you don’t miss any Aussie Rules Football action, no matter where you are in the world.

Written on 22nd July 2022

Photos by [thomasrdotorg](https://www.flickr.com/people/28135215@N00), [Simon Yeo](https://www.flickr.com/photos/74279471@N00)

A detailed look into Australian Rules Football, its history and the rules of this unique sport. Learn more about Aussie Rules with Fixture Calendar.

A Beginner's Guide to Australian Rules Football

A detailed look into the iconic sport of cricket, from Test cricket to T20. Learn more about cricket, its rules and top players with Fixture Calendar.

A Beginner's Guide to Cricket

2022 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting year for sports fans, with important sporting events taking place throughout the year and around the world. We have picked 12 of the biggest events of 2022 to look at in more detail. If you wish to read the full &lsquo;2022 in Sport&rsquo; newsletter our current subscribers enjoyed click <a href="https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=b799aeab828c57a19e59b2f9e&amp;id=9f96cf29de">here</a>&nbsp;and do sign up <a href="https://fixturecalendar.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b799aeab828c57a19e59b2f9e&amp;id=285c2734d8">here</a> to join the mailing list.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics">Winter Olympics</a><img alt="Big Air Shougan Venue Constructed for Beijing 2022 " src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4724_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Shougang Big Air Venue" />

This year&rsquo;s Winter Olympics takes place in Beijing and begins on February 4th, with events being held in the city itself and in the neighbouring districts&nbsp;of Yanqing and Chongli. In hosting the games, Beijing will become the first city to have hosted both the Winter and Summer Olympics. As the region receives very little in the way of natural snow many of the events will take place on artificial snow, including any events held at the Shougang Big Air Venue (pictured). Despite being unlike any other Winter Olympic venue Beijing 2022 is not an event to miss, with 7&nbsp;new medal events and almost 3,000 athletes fighting it out for Olympic glory.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-american-football/competition-nfl"><img alt="The SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4733_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="SoFi Stadium" />Super Bowl LVI</a>

The 2021/22 NFL season will reach its climax on 13th&nbsp;February at Super Bowl LVI. The 56th Edition of the Super Bowl will be held at the SoFi&nbsp;Stadium, and will be the 8th Super Bowl hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Area. While we don&rsquo;t yet know which teams will be competing&nbsp;for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy and the Super Bowl rings, as the NFL Playoffs are yet to finish, this year&rsquo;s Super Bowl will undoubtedly be an incredible spectacle. As always, the half-time show is also an exciting prospect with performances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem amongst others.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-cricket/competition-womens-cricket-world-cup">Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup</a>

The 2022 ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup will be the 12th edition of the competition. While it was initially planned to take place in February&nbsp;2021, the pandemic forced the event to be moved to March and April of this year, meaning that fans and teams alike will be itching for the biggest event in Women&rsquo;s cricket to begin. Can England repeat their victory from 2017 or will Australia take a 7th title?&nbsp;

 
<img alt="The 10th hole at Augusta National Golf Course" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4725_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Augusta National" />

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-golf/competition-major-championships-golf">The Masters&nbsp;</a>

With Augusta National as its backdrop, it is not hard to understand why the Masters is so highly revered amongst golf fans and the 98 players already invited to this year&rsquo;s event. The 2022 Master Tournament begins on 7th April and runs for 4 days, with the leader after 72 holes taking with them the famous green jacket and a Major Championship title. After a strong showing at the PNC Championship, will Tiger Woods return to the hallowed Georgia turf in an attempt to win his 6th title?

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-football/competition-uefa-champions-league">Champions League Final</a>

The Champions League will come to a head in Saint Petersburg on 28th May this year. The match will be the 3rd UEFA final to be held in Russia and the 1st to be held outside Moscow. In last year&rsquo;s final Chelsea narrowly edged out Manchester City to win their 2nd Champions League title. However, with last year&rsquo;s competition&nbsp;dominated by English Clubs, other European teams will be desperate to stake their claim for the coveted trophy.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-rugby-union/competition-european-rugby-champions-cup">Champions Cup Final</a>

This year&rsquo;s European Rugby Champions Cup Final takes place at the Stade V&eacute;ledrome in Marseille on 28th May. The stadium, the second biggest in France, is a fitting venue to host the finale of the Champions Cup season - the highlight of the year for European club rugby. Toulouse took the win in last year&rsquo;s final to claim&nbsp;their 5th Champions Cup title, and in doing so they went one&nbsp;title clear of Leinster and claimed the record for the most Champions Cup&rsquo;s won.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-tennis/competition-grand-slam-tennis">Wimbledon<img alt="A break during a doubles match at Wimbledon 2010" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4730_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="Wimbledon" /></a>

Wimbledon, the 3rd Grand Slam of the season, is the oldest tennis tournament&nbsp;and is considered the most&nbsp;prestigious in the world by many. Taking place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club between 27th June and 10th July, this year&rsquo;s tournament will be the 135th edition of the event. Fans will be hoping that Roger Federer, who holds the highest number of Wimbledon titles, recovers quickly from his 3rd knee operation and makes his 23rd appearance at The Championships.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-football/competition-uefa-european-womens-championship"><img alt="Wembley Stadium, London" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4731_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Wembley Stadium" />European Women&rsquo;s Championships</a>

The UEFA European Women&rsquo;s Championships is set to take place between 6th and 31st July. The football tournament, hosted this year by England, will see 16 nations battle it out for glory in this quadrennial event. Delayed by a year by the pandemic, teams will be desperate to get out onto the pitch and stake their claim for the title. Germany are arguably favourites to win the Championship having won 8 finals, 6 more than their closest rival Norway. The final will take place at Wembley Stadium.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-commonwealth-games">Commonwealth Games</a>

Birmingham was announced as the venue for the 22nd Commonwealth Games in 2017 and it will be the 3rd time England has hosted the games after London 1934 and Manchester 2002. The Games are scheduled to take place between 28th July and 8th August, with over 5,000 athletes taking part in 283 events. In this year&rsquo;s edition 3 new events have been added to the schedule, with women&rsquo;s T20 cricket, beach volleyball and para table tennis all included.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-rugby-league/competition-rugby-league-world-cup">Rugby League World Cup</a>

Originally scheduled to take place in 2021, the Rugby League World Cup has been rescheduled to take place between 15th&nbsp;October and 19th November this year. In the Men&#39;s competition, 16 teams will take part at&nbsp;venues across England, with the final on the 19th taking place at Old Trafford. The hosts will be looking to add to their tally of 3 wins and to close the gap to Australia, who have won a staggering total of 11 World Cup titles. The Women&#39;s event has 8 teams competing for the title as does the Wheelchair event.

<img alt="An empty Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4726_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="Melbourne Cricket Ground" />

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-cricket/competition-t20-world-cup">T20 World Cup</a>

ICC T20 World Cups are typically held every 2 years, however, the pandemic has meant that cricket fans will get to watch 2 tournaments in the space of&nbsp;12 months. The 8th edition of the competition will be hosted Down Under in Australia. The hosts will be hoping they can repeat their inaugural win in the last edition of the event and match the West Indies as the historically most successful team in the competition.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-football/competition-fifa-world-cup">FIFA World Cup</a>

The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Qatar and will run between 21st November and&nbsp;18th December. Tournament organisers were forced to push the tournament to the end of the year because of the intense summer Qatari heat, resultantly this will be the first FIFA World Cup to be held outside of the months of May, June and July. 32 teams will battle it out for glory after fierce competition for qualification. Who will be crowned the best international football team in the world?

&nbsp;

As has become clear over the last couple of years, sporting schedules, venues and times can change at a moment&#39;s notice. Visit <a href="http://www.fixturecalendar.com">Fixture Calendar</a> for the most up to date sporting infromation.

&nbsp;

Miles Jones,&nbsp;January 2022

Photos by&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shougang_Big_Air_Venue_(20210905144528).jpg">N5099FZ</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/fixturecalendar/?hl=en">Will David</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augusta_National_Golf_Club,_Hole_10_(Camellia).jpg">Mbrooks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chairs_at_Wimbledon.jpg">Bo Mertz</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wembley-STadion_2013.JPG">Wikilo</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_MCG.jpg">Emily Cox</a>

&nbsp;

2022 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting year for sports fans, with important sporting events taking place throughout the year and around the world. We have picked 12 of the biggest events of 2022 to look at in more detail. If you wish to read the full ‘2022 in Sport’ newsletter our current subscribers enjoyed click [here](https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=b799aeab828c57a19e59b2f9e&id=9f96cf29de) and do sign up [here](https://fixturecalendar.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b799aeab828c57a19e59b2f9e&id=285c2734d8) to join the mailing list.

**[Winter Olympics](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics)![Big Air Shougan Venue Constructed for Beijing 2022 ](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4724_default_big.jpeg "Shougang Big Air Venue")**

This year’s Winter Olympics takes place in Beijing and begins on February 4th, with events being held in the city itself and in the neighbouring districts of Yanqing and Chongli. In hosting the games, Beijing will become the first city to have hosted both the Winter and Summer Olympics. As the region receives very little in the way of natural snow many of the events will take place on artificial snow, including any events held at the Shougang Big Air Venue (pictured). Despite being unlike any other Winter Olympic venue Beijing 2022 is not an event to miss, with 7 new medal events and almost 3,000 athletes fighting it out for Olympic glory.

[**![The SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4733_default_big.jpeg "SoFi Stadium")Super Bowl LVI**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-american-football/competition-nfl)

The 2021/22 NFL season will reach its climax on 13th February at Super Bowl LVI. The 56th Edition of the Super Bowl will be held at the SoFi Stadium, and will be the 8th Super Bowl hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Area. While we don’t yet know which teams will be competing for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy and the Super Bowl rings, as the NFL Playoffs are yet to finish, this year’s Super Bowl will undoubtedly be an incredible spectacle. As always, the half-time show is also an exciting prospect with performances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem amongst others.

[**Women’s Cricket World Cup**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-cricket/competition-womens-cricket-world-cup)

The 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be the 12th edition of the competition. While it was initially planned to take place in February 2021, the pandemic forced the event to be moved to March and April of this year, meaning that fans and teams alike will be itching for the biggest event in Women’s cricket to begin. Can England repeat their victory from 2017 or will Australia take a 7th title?

  
 ![The 10th hole at Augusta National Golf Course](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4725_default_big.jpeg "Augusta National")

[**The Masters** ](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-golf/competition-major-championships-golf)

With Augusta National as its backdrop, it is not hard to understand why the Masters is so highly revered amongst golf fans and the 98 players already invited to this year’s event. The 2022 Master Tournament begins on 7th April and runs for 4 days, with the leader after 72 holes taking with them the famous green jacket and a Major Championship title. After a strong showing at the PNC Championship, will Tiger Woods return to the hallowed Georgia turf in an attempt to win his 6th title?

[**Champions League Final**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-football/competition-uefa-champions-league)

The Champions League will come to a head in Saint Petersburg on 28th May this year. The match will be the 3rd UEFA final to be held in Russia and the 1st to be held outside Moscow. In last year’s final Chelsea narrowly edged out Manchester City to win their 2nd Champions League title. However, with last year’s competition dominated by English Clubs, other European teams will be desperate to stake their claim for the coveted trophy.

[**Champions Cup Final**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-rugby-union/competition-european-rugby-champions-cup)

This year’s European Rugby Champions Cup Final takes place at the Stade Véledrome in Marseille on 28th May. The stadium, the second biggest in France, is a fitting venue to host the finale of the Champions Cup season - the highlight of the year for European club rugby. Toulouse took the win in last year’s final to claim their 5th Champions Cup title, and in doing so they went one title clear of Leinster and claimed the record for the most Champions Cup’s won.

[**Wimbledon![A break during a doubles match at Wimbledon 2010](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4730_default_big.jpeg "Wimbledon")**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-tennis/competition-grand-slam-tennis)

Wimbledon, the 3rd Grand Slam of the season, is the oldest tennis tournament and is considered the most prestigious in the world by many. Taking place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club between 27th June and 10th July, this year’s tournament will be the 135th edition of the event. Fans will be hoping that Roger Federer, who holds the highest number of Wimbledon titles, recovers quickly from his 3rd knee operation and makes his 23rd appearance at The Championships.

[**![Wembley Stadium, London](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4731_default_big.jpeg "Wembley Stadium")European Women’s Championships**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-football/competition-uefa-european-womens-championship)

The UEFA European Women’s Championships is set to take place between 6th and 31st July. The football tournament, hosted this year by England, will see 16 nations battle it out for glory in this quadrennial event. Delayed by a year by the pandemic, teams will be desperate to get out onto the pitch and stake their claim for the title. Germany are arguably favourites to win the Championship having won 8 finals, 6 more than their closest rival Norway. The final will take place at Wembley Stadium.

[**Commonwealth Games**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-commonwealth-games)

Birmingham was announced as the venue for the 22nd Commonwealth Games in 2017 and it will be the 3rd time England has hosted the games after London 1934 and Manchester 2002. The Games are scheduled to take place between 28th July and 8th August, with over 5,000 athletes taking part in 283 events. In this year’s edition 3 new events have been added to the schedule, with women’s T20 cricket, beach volleyball and para table tennis all included.

[**Rugby League World Cup**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-rugby-league/competition-rugby-league-world-cup)

Originally scheduled to take place in 2021, the Rugby League World Cup has been rescheduled to take place between 15th October and 19th November this year. In the Men's competition, 16 teams will take part at venues across England, with the final on the 19th taking place at Old Trafford. The hosts will be looking to add to their tally of 3 wins and to close the gap to Australia, who have won a staggering total of 11 World Cup titles. The Women's event has 8 teams competing for the title as does the Wheelchair event.

![An empty Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4726_default_big.jpeg "Melbourne Cricket Ground")

[**T20 World Cup**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-cricket/competition-t20-world-cup)

ICC T20 World Cups are typically held every 2 years, however, the pandemic has meant that cricket fans will get to watch 2 tournaments in the space of 12 months. The 8th edition of the competition will be hosted Down Under in Australia. The hosts will be hoping they can repeat their inaugural win in the last edition of the event and match the West Indies as the historically most successful team in the competition.

[**FIFA World Cup**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-football/competition-fifa-world-cup)

The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Qatar and will run between 21st November and 18th December. Tournament organisers were forced to push the tournament to the end of the year because of the intense summer Qatari heat, resultantly this will be the first FIFA World Cup to be held outside of the months of May, June and July. 32 teams will battle it out for glory after fierce competition for qualification. Who will be crowned the best international football team in the world?

As has become clear over the last couple of years, sporting schedules, venues and times can change at a moment's notice. Visit [Fixture Calendar](http://www.fixturecalendar.com) for the most up to date sporting infromation.

***Miles Jones, January 2022***

Photos by [N5099FZ](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shougang_Big_Air_Venue_(20210905144528).jpg), [Will David](https://www.instagram.com/fixturecalendar/?hl=en), [Mbrooks](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augusta_National_Golf_Club,_Hole_10_(Camellia).jpg), [Bo Mertz](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chairs_at_Wimbledon.jpg), [Wikilo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wembley-STadion_2013.JPG), [Emily Cox](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_MCG.jpg)

A detailed look into the 12 biggest sports events of 2022. Explore sport from the Beijing Winter Olympics to the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Fixture Calendar.

Sport in Focus

The Biggest Sporting Events of 2022

Next up in our Sporting Rivalries Series is American Football.

Being one of the world&rsquo;s most brutal and hard-hitting sporting spectacles, rivalries have been a feature in the NFL since its inception back in the 1920s. For fans and athletes alike, the rise of social media has only intensified the conflicts at the highest level of the game, but which rivalries of past and present will stand the test of time?

Green Bay Packers versus Chicago Bears<img alt="Green Bay Packers in a huddle" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4657_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Green Bay Packers" />

You will be hard pushed to find two sports teams more well acquainted with one another than the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. A rivalry spanning 100 years has given us over 200 encounters, with the last just as fiery as the first. Not only are the Packers and Bears two of the oldest franchises in the NFL, but they have also been two of the most competitive teams in league history.

Scratch the surface, and this appears a simple geographical rivalry, with the Windy City of Chicago sitting just 30 minutes from the Wisconsin border. Dig much deeper, and you will see a deep-rooted rivalry as old as the NFL itself. It is Green Bay who currently hold the bragging rights as they lead the all-time series 101-95, with it ending honours even on six occasions. Packers fans will also be well versed in the fact that they have won the only playoff game between the sides in the Super Bowl era, coming in the 2010 NFC Championship game en route to their fourth Super Bowl success.

<img alt="Tom Brady playing for the New England Patriots" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4658_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="Tom Brady" />Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning

Before all the rings and all the records, a bushy-tailed 24-year-old Tom Brady was handed his first career start against Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts back in 2001, and so one of sport&rsquo;s great rivalries was born. Across the ensuing 14 years, the Brady-Manning t&ecirc;te-&agrave;-t&ecirc;te produced some of the most intriguing battles in sports, with the pair facing each other 17 times throughout their respective careers. The most prominent meetings came in the four AFC Championship face-offs, with Manning boasting a 3-1 record in those particular matchups, and the last win coming in his final season en route to Super Bowl glory.

Since Manning&rsquo;s retirement in 2016, the pair have taken their feud to the golf course, playing out a charity match alongside golfing royalty in Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2020. Whilst the charitable contest was played out in good spirits, Manning and Brady&rsquo;s competitive edge remained intact, with Manning joking he should have employed Nick Foles or Eli Manning as his caddy for the day, being the only two quarterbacks to have beaten Tom Brady in a Super Bowl.

Cincinnati Bengals versus Pittsburgh Steelers

<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals versus Washington Football Team" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4660_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Cincinnati Bengals" />

When the fixture list for the upcoming season is revealed, games against Pittsburgh are the ones Cincinnati fans will circle and underline. For the &lsquo;Who Dey Nation&rsquo;, years of devastating punishment inflicted by the Steelers has created a fierce rivalry between the sides, with the fixtures often defined by brutal tackling and plenty of penalties. Unprompted, every Cincinnati fan would confidently reel off a list of illegal tackles carried out by Pittsburgh players on their beloved Bengals &ndash; mention Ryan Shazier&rsquo;s hit on Giovani Bernard in a Cinci bar at your own risk. Don&rsquo;t assume the punishment is unrequited, however. Just a few seasons ago, Bengals&rsquo; Vontaze Burfict was fined $112k for multiple plays that constituted unnecessary roughness in a game against the Steelers &ndash; the biggest non-suspension fine of his career.

Last season, Steelers lost to Bengals for the first time since 2015, having enjoyed an 11-game winning streak over their AFC North adversaries.

Baltimore Ravens versus<img alt="Steelers versus Browns" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4667_default_big.png" style="float: left;" title="Pittsburgh Steelers" /> Pittsburgh Steelers

Sensing a trend here? According to a 2020 social media poll, Pittsburgh Steelers are the &lsquo;most hated&rsquo; team in the NFL, and they have particular trouble making friends when Baltimore come to town. At the heart of this storied NFL rivalry are striking similarities between Baltimore and Pittsburgh as cities, Ravens and Steelers as football teams, and the supporters of each side. On the field, throughout history both teams have been defined by their tough-tackling defensive units which, when they go head-to-head, always produce an explosive spectacle. What&rsquo;s more, with both sides competing in the AFC North, meetings between Ravens and Steelers can often define a season, with huge implications on the final division standings. These two sides are no strangers to battling it out at the top of the tree, with either Baltimore or Pittsburgh having topped the AFC North in 16 of the last 20 seasons.

Dallas Cowboys versus the league<img alt="Dallas Cowboys versus Washington Football Team" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4666_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Dallas Cowboys" />

At the time that it became trendy to support the Cowboys, it simultaneously seemed trendy to despise them, with a 1993 Harris Poll survey revealing Dallas were both the most liked and disliked team in America. That was then, and what was happening then was a lot of winning by the Cowboys, namely in four Super Bowls. In the early 90s, Dallas won three Super Bowls in four seasons, a feat only repeated once since by the Patriots in the early noughties. It is human nature for fans to unconsciously dislike a team that is far outperforming their own, and many see this as the main reason there are so many members in the anti-Cowboys club.

What can&rsquo;t be ignored is the media&rsquo;s influence in endorsing this particular rivalry. Not only are the Cowboys seemingly always picked for the big television games, the media also coined the nickname &lsquo;America&rsquo;s Team&rsquo; back in the 70s, allowing Cowboys fans to flaunt this sense of entitlement and superiority over the rest of the league. It&rsquo;s understandable why broadcasters seem to favour covering the Dallas Cowboys, as in the 2019 season three of the five most watched NFL games featured the &lsquo;Boys, proving they are still one of the league&rsquo;s most influential brands, in spite of their lack of on-field success, having last reached a Super Bowl in 1996.

Not forgetting&hellip;

The importance of socia<img alt="Saints versus Panthers" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4668_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="New Orleans Saints" />l media in the modern-day sporting rivalry has rarely been more apparent than in the feud between Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman. From suggestive emojis, to subtweets, to Drake quotes, it is hard to imagine this particular &lsquo;beef&rsquo; would have gathered any momentum in a bygone, social media-less world.

In the 2019 NFC Championship game, New Orleans Saints were the victims of what is considered one of the worst no-calls in NFL history. Following this outrageous decision, the rules have since been changed to allow for teams to challenge pass interference calls, but that will come as little consolation to Saints fans who still feel they have been robbed of what would have been just their second trip to the Super Bowl.

For many years, the Patriots versus Colts rivalry was defined by the Brady/Manning duel that enthralled football fans for a decade and a half. By definition, this resulted in both sides competing at the very pinnacle of the game for many years since the turn of the millennium, producing some of the greatest encounters the league has ever seen.

Since New Orleans joined the league just one year after their Atlanta-based adversaries, the Saints and Falcons have become very well acquainted, having faced each other twice every season since 1970. For many years this rivalry was defined by mediocrity, but with both teams becoming Super Bowl contenders since the turn of the century, Falcons versus Saints remains one of the most fascinating duels in the league.

Since the NFL&rsquo;s divisional realignment in 2002, the Seattle Seahawks have disrupted the status quo in the NFC West and have helped transform it into one of the league&rsquo;s most competitive divisions. Whilst San Francisco remain the division&rsquo;s most successful team, having topped the NFC West 20 times, Seattle have won it more times than any other side since entering the division 19 years ago. There is always plenty on the line when these two lock horns, making it one of the most highly anticipated rivalries in the league.

Make sure you never miss a game from the NFL or College Football with the <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-american-football" target="_blank">Fixture Calendar.</a>

Written in July 2021

&nbsp;

Photos by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Bay_Packers_huddle_2.jpg">Mike Morbeck</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tom_Brady_(cropped).jpg">Keith Allison</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cincinnati_Bengals_vs._Washington_Football_Team_(3985).jpg">Alexander Jonesi</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steelers_vs_Browns_1.jpg">Erik Drost</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dallas_Cowboys_vs_Redskins_2017_(2).jpg">Keith Allison</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saints_vs_Panthers_12.6.15_107.jpg">Tammy Anthony Baker</a>

Next up in our Sporting Rivalries Series is American Football.

Being one of the world’s most brutal and hard-hitting sporting spectacles, rivalries have been a feature in the NFL since its inception back in the 1920s. For fans and athletes alike, the rise of social media has only intensified the conflicts at the highest level of the game, but which rivalries of past and present will stand the test of time?

**Green Bay Packers versus Chicago Bears**![Green Bay Packers in a huddle](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4657_default_big.jpeg "Green Bay Packers")

You will be hard pushed to find two sports teams more well acquainted with one another than the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. A rivalry spanning 100 years has given us over 200 encounters, with the last just as fiery as the first. Not only are the Packers and Bears two of the oldest franchises in the NFL, but they have also been two of the most competitive teams in league history.

Scratch the surface, and this appears a simple geographical rivalry, with the Windy City of Chicago sitting just 30 minutes from the Wisconsin border. Dig much deeper, and you will see a deep-rooted rivalry as old as the NFL itself. It is Green Bay who currently hold the bragging rights as they lead the all-time series 101-95, with it ending honours even on six occasions. Packers fans will also be well versed in the fact that they have won the only playoff game between the sides in the Super Bowl era, coming in the 2010 NFC Championship game en route to their fourth Super Bowl success.

![Tom Brady playing for the New England Patriots](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4658_default_big.jpeg "Tom Brady")**Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning**

Before all the rings and all the records, a bushy-tailed 24-year-old Tom Brady was handed his first career start against Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts back in 2001, and so one of sport’s great rivalries was born. Across the ensuing 14 years, the Brady-Manning tête-à-tête produced some of the most intriguing battles in sports, with the pair facing each other 17 times throughout their respective careers. The most prominent meetings came in the four AFC Championship face-offs, with Manning boasting a 3-1 record in those particular matchups, and the last win coming in his final season en route to Super Bowl glory.

Since Manning’s retirement in 2016, the pair have taken their feud to the golf course, playing out a charity match alongside golfing royalty in Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2020. Whilst the charitable contest was played out in good spirits, Manning and Brady’s competitive edge remained intact, with Manning joking he should have employed Nick Foles or Eli Manning as his caddy for the day, being the only two quarterbacks to have beaten Tom Brady in a Super Bowl.

**Cincinnati Bengals versus Pittsburgh Steelers**

![Cincinnati Bengals versus Washington Football Team](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4660_default_big.jpeg "Cincinnati Bengals")

When the fixture list for the upcoming season is revealed, games against Pittsburgh are the ones Cincinnati fans will circle and underline. For the ‘Who Dey Nation’, years of devastating punishment inflicted by the Steelers has created a fierce rivalry between the sides, with the fixtures often defined by brutal tackling and plenty of penalties. Unprompted, every Cincinnati fan would confidently reel off a list of illegal tackles carried out by Pittsburgh players on their beloved Bengals – mention Ryan Shazier’s hit on Giovani Bernard in a Cinci bar at your own risk. Don’t assume the punishment is unrequited, however. Just a few seasons ago, Bengals’ Vontaze Burfict was fined $112k for multiple plays that constituted unnecessary roughness in a game against the Steelers – the biggest non-suspension fine of his career.

Last season, Steelers lost to Bengals for the first time since 2015, having enjoyed an 11-game winning streak over their AFC North adversaries.

**Baltimore Ravens versus![Steelers versus Browns](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4667_default_big.png "Pittsburgh Steelers") Pittsburgh Steelers**

Sensing a trend here? According to a 2020 social media poll, Pittsburgh Steelers are the ‘most hated’ team in the NFL, and they have particular trouble making friends when Baltimore come to town. At the heart of this storied NFL rivalry are striking similarities between Baltimore and Pittsburgh as cities, Ravens and Steelers as football teams, and the supporters of each side. On the field, throughout history both teams have been defined by their tough-tackling defensive units which, when they go head-to-head, always produce an explosive spectacle. What’s more, with both sides competing in the AFC North, meetings between Ravens and Steelers can often define a season, with huge implications on the final division standings. These two sides are no strangers to battling it out at the top of the tree, with either Baltimore or Pittsburgh having topped the AFC North in 16 of the last 20 seasons.

**Dallas Cowboys versus the league**![Dallas Cowboys versus Washington Football Team](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4666_default_big.jpeg "Dallas Cowboys")

At the time that it became trendy to support the Cowboys, it simultaneously seemed trendy to despise them, with a 1993 Harris Poll survey revealing Dallas were both the most liked and disliked team in America. That was then, and what was happening then was a lot of winning by the Cowboys, namely in four Super Bowls. In the early 90s, Dallas won three Super Bowls in four seasons, a feat only repeated once since by the Patriots in the early noughties. It is human nature for fans to unconsciously dislike a team that is far outperforming their own, and many see this as the main reason there are so many members in the anti-Cowboys club.

What can’t be ignored is the media’s influence in endorsing this particular rivalry. Not only are the Cowboys seemingly always picked for the big television games, the media also coined the nickname ‘America’s Team’ back in the 70s, allowing Cowboys fans to flaunt this sense of entitlement and superiority over the rest of the league. It’s understandable why broadcasters seem to favour covering the Dallas Cowboys, as in the 2019 season three of the five most watched NFL games featured the ‘Boys, proving they are still one of the league’s most influential brands, in spite of their lack of on-field success, having last reached a Super Bowl in 1996.

**Not forgetting…**

The importance of socia![Saints versus Panthers](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4668_default_big.jpeg "New Orleans Saints")l media in the modern-day sporting rivalry has rarely been more apparent than in the feud between Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman. From suggestive emojis, to subtweets, to Drake quotes, it is hard to imagine this particular ‘beef’ would have gathered any momentum in a bygone, social media-less world.

In the 2019 NFC Championship game, New Orleans Saints were the victims of what is considered one of the worst no-calls in NFL history. Following this outrageous decision, the rules have since been changed to allow for teams to challenge pass interference calls, but that will come as little consolation to Saints fans who still feel they have been robbed of what would have been just their second trip to the Super Bowl.

For many years, the Patriots versus Colts rivalry was defined by the Brady/Manning duel that enthralled football fans for a decade and a half. By definition, this resulted in both sides competing at the very pinnacle of the game for many years since the turn of the millennium, producing some of the greatest encounters the league has ever seen.

Since New Orleans joined the league just one year after their Atlanta-based adversaries, the Saints and Falcons have become very well acquainted, having faced each other twice every season since 1970. For many years this rivalry was defined by mediocrity, but with both teams becoming Super Bowl contenders since the turn of the century, Falcons versus Saints remains one of the most fascinating duels in the league.

Since the NFL’s divisional realignment in 2002, the Seattle Seahawks have disrupted the status quo in the NFC West and have helped transform it into one of the league’s most competitive divisions. Whilst San Francisco remain the division’s most successful team, having topped the NFC West 20 times, Seattle have won it more times than any other side since entering the division 19 years ago. There is always plenty on the line when these two lock horns, making it one of the most highly anticipated rivalries in the league.

Make sure you never miss a game from the NFL or College Football with the [Fixture Calendar.](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-american-football)

***Written in July 2021***

Photos by [Mike Morbeck](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Bay_Packers_huddle_2.jpg), [Keith Allison](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tom_Brady_(cropped).jpg), [Alexander Jonesi](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cincinnati_Bengals_vs._Washington_Football_Team_(3985).jpg), [Erik Drost](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steelers_vs_Browns_1.jpg), [Keith Allison](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dallas_Cowboys_vs_Redskins_2017_(2).jpg), [Tammy Anthony Baker](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saints_vs_Panthers_12.6.15_107.jpg)

A detailed look into 5 of the most famous rivalries in the history of American Football. Covering players like Tom Brady and teams like the Dallas Cowboys.

Sporting Rivalries

American Football Rivalries through the Ages

Next up in Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s Iconic Sporting Moments Series is Golf. Often described as the perfect sport, golf has provided sports fans with some of the most memorable moments in sporting history. From the thrill of a hole in one, to a miraculous underdog story, greatness is always just around the corner in this great game.

<meta charset="utf-8" />

As the popularity of the sport continues to soar in this testing global climate, let us inspire you with ten of the sport&rsquo;s most iconic moments &ndash; ten reasons why people fell in love with golf.

Seve cements legacy with second Open success at St. Andrew&rsquo;s, 1984<img alt="The Old Clubhouse on The Old Course, St. Andrew's" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4645_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="The Old Course, St. Andrew's" />

Described in his own words as: &ldquo;the happiest moment of my whole sporting life&rdquo;, in 1984 fan favourite Seve Ballesteros left it late to lift his second Claret Jug after a gruelling three-man tussle on the back nine. On the 18th green at St. Andrew&rsquo;s Old Course, Seve caressed a 12-footer, dropping the ball into the cup on its very last revolution, sending the patrons into raptures, whilst a smiling Seve candidly posed for one of the sport&rsquo;s most iconic photographs.

<img alt="Jack Nicklaus at the 2006 Masters Par 3" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4646_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="Jack Nicklaus" />Jack Nicklaus&rsquo; 18th Major, 1986

An inspiration to a generation... before Tiger Woods came Jack Nicklaus. Nicknamed &lsquo;The Golden Bear&rsquo;, Nicklaus recorded a staggering 18 major wins between 1962 and 1986, with his swan song coming at the &rsquo;86 Masters on the hallowed Augusta turf. Heading into the tournament, a 46-year-old Nicklaus hadn&rsquo;t tasted major success in almost six years, and many had written him off, owing to ongoing injury problems and a growing sense he had passed his prime. Even heading into the final round of the weekend, Nicklaus was far from favourite to take home the green jacket as he found himself four shots off the pace and tied ninth. However, a back nine for the ages saw &lsquo;The Golden Bear&rsquo; shoot 30, recording five birdies and one eagle which was ultimately enough to secure Jack&rsquo;s historic 18th major. Nicklaus picked up a winner&rsquo;s cheque worth $144,000, seven times more than he won in 1962. Earlier this year, Hideki Matsuyama pocketed $2.1 million for winning the very same competition!

Even 35 years on, no golfer has come close to matching Nicklaus&rsquo; tally of 18 majors, with the Hall of Famer also holding the record for most Masters wins with six.

Greg Norman&rsquo;s meltdown at the Masters, 1996<img alt="Greg Norman at the 2008 Open" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4647_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Greg Norman" />

Despite claiming 20 wins on the PGA Tour and 14 on the European Tour, Greg Norman is arguably best known for his disastrous capitulation at the 1996 Masters. The one-time PGA Player of the Year held the lead heading into the final round at a major as many as nine times, but only got over the line on two occasions, with both major wins coming at The Open in &rsquo;86 and &rsquo;93. Though forgoing leads was an unfortunate hallmark of his career, the most famous example came in 1996 when, heading into the final round at Augusta, Norman held a six-shot lead over his closest rival Nick Faldo. However, an historic final day saw an 11-shot swing as Norman carded five bogeys and two doubles, whilst Faldo seized the initiative to shoot five under and win the Masters by five strokes. Even with Norman scoring three bogeys on the front nine, he remained in the driving seat right up until the 12th hole, when a costly double bogey was enough to allow Faldo in, as the Englishman held on to claim a third green jacket.

<img alt="Se Ri Pak at the 2007 LPGA Championship" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4648_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="Se Ri Pak" />Se Ri Pak&rsquo;s puts South Korea on the LPGA map, 1998

Se Ri Pak joined the LPGA in 1998 as the only South Korean woman to feature on Tour. In her debut season, the 20-year-old picked up two major titles in the shape of the U.S. Women&rsquo;s Open and LPGA Championship, sparking an influx of female Korean players into the sport of golf. Fast forward 23 years, four of the world&rsquo;s top five ranked LPGA Tour players are South Korean, with the country boasting 32 players in the top 100, many of whom reference Se Ri Pak as their inspiration.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tiger Woods completes the unprecedented &lsquo;Tiger Slam&rsquo;, 2000/01

There&rsquo;ll be no surprises to see Tiger Woods&rsquo; name on a list detailing golf&rsquo;s defining moments, with the 15-time major winner capable of filling this 1-10 all on his own. However, what is unquestionably one of the most salient accomplishments in the great man&rsquo;s career came in 2001, when Tiger won the Masters to make it four major wins in a row. Whilst no player has yet recorded golf&rsquo;s coveted &lsquo;grand slam&rsquo; by winning all four modern majors in the same calendar year, Tiger is the only man to have achieved the next best thing, holding all four majors simultaneously by winning the final three majors in 2000, and the first in 2001.&nbsp;

If becoming the youngest Masters winner in 1997 didn&rsquo;t announce Tiger&rsquo;s arrival as golf&rsquo;s greatest disrupter, then the 2000/01 &lsquo;Tiger Slam&rsquo; certainly did, propelling Woods on to nine more major wins throughout his illustrious career.

The Miracle at Medinah, 2012

There will be few arguments in European golfing circles that the 2012 Ryder Cup will go down as one of the great comebacks of all time. Draped in the navy and white colours made famous by the late Seve Ballesteros, who passed away just 16 months earlier, Team Europe overturned a 10-4 deficit to win eight of Sunday&rsquo;s 12 matchups and claim a fifth Ryder Cup in six editions.

The stunning victory was dedicated to the late Ballesteros by winning captain and fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, who was understandably emotional after witnessing his team&rsquo;s stoic efforts. Olazabal featured in Europe&rsquo;s Ryder Cup team on seven occasions, forming a formidable twosome with Seve, becoming the most successful European partnership, winning 12 points from 15 matches together. With Olazabal captaining the 2012 side, Europe needed a new hero, so up stepped Ian Poulter, a man with a storied love affair with this competition. The Englishman recorded a 100% record at the 2012 edition, winning all four of his matches to help his side on their way to retaining the coveted title.

<img alt="Jim Furyk driving on the PGA tour" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4650_default_big.jpeg" style="float: right;" title="Jim Furyk" />Jim Furyk shoots record low score on PGA Tour, 2016

Ever dreamed of scoring under par? Or even breaking 100? Well, in 2016, Jim Furyk tore up the record books to achieve a score that mere mortals can only dream of, as he set the new scoring record on the PGA Tour of 58. The then 46-year-old achieved the feat during the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship at the revered TPC River Highlands. Wondering what the secret is? Furyk found 14/14 fairways and all 18 greens in regulation, carded 10 birdies and one eagle, and was eight-under par with a score of 27 after just nine holes. What makes this achievement far more incredible is the fact that Furyk played the last 6 holes a mediocre one-under par, with all of the damage having been done in the early stages.

Incredibly, just 1,059 days earlier, the former U.S. Open champ scored 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship to equal the previous record &ndash; a score which has now been hit 10 times on Tour.

Major #15 for Tiger, 2019

Much like Nicklaus in &rsquo;86, many had written off Tiger&rsquo;s chances of ever winning another major when after the Hall of Famer went through four back surgeries and<img alt="Tiger Woods driving" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4649_default_big.jpeg" style="float: left;" title="Tiger Woods" /> plenty of off-the-course issues. Since winning the U.S. Open in 2008, Woods teed it up at 28 subsequent majors before finally getting over the line in 2019 at Augusta National. For much of the weekend, Woods was treading water, lingering within the top ten without truly threatening the pace-setters. However, after shooting an impressive 67 on Saturday, Tiger went into the final round tied second, ready to pounce on any slip-ups by tournament leader Francesco Molinari.

The Italian duly opened the door to the chasing pack, recording two double bogeys on the 12th and 15th, allowing Tiger Woods to hit the front with three birdies on the last six holes which was enough to secure the fifth green jacket for the American.

Covid takes its toll on golf&rsquo;s showpiece event, 2020

The pandemic&rsquo;s impact on the sport of golf was more apparent than ever at the 2020 Masters which, after being postponed earlier in the year, was contested in mid-November for the first time in tournament history. With no patrons in attendance, the new-look Augusta produced an unprecedented tournament, with record scoring seeing Dustin Johnson run away with the green jacket. The world number one posted a 72-hole score of 268, two shots fewer than the previous record low shared by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth. DJ wasn&rsquo;t the only player to thrive in the unfamiliar conditions, with Australian Cameron Smith becoming the first man to shoot four rounds in the 60&rsquo;s in Masters history.

If you thought a November Masters was strange enough, wait until you hear what Tiger Woods did on the back nine on Sunday. Having played over 23,000 holes on the PGA Tour, Tiger recorded his first double digit score&hellip; and on a par 3 no less! If the 10 shots on the 12th hole shocked his loyal fanbase, what happened next came as no surprise. The defending Masters champ played the final six holes with complete poise and elegance, carding five birdies to remind us why he is one of our generation&rsquo;s true sporting greats.

&lsquo;Phil the Thrill&rsquo; becomes oldest major winner, 2021

Golfing fairy tales hardly come much more enchanting than the one written by a 50-year-old Phil Mickelson at the 2021 PGA Championship. On the magical-sounding Kiawah Island, Mickelson etched his names into golfing annals, going six-under-par to record the sixth major win of his career but more significantly, earning the honour of becoming the oldest major championship winner, surpassing Julian Boros who won the same competition in 1968 aged 48.

Mickelson was drastically suffering from a loss of form in the lead-up to the Championship, having not won on Tour in over two years and failed to record a top 20 finish in almost nine months. Furthermore, with his last major win coming way back in 2013, many commentators feared one of the sport&rsquo;s great icons would never return to the zenith of the game. As the competition played out, it wasn&rsquo;t Mickelson&rsquo;s famed genius around the greens that propelled him to the top of the tree, but instead his untiring ability to effectively wield the big stick, as he outdrove playing partner Brooks Koepka head-to-head, and even bested Bryson DeChambeau on a number of holes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

What makes an iconic moment in golf? An iconic moment can come from a shot that defies both logic and physics, such as Justin Rose&#39;s hole-in-one in his first round at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which is considered to be the first in Olympic history. It&rsquo;s not always the flashy holes-in-one that open the iconic golf shots highlight reels, with a moment of genius in and around the greens often just as awe-inspiring, such as with Tiger&rsquo;s legendary chip on the 10th at Augusta en route to his fourth green jacket. The careers of golfing icons can also be defined by the most improbable of comebacks, like Arnold Palmer who overturned a seven-shot deficit heading into the final round of the 1960 U.S. Open to come out on top in his only ever win at the competition. Iconic moments can also arise from the darker side of golf, which often comes to the fore at Ryder Cups when fan heckling provides a prickly backdrop for one of golf&rsquo;s most compelling tournaments. Fan interaction most famously spilled over at the 1999 Ryder Cup, when a torrent of vile abuse was directed at players on both sides, with 2002 Ryder Cup-winning captain Sam Torrance branding it &ldquo;the most disgraceful and disgusting day in the history of professional golf.&rdquo; For many, the sport&rsquo;s favourite character goes by the name of John Daly, who has built up a cult following thanks to his sartorial garishness, ridiculously long hitting and often relatable personal life which sets him apart as a mere mortal in an arena filled with sporting deities.

To track all the golf events from around the world, head to the<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-golf"> Fixture Calendar</a>.

Written in July 2021

Photos by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Old_Clubhouse_on_The_Old_Course,_St._Andrew%27s_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1306808.jpg">J W Wagner</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JackNicklaus2006MastersPar3.jpg">pocketwiley</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greg_Norman,_Open_2008_(2).jpg">Steven Newton</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2007_LPGA_Championship_-_Se-ri_Pak_chip.jpg">Keith Allison</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jim_Furyk.jpg">Keith Allison</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiger_Woods_drives_by_Allison.jpg">Keith Allison</a>

Next up in Fixture Calendar’s Iconic Sporting Moments Series is Golf. Often described as the perfect sport, golf has provided sports fans with some of the most memorable moments in sporting history. From the thrill of a hole in one, to a miraculous underdog story, greatness is always just around the corner in this great game.

<meta charset="utf-8"></meta>

As the popularity of the sport continues to soar in this testing global climate, let us inspire you with ten of the sport’s most iconic moments – ten reasons why people fell in love with golf.

**Seve cements legacy with second Open success at St. Andrew’s, 1984**![The Old Clubhouse on The Old Course, St. Andrew's](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4645_default_big.jpeg "The Old Course, St. Andrew's")

Described in his own words as: “the happiest moment of my whole sporting life”, in 1984 fan favourite Seve Ballesteros left it late to lift his second Claret Jug after a gruelling three-man tussle on the back nine. On the 18th green at St. Andrew’s Old Course, Seve caressed a 12-footer, dropping the ball into the cup on its very last revolution, sending the patrons into raptures, whilst a smiling Seve candidly posed for one of the sport’s most iconic photographs.

![Jack Nicklaus at the 2006 Masters Par 3](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4646_default_big.jpeg "Jack Nicklaus")**Jack Nicklaus’ 18th Major, 1986**

An inspiration to a generation... before Tiger Woods came Jack Nicklaus. Nicknamed ‘The Golden Bear’, Nicklaus recorded a staggering 18 major wins between 1962 and 1986, with his swan song coming at the ’86 Masters on the hallowed Augusta turf. Heading into the tournament, a 46-year-old Nicklaus hadn’t tasted major success in almost six years, and many had written him off, owing to ongoing injury problems and a growing sense he had passed his prime. Even heading into the final round of the weekend, Nicklaus was far from favourite to take home the green jacket as he found himself four shots off the pace and tied ninth. However, a back nine for the ages saw ‘The Golden Bear’ shoot 30, recording five birdies and one eagle which was ultimately enough to secure Jack’s historic 18th major. Nicklaus picked up a winner’s cheque worth $144,000, seven times more than he won in 1962. Earlier this year, Hideki Matsuyama pocketed $2.1 million for winning the very same competition!

Even 35 years on, no golfer has come close to matching Nicklaus’ tally of 18 majors, with the Hall of Famer also holding the record for most Masters wins with six.

**Greg Norman’s meltdown at the Masters, 1996**![Greg Norman at the 2008 Open](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4647_default_big.jpeg "Greg Norman")

Despite claiming 20 wins on the PGA Tour and 14 on the European Tour, Greg Norman is arguably best known for his disastrous capitulation at the 1996 Masters. The one-time PGA Player of the Year held the lead heading into the final round at a major as many as nine times, but only got over the line on two occasions, with both major wins coming at The Open in ’86 and ’93. Though forgoing leads was an unfortunate hallmark of his career, the most famous example came in 1996 when, heading into the final round at Augusta, Norman held a six-shot lead over his closest rival Nick Faldo. However, an historic final day saw an 11-shot swing as Norman carded five bogeys and two doubles, whilst Faldo seized the initiative to shoot five under and win the Masters by five strokes. Even with Norman scoring three bogeys on the front nine, he remained in the driving seat right up until the 12th hole, when a costly double bogey was enough to allow Faldo in, as the Englishman held on to claim a third green jacket.

**![Se Ri Pak at the 2007 LPGA Championship](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4648_default_big.jpeg "Se Ri Pak")Se Ri Pak’s puts South Korea on the LPGA map, 1998**

Se Ri Pak joined the LPGA in 1998 as the only South Korean woman to feature on Tour. In her debut season, the 20-year-old picked up two major titles in the shape of the U.S. Women’s Open and LPGA Championship, sparking an influx of female Korean players into the sport of golf. Fast forward 23 years, four of the world’s top five ranked LPGA Tour players are South Korean, with the country boasting 32 players in the top 100, many of whom reference Se Ri Pak as their inspiration.

**Tiger Woods completes the unprecedented ‘Tiger Slam’, 2000/01**

There’ll be no surprises to see Tiger Woods’ name on a list detailing golf’s defining moments, with the 15-time major winner capable of filling this 1-10 all on his own. However, what is unquestionably one of the most salient accomplishments in the great man’s career came in 2001, when Tiger won the Masters to make it four major wins in a row. Whilst no player has yet recorded golf’s coveted ‘grand slam’ by winning all four modern majors in the same calendar year, Tiger is the only man to have achieved the next best thing, holding all four majors simultaneously by winning the final three majors in 2000, and the first in 2001.

If becoming the youngest Masters winner in 1997 didn’t announce Tiger’s arrival as golf’s greatest disrupter, then the 2000/01 ‘Tiger Slam’ certainly did, propelling Woods on to nine more major wins throughout his illustrious career.

**The Miracle at Medinah, 2012**

There will be few arguments in European golfing circles that the 2012 Ryder Cup will go down as one of the great comebacks of all time. Draped in the navy and white colours made famous by the late Seve Ballesteros, who passed away just 16 months earlier, Team Europe overturned a 10-4 deficit to win eight of Sunday’s 12 matchups and claim a fifth Ryder Cup in six editions.

The stunning victory was dedicated to the late Ballesteros by winning captain and fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, who was understandably emotional after witnessing his team’s stoic efforts. Olazabal featured in Europe’s Ryder Cup team on seven occasions, forming a formidable twosome with Seve, becoming the most successful European partnership, winning 12 points from 15 matches together. With Olazabal captaining the 2012 side, Europe needed a new hero, so up stepped Ian Poulter, a man with a storied love affair with this competition. The Englishman recorded a 100% record at the 2012 edition, winning all four of his matches to help his side on their way to retaining the coveted title.

**![Jim Furyk driving on the PGA tour](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4650_default_big.jpeg "Jim Furyk")Jim Furyk shoots record low score on PGA Tour, 2016**

Ever dreamed of scoring under par? Or even breaking 100? Well, in 2016, Jim Furyk tore up the record books to achieve a score that mere mortals can only dream of, as he set the new scoring record on the PGA Tour of 58. The then 46-year-old achieved the feat during the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship at the revered TPC River Highlands. Wondering what the secret is? Furyk found 14/14 fairways and all 18 greens in regulation, carded 10 birdies and one eagle, and was eight-under par with a score of 27 after just nine holes. What makes this achievement far more incredible is the fact that Furyk played the last 6 holes a mediocre one-under par, with all of the damage having been done in the early stages.

Incredibly, just 1,059 days earlier, the former U.S. Open champ scored 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship to equal the previous record – a score which has now been hit 10 times on Tour.

**Major #15 for Tiger, 2019**

Much like Nicklaus in ’86, many had written off Tiger’s chances of ever winning another major when after the Hall of Famer went through four back surgeries and**![Tiger Woods driving](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4649_default_big.jpeg "Tiger Woods")** plenty of off-the-course issues. Since winning the U.S. Open in 2008, Woods teed it up at 28 subsequent majors before finally getting over the line in 2019 at Augusta National. For much of the weekend, Woods was treading water, lingering within the top ten without truly threatening the pace-setters. However, after shooting an impressive 67 on Saturday, Tiger went into the final round tied second, ready to pounce on any slip-ups by tournament leader Francesco Molinari.

The Italian duly opened the door to the chasing pack, recording two double bogeys on the 12th and 15th, allowing Tiger Woods to hit the front with three birdies on the last six holes which was enough to secure the fifth green jacket for the American.

**Covid takes its toll on golf’s showpiece event, 2020**

The pandemic’s impact on the sport of golf was more apparent than ever at the 2020 Masters which, after being postponed earlier in the year, was contested in mid-November for the first time in tournament history. With no patrons in attendance, the new-look Augusta produced an unprecedented tournament, with record scoring seeing Dustin Johnson run away with the green jacket. The world number one posted a 72-hole score of 268, two shots fewer than the previous record low shared by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth. DJ wasn’t the only player to thrive in the unfamiliar conditions, with Australian Cameron Smith becoming the first man to shoot four rounds in the 60’s in Masters history.

If you thought a November Masters was strange enough, wait until you hear what Tiger Woods did on the back nine on Sunday. Having played over 23,000 holes on the PGA Tour, Tiger recorded his first double digit score… and on a par 3 no less! If the 10 shots on the 12th hole shocked his loyal fanbase, what happened next came as no surprise. The defending Masters champ played the final six holes with complete poise and elegance, carding five birdies to remind us why he is one of our generation’s true sporting greats.

**‘Phil the Thrill’ becomes oldest major winner, 2021**

Golfing fairy tales hardly come much more enchanting than the one written by a 50-year-old Phil Mickelson at the 2021 PGA Championship. On the magical-sounding Kiawah Island, Mickelson etched his names into golfing annals, going six-under-par to record the sixth major win of his career but more significantly, earning the honour of becoming the oldest major championship winner, surpassing Julian Boros who won the same competition in 1968 aged 48.

Mickelson was drastically suffering from a loss of form in the lead-up to the Championship, having not won on Tour in over two years and failed to record a top 20 finish in almost nine months. Furthermore, with his last major win coming way back in 2013, many commentators feared one of the sport’s great icons would never return to the zenith of the game. As the competition played out, it wasn’t Mickelson’s famed genius around the greens that propelled him to the top of the tree, but instead his untiring ability to effectively wield the big stick, as he outdrove playing partner Brooks Koepka head-to-head, and even bested Bryson DeChambeau on a number of holes.

What makes an iconic moment in golf? An iconic moment can come from a shot that defies both logic and physics, such as Justin Rose's hole-in-one in his first round at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which is considered to be the first in Olympic history. It’s not always the flashy holes-in-one that open the iconic golf shots highlight reels, with a moment of genius in and around the greens often just as awe-inspiring, such as with Tiger’s legendary chip on the 10th at Augusta en route to his fourth green jacket. The careers of golfing icons can also be defined by the most improbable of comebacks, like Arnold Palmer who overturned a seven-shot deficit heading into the final round of the 1960 U.S. Open to come out on top in his only ever win at the competition. Iconic moments can also arise from the darker side of golf, which often comes to the fore at Ryder Cups when fan heckling provides a prickly backdrop for one of golf’s most compelling tournaments. Fan interaction most famously spilled over at the 1999 Ryder Cup, when a torrent of vile abuse was directed at players on both sides, with 2002 Ryder Cup-winning captain Sam Torrance branding it “the most disgraceful and disgusting day in the history of professional golf.” For many, the sport’s favourite character goes by the name of John Daly, who has built up a cult following thanks to his sartorial garishness, ridiculously long hitting and often relatable personal life which sets him apart as a mere mortal in an arena filled with sporting deities.

To track all the golf events from around the world, head to the[ Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-golf).

***Written in July 2021***

Photos by [J W Wagner](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Old_Clubhouse_on_The_Old_Course,_St._Andrew%27s_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1306808.jpg), [pocketwiley](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JackNicklaus2006MastersPar3.jpg), [Steven Newton](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greg_Norman,_Open_2008_(2).jpg), [Keith Allison](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2007_LPGA_Championship_-_Se-ri_Pak_chip.jpg), [Keith Allison](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jim_Furyk.jpg), [Keith Allison](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiger_Woods_drives_by_Allison.jpg)

A detailed look into 10 of the greatest moments in golf history. Explore golf, from Tiger Wood's 15th major to Jim Furyk's record low score on the PGA Tour.

Iconic Sporting Moments

Iconic Moments in Golf History

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar’s series on lesser-known Olympic sports. As the Tokyo games approaches and excitement grows around the world, this article will look at some of the sports we haven’t yet covered, some of which will be making their Olympic debut in the coming weeks, and all of which you should certainly consider watching at Tokyo 2020.

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**[Diving](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-diving)** has featured at each Olympics games since 1912, although the exact events have changed. Now, diving takes place from either a 3m springboard, which allows divers to “bounce” to generate extra height before their dive, or from the 10m platform, which does not flex. For both men and women, medals are on offer from both heights in both individual and synchronised (2 divers) events. Historically, the United States has been the most successful country at diving, with twice the number of medals as China who are second on the list. Divers are scored based upon four categories: starting position, takeoff, flight and entry into the water and the difficulty of the dive is factored in to produce the diver’s final score. In each round divers complete multiple dives, and the scores are totalled to give the overall positions.

In the synchronised events, in addition to difficulty and execution, divers are also scored for the synchronisation of the pair. Chinese divers have dominated the Olympic diving events recently and won 7 out of the 8 golds on offer in Rio, so they will be expected to challenge in all categories against competitors from a variety of countries.

**[Artistic (Synchronised) Swimming](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-swimming)** will offer 2 separate golds at Tokyo in “Team” and “Duet” events. Both events will contain both a “free” routine (approx. 4 minutes long, but otherwise unconstrained) and a “technical” routine (containing 12 mandatory elements). Teams are scored by judges![Brazilian team in Synchronized Swimming at the 2016 Olympic Games](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4518_default_big.jpeg "Brazilian team in Synchronized Swimming") in both “artistic” and “technical” categories for each routine, and the scores for both routines are combined to determine the overall results. Artistic swimming is an impressive sport to watch, both physically (swimmers are not allowed to touch the sides or bottoms of the pool at any point during the routine) and artistically. Russia has dominated the sport’s recent appearances at the Games, winning each of the last 12 gold medals.

[**Marathon Swimming**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-marathon-swimming) is the only outdoor swimming event; 25 competitors swim a 10km open water course in separate men’s and women’s events. This sport is regarded as both a mental and physical test, often raced in challenging conditions. Dutch athletes won both Men’s and Women’s golds in Rio, but competition is expected to be tight this year.

[**Water Polo**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-water-polo) at the Tokyo games offers medals in both men’s and women’s events. After an initial group stage, final standings will be decided by a knockout competition. Teams consist of 14 players of which 7 are playing at any one time. This is a sport which requires not only tactical awareness in the heat of the moment, but also strength, stamina, and technique, and so it is both impressive and exciting to watch. The United States have dominated Women’s Water Polo recently, winning 3 consecutive world championships in addition to their Rio 2016 gold, and they will be expected to defend their Olympic title.

[**![The Netherlands in BMX at the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4519_default_big.jpeg "The Netherlands in BMX")BMX Freestyle**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-bmx-freestyle) is one of 2 BMX events at Tokyo and is making its Olympics debut. Taking place within a park containing obstacles including ramps and jumps, riders perform 2 minute routines which are scored by judges in both seeding and finals rounds. Whilst the sport requires high levels of skill, it is nevertheless easy to understand and exciting to watch. Hannah Roberts (USA) has won the last 2 world championships in the women’s event and at the age of only 19 will be favourite to win Olympic gold. Australia’s World Champion Logan Martin will be looking to win gold in the men’s event.

[**BMX Racing**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-bmx-racing) is the other BMX event at the Tokyo games. Riders head out from a gate atop a ramp at the start of a short, man-made course, before battling each other around the track to be the first to finish. The sport requires strength to defend yourself if you’re squeezed out by other riders, fitness to ride the whole course at full speed, and technique to effectively handle the various obstacles around the course. Connor Fields (USA) will be looking to defend his men’s gold medal, whilst Colombia’s Mariana Pajón will be looking to win a third consecutive gold in this event, but this is a sport which punishes even the smallest mistakes, so everyone has a chance to win every race.

[**Mountain Biking**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-mountain-biking) is another cycling event away from the velodrome. This sport features at the Olympics with its “cross-country” event. Tokyo’s course is expected to be exceptionally tough, which will be sure to reward the riders with the best technique, although they will still need to be incredibly fit. This event is an exciting watch with the opportunity for surprises at every turn and the weather having a significant effect on the unpredictability of the event. Recent medalists in this event have come from a variety of countries and many athletes have good medal chances.

**[Road Cycling](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-road-cycling)** is the final cycling discipline we will be looking at. Both male and female cyclists will compete in both time trial, and road race events. The time trial sees riders set off individually at short intervals and seek to set the fastest time over the 22km (women) and 44km (men) course. The road race is a mass start event, with all competitors starting at the same time, and the first to finish the 137km (women) and 234km (men) course wins!

The Tokyo courses are going to be mountainous, and this will give the lighter climbers an advantage over the more muscular sprinters whom Olympic courses typically favour. Additionally, with the events falling so close to the conclusion of the Tour de France, it is unclear if some of the usual favourites will be too fatigued to perform to their full potential, or whether they will even compete at all. Great Britain have selected a strong team for this event including Geraint Thomas, and Tao Geoghegan Hart, who both have Grand Tour victories to their names, but this event gives many riders the chance to medal.

[**Archery**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-archery) is one of the oldest Olympic sports, having made its first appearance in 1900, and having had both men’s and women’s events since 1904, although it did not feature between 1920 and 1972. Since archery’s return to the Olympics, it has been dominated by South Korea whose athletes won every archery medal on offer in Rio. There are both individual and team events for both men and women. In both individual and team events, a seeding round is held, before a head-to-head single-elimination competition determines the final placings. South Korea are again expected to dominate, although a number of previous Olympic medalists will be returning and hoping to break the South Korean dominance. In Tokyo, the mixed team event will be making its Olympic debut and South Korea will be strong favourites to win the first edition of this event.

The [**Modern Pentathlon**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-modern-pentathlon) consists of 5 different events that are combined into one competition which was initially designed to represent the qualities necessary in a cavalry soldier. Accordingly, athletes compete in fencing (épée), riding (show jumping), and swimming (200m freestyle). Their performance in these events is converted to create a staggered start for the final portion: a combined cross-country (3.2km) and shooting (pistol) event. The first person to finish this race wins the gold. Hungary’s Ádám Marosi won the men’s event at the 2021 World Championships and will be looking to win Olympic gold this summer.

**[Canoe](http://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-canoe-sprint)**[**/Kayak Flatwater**](http://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-canoe-sprint) takes place on a lake. Kayakers sit in their boat with a double-bladed paddle, whilst canoeists kneel in an open boat with a single-bladed paddle. Stationary on the water, athletes wait for the starter's gun and then accelerate as quickly as they can to complete the course in the fastest time possible. There are a variety of medals on offer over varying distances and with up to 4 people per boat. This event requires both power and teamwork, and frequently produces close and exciting races.

[**![Natalia Pacierpnik for Poland in Canoe Slalom at the 2012 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4521_default_big.jpeg "Natalia Pacierpnik in Canoe Slalom")Canoe/Kayak Slalom**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-canoe-slalom) is contested on a white-water course. Competitors have to pass through a number of gates on the route, being penalised if they touch them. A few of the gates are “upstream gates” through which the paddler must go against the current. This sport requires great levels of fitness, strength and technique, as well as poise in the boat to flex under the gates, and awareness of the water and its effect on the boat. Whilst both canoes and kayaks are used for this event, there is only ever one athlete per boat. Joe Clarke (GBR) was not selected to defend his men’s kayak title, so pressure will be high on his replacement, Bradley Forbes-Cryans, to medal.

[**Rowing**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-rowing) is a sport with a long Olympic history, having debuted in 1900. During that time, the United States has been the most successful country, with 89 total medals. Rowing at Tokyo will be gender-balanced with the same 7 events for both men and women. Each nation is allowed one boat per event. Both rowing disciplines (scull and sweep) will feature in Tokyo. Sculling sees rowers control a pair of oars, whilst with sweeping, rowers control only one oar. Sculling events will be: single, double, quad, and lightweight doubles, whilst the sweeping events will be: coxless pairs, coxless fours and a coxed eight. Great Britain won the men’s coxed eight at Rio, and will be hoping to defend that title, although a much-changed boat placed only 3rd at the 2019 World Championships behind Germany and the Netherlands.

[**Rugby 7s**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-rugby-sevens) is the Olympic form of ruby. Games consist of two 7 minute halves, with 7 players aside making it exceptionally fast-paced, and just as high-scoring as traditional rugby union. At Tokyo, men’s and![Japan vs Canada in Women's Rugby 7s at the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4522_default_big.jpeg "Japan vs Canada in Women's Rugby 7s") women’s Rugby 7s competitions will take place over 3 days with 12 teams in each. After an initial group stage, there will be an 8-team knockout competition to decide the placings and the medals. Fiji beat Great Britain in the men’s final at Rio, although Fiji lost to eventual winners New Zealand in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. Australia won the women’s event at Rio, although they similarly lost to the New Zealand side at the 2018 World Cup. This is an event which is guaranteed to be exciting to watch, and in which many countries have a good chance to medal.

[**Shooting**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-shooting) has appeared at every modern Olympic games. In Tokyo, each of the 15 events will follow the same qualifier and then finals format. Air rifle and air pistol events will take place inside and are target-based events, whilst the shotgun event uses “clay pigeons” and takes place outside. The United States has been the most successful nation at shooting with 54 total golds, ahead of China with 22. The first medals of the Olympics will be awarded in the women’s 10m air rifle competition in which Virginia Thrasher (USA) will be looking to defend the gold she won in Rio. The Tokyo games will also see three mixed team events take place for the first time. The natural favourites for these events will include Italy, who topped the shooting medal table in Rio and other nations with strong shooting pedigrees including the United States and China.

[**Skateboarding**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-skateboarding) will be making its Olympics debut in Tokyo. For both men and women, there will be 2 events: park and street. With this being a new sport to the games, it is hard to predict who will handle the increased pressure and manage to medal. Japan’s 2019 World Champion, Misugu Okamoto, will compete in the women’s park event and is expected to medal. Similarly, America’s Nyjah Huston will be carrying his country’s medal hopes in the men’s street event.

[**![Petra Klingler at the 2018 Climbing World Championships](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4523_default_big.jpeg "Petra Klingler")Sport Climbing**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-sport-climbing) is also debuting at the games. There will be one event for men and one for women. Each event will be a combination of 3 separate disciplines: speed (ascend a 15m wall as fast as possible), lead (6 minutes to get as high as possible on a 15m wall), and bouldering (ascend as many routes of a 4.5m wall as possible in 4 minutes). The athlete’s position in each event will be combined to produce the overall standings. It is difficult to predict an overall winner because speed climbing is a very different discipline from lead and bouldering. Nevertheless, in the men’s event we can expect Tomoa Narasaki (JPN) and Adam Ondra (CZE) to be at the sharp end. In the women’s event, Janja Garnbret (SLO) who won the 2018 and 2019 combined World Championship golds will be favourite to win gold. This is an exciting sport where one slip can be the difference between gold and disappointment

[**Surfing**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-surfing) will also be appearing for the first time at the games. Specific times are not set for the event, allowing organisers to take advantage of the best conditions available. 20 male and 20 female athletes will compete in this event. Multiple surfers are on the water at any one time and they will be scored in 5 categories for each wave they surf in a 30 minute period; their two best waves will count. The United States (most notably with Carissa Moore), Australia and Brazil (with Ítalo Ferreira) have perhaps the strongest hopes for a medal in these events, but the nature of the sport means outsiders can medal, and favourites can disappoint.

[**![Cycling Phase of the Women's Triathlon at 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4524_default_big.jpeg "Cycling Phase of the Women's Triathlon")Triathlon**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-triathlon) has been an Olympic sport since Sydney 2000. Triathletes successively swim 1.5km, cycle 40km and run 10k. Alistair Brownlee won men’s gold in both London and Rio games, but will not defend his title after injuries and a disqualification prevented him from qualifying for Tokyo. British hopes in the men’s event will therefore rest on Alistair’s brother Jonny Brownlee who won silver at Rio and 23 year-old Alex Yee. Neither Rio gold medallist Gwen Jorgensen (USA), nor Nicola Spirig Hug (SUI) will be defending their medals in the women’s event, so athletes including 2020 World champion Georgia Taylor-Brown will be hoping to win on the biggest stage.

[**Weightlifting**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-weightlifting) occurs in weight divisions, with separate events for men and women. Olympic weightlifting occurs in two rounds: the “snatch” (one lift with a wide grip) followed by the “clean and jerk” (two-part lift, with a narrow grip). Athletes get 3 attempts in each round, and their heaviest successful lift in each round counts to determine the medals and overall positions. Across the 14 weight divisions (half men, half women), a number of athletes will be hoping to defend their Rio title. Weightlifting is a sport in which fine margins matter, and Iran’s Kianoush Rastami, having won silver in London and gold in Rio, did not qualify to defend his men’s 85kg title.

This was the final part of our Olympic preview series, it is clear that all these sports are not only great to watch, but many also promise close competition for medals. Be sure to use [**Fixture Calendar**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/) to keep up to date with your favourite sports throughout the year!

***Callum Farnden, July 2021***

Photos by [Rafael Brais](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Synchronized_swimming_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_-Presentation_of_the_Brazilian_team_02.jpg), [Jonas de Carvalho](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rio_2016._Ciclismo_BMX-BMX_Cycling_(28500196144).jpg), [David Merrett](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Slalom_canoeing_2012_Olympics_W_K1_POL_Natalia_Pacierpnik_(2).jpg), [Fernando Frazão](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rugby_Feminino_Canad%C3%A1_vs._Jap%C3%A3o_09.jpg), [Simon Legner](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Climbing_World_Championships_2018_Combined_Final_Klingler_(BT0B0188).jpg), [Diego Baravelli](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Women_Triathlon,_Rio_2016_6.jpg "User:Diego Baravelli (page does not exist)")

Explore some of the best events at Tokyo 2020, from Diving to BMX Freestyle. Learn more about the history and frontrunners for the Tokyo Olympics.

Olympic Sports

Best of the Rest at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s Olympic Sports series. This week, we&rsquo;ll be looking at some of the lesser-known Combat sports that will feature at the Tokyo Games: Fencing, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo and Wrestling, how they work, the medals on offer and some of the notable competitors.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-fencing">Fencing</a> has featured at every modern Olympic games. In Tokyo, fencing will be divided into 3 different events: foil, &eacute;p&eacute;e, and sabre. The foil is a light weapon used for thrusting; in this event, points are scored for contact between the tip of the foil and the torso. This is the weapon most commonly used for fencing and has featured as an individual event at 26 of the 27 previous Olympics. Because the foil is light and maneuverable, it requires good<a href="https://d.docs.live.net/c77d6b01d6ac06ac/Desktop/Fixture%20Calendar/FC_%20Olympic%20Combat%20-%20CF%20(3).docx#_msocom_3"> </a>defence and also provides offensive opportunities, making this event particularly exciting to watch.

In the &eacute;p&eacute;e, points are scored when the tip touches any part of the body. It is heavier and less flexible than the foil, and the rules permit double touches, meaning counterattacks are more common than in other disciplines. The sabre sees athletes try to hit any part of the body above the waist, and contact can be made with any part of the blade, not just the tip as in &eacute;p&eacute;e and foil. It is perhaps the fastest of all the Olympic fencing disciplines. Each fencing discipline has both individual and team events. Individual events take the form of a single elimination bracket. In the team event, teams of 3 athletes (plus 1 reserve) compete in a round robin against athletes from other teams to produce the overall standings and decide the medals.<img alt="South Korea's Choi In-jeong faces Tunisia's Sarra Besbes in Olympic Fencing" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4482_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Choi In-jeong faces Sarra Besbes" />

Italy and France have been the most successful countries in Olympic fencing, with over 100 medals each. Daniele Garozzo (ITA) was a surprise winner of Olympic gold in the men&rsquo;s foil in Rio and he will be looking to defend his title in Tokyo from competition including 2019 world champion Enzo Lefort (FRA) and 2016 Olympic silver medallist Alexander Massialas (USA). In the women&rsquo;s &eacute;p&eacute;e, Emese Sz&aacute;sz-Kov&aacute;cs (HUN), now 38, will be looking to defend her Olympic gold medal from Rio. She will be competing in a talented field, including Nathalie Moellhausen who won Brazil&rsquo;s first individual &eacute;p&eacute;e world championship in 2019, Rio silver medallist Rossella Fiamingo (ITA) and China&rsquo;s Lin Sheng, who had to withdraw from the 2016 games due to injury but won silver at the 2019 World Championships. In the team events, Russia will be looking to defend their women&rsquo;s team sabre Gold from Rio in Tokyo, having won the 2019 World Championships. Similarly, France won gold at both the Rio Olympics and the 2019 World Championships in the men&rsquo;s team &eacute;p&eacute;e, and so will be hoping to defend their Olympic title.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-karate">Karate</a> is making its first Olympic appearance at the Tokyo games. Two different Karate events will take place: Kumite (in 3 weight divisions for both men and women) and Kata. In Kumite, between 1 and 3 points are scored for punches and kicks to different parts of the opponent&rsquo;s body, and the match ends when one athlete has an 8 point lead, or the 3 minutes is up. The weight divisions used for kumite at the Olympics are different from those used at the World Championships, and this can make the medals harder to predict. This is an event in which no one country is expected to dominate, and across the weight categories there are strong medal contenders from France, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Serbia, and China.&nbsp;

Kata is performed solo, and competitors perform a sequence of moves, where points are awarded by judges across a variety of categories to reward both technical and athletic performance. Spanish athletes are top of both the male and female world rankings. However, they are widely expected to face close competition from a number of other athletes, including the Japanese representatives. As karate is making what is likely to be its only Olympic appearance, athletes are sure to be extra hungry to win medals and write themselves into the history books.

<img alt="Azerbaijan's Orkhan Safarov faces Brazil's Felipe Kitadai in Judo in the 2016 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4483_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Orkhan Safarov faces Felipe Kitadai" /><a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-judo">Judo</a> will for the first time feature a mixed team event at the Tokyo games. Judo fights end when one judoka scores an &ldquo;ippon&rdquo; (one whole point), by scoring a throw or maintaining a pin, or the time (5 minutes for men; 4 for women) is up. Half and quarter points can also be earned, for less precise throws and shorter pins, which can be added together to produce a game-ending ippon. In the individual competition, both men and women will compete across 7 weight categories. In the men&rsquo;s heavyweight class, Teddy Riner (FRA) - the only judoka to ever win 10 world championships - will seek to become only the second judoka to win 3 consecutive Olympic gold medals. Whilst Judo is another sport which has not been dominated by any one country in recent years, Japan will be hoping their home athletes, including siblings Uta Abe (-52kg women) and Hifumi Abe (-66kg men), can bring home several medals.

The mixed team event will include 3 male (in -73kg, -90kg, and +90kg weight categories) and 3 female (-57kg, -70kg, +70kg) athletes per team. In a knockout competition, each team member will face off against their corresponding opponent, and whichever team wins the most individual bouts wins the match. In the case of a 3-3 tie, a deciding bout will occur in a randomly selected weight category. Teams will need multiple high-level judokas to have a good medal chance. In this event at the 2019 World Championships, Japan took home gold, although they can expect strong competition from nations including Russia, Brazil and Germany.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-taekwondo">Taekwondo</a> - a martial art which focuses on kicking - has featured at the Olympics since the Sydney Games in 2000. In that time, the sport has been dominated by South Korea (12 gold and 19 total medals), and China (7 gold and 10 total medals). In Tokyo, there will be 4 weight categories for both men and women. In the women&rsquo;s featherweight division, Jade Jones (GBR) will be looking to become the first athlete to win 3 Olympic taekwondo gold medals. In the men&rsquo;s heavyweight division, Abdoul Razak Issoufou will be hoping to win Niger&rsquo;s first ever Olympic gold medal having won Silver in Rio when he became his country&rsquo;s first Olympic gold medallist since 1972. Taekwondo is a sport which relies not only on athletic ability, but also quick reactions and tactical awareness; many countries have chances to win medals in this sport, so great competition and an exciting watch is guaranteed.<img alt="Azerbaijan's Khetag Gazyumov faces Uzbekistan's Magomed Ibragimov in Wrestling at the 2016 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4484_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Khetag Gazyumov faces Magomed Ibragimov" />

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-wrestling">Wrestling</a> at the Olympics takes place in two different categories: Freestyle (separate men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events) and Greco-Roman (men only). Each event is contested within a 6 metre circle, and medals are awarded across 6 weight categories. In Freestyle, the entire body is a target. A wrestler wins if he manages to pin his opponent&rsquo;s shoulder blades to the mat for a whole second. If this does not occur within the two rounds of 3 minutes, the match is decided on points; points are scored for takedowns, escapes, reversals, and exposures, whilst they are docked for fouls, passivity and leaving the circle. The Japanese women won 4 out of the 6 gold medals available in Rio 2016 and their athletes, including Risako Kawai, who won the 2020 Asian Championships gold, will be looking to defend their titles. In the men&rsquo;s events, Iran&rsquo;s Hassan Yazdani will be hoping to win his second Olympic gold, having moved up a weight division since Rio 2016, and as the defending 86kg World Champion, he is a likely favourite for a medal. Russia&rsquo;s Abdulrashid Sadulaev has also moved up a weight division, having won Rio gold in the 86kg event. Now competing in the 97kg category, he will need to beat defending Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (USA) to win another Olympic medal.

In Greco-Roman, the legs are not a legal target and wrestlers may only attack - and attack with - their upper body. As in freestyle wrestling, a wrestler immediately wins if he manages to pin his opponent&rsquo;s shoulder blades for a whole second, and points are scored in the same manner. However, it is the first wrestler to win two rounds, rather than the total number of points which decides the winner. Mija&iacute;n L&oacute;pez (CUB), now 38, will be competing at what looks set to be his final Olympic games. Having previously won two golds in the 120kg category and one in the 130kg category, he will be looking to go out on a high with a final gold in Tokyo. L&oacute;pez will have to be at his best to beat Riza Kiyaalp (TUR), who won World Championship golds in this weight category in 2017 and 2019 (L&oacute;pez competed at neither).&nbsp;

A wide variety of combat sports will be on display at the Tokyo games, and competition is sure to be hard-fought throughout. These sports all require athletic ability, stamina, and technique, and are great to watch. Be sure to use <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/">Fixture Calendar</a> to follow your favourite sports throughout the year!

Callum Farnden, July&nbsp;2021

Photos by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:London_2012_Olympics_Fencing_(7996937616).jpg">Tom Page</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Competitions_in_judo_at_the_2016_Olympics_07.jpg">Roberto Castro</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wrestling_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics,_Gazyumov_vs_Ibragimov.jpg">Ilgar Jafarov</a>

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar’s Olympic Sports series. This week, we’ll be looking at some of the lesser-known Combat sports that will feature at the Tokyo Games: Fencing, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo and Wrestling, how they work, the medals on offer and some of the notable competitors.

[**Fencing**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-fencing) has featured at every modern Olympic games. In Tokyo, fencing will be divided into 3 different events: foil, épée, and sabre. The foil is a light weapon used for thrusting; in this event, points are scored for contact between the tip of the foil and the torso. This is the weapon most commonly used for fencing and has featured as an individual event at 26 of the 27 previous Olympics. Because the foil is light and maneuverable, it requires good[ ](https://d.docs.live.net/c77d6b01d6ac06ac/Desktop/Fixture%20Calendar/FC_%20Olympic%20Combat%20-%20CF%20(3).docx#_msocom_3)defence and also provides offensive opportunities, making this event particularly exciting to watch.

In the épée, points are scored when the tip touches any part of the body. It is heavier and less flexible than the foil, and the rules permit double touches, meaning counterattacks are more common than in other disciplines. The sabre sees athletes try to hit any part of the body above the waist, and contact can be made with any part of the blade, not just the tip as in épée and foil. It is perhaps the fastest of all the Olympic fencing disciplines. Each fencing discipline has both individual and team events. Individual events take the form of a single elimination bracket. In the team event, teams of 3 athletes (plus 1 reserve) compete in a round robin against athletes from other teams to produce the overall standings and decide the medals.![South Korea's Choi In-jeong faces Tunisia's Sarra Besbes in Olympic Fencing](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4482_default_big.jpeg "Choi In-jeong faces Sarra Besbes")

Italy and France have been the most successful countries in Olympic fencing, with over 100 medals each. Daniele Garozzo (ITA) was a surprise winner of Olympic gold in the men’s foil in Rio and he will be looking to defend his title in Tokyo from competition including 2019 world champion Enzo Lefort (FRA) and 2016 Olympic silver medallist Alexander Massialas (USA). In the women’s épée, Emese Szász-Kovács (HUN), now 38, will be looking to defend her Olympic gold medal from Rio. She will be competing in a talented field, including Nathalie Moellhausen who won Brazil’s first individual épée world championship in 2019, Rio silver medallist Rossella Fiamingo (ITA) and China’s Lin Sheng, who had to withdraw from the 2016 games due to injury but won silver at the 2019 World Championships. In the team events, Russia will be looking to defend their women’s team sabre Gold from Rio in Tokyo, having won the 2019 World Championships. Similarly, France won gold at both the Rio Olympics and the 2019 World Championships in the men’s team épée, and so will be hoping to defend their Olympic title.

[**Karate**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-karate) is making its first Olympic appearance at the Tokyo games. Two different Karate events will take place: Kumite (in 3 weight divisions for both men and women) and Kata. In Kumite, between 1 and 3 points are scored for punches and kicks to different parts of the opponent’s body, and the match ends when one athlete has an 8 point lead, or the 3 minutes is up. The weight divisions used for kumite at the Olympics are different from those used at the World Championships, and this can make the medals harder to predict. This is an event in which no one country is expected to dominate, and across the weight categories there are strong medal contenders from France, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Serbia, and China.

Kata is performed solo, and competitors perform a sequence of moves, where points are awarded by judges across a variety of categories to reward both technical and athletic performance. Spanish athletes are top of both the male and female world rankings. However, they are widely expected to face close competition from a number of other athletes, including the Japanese representatives. As karate is making what is likely to be its only Olympic appearance, athletes are sure to be extra hungry to win medals and write themselves into the history books.

![Azerbaijan's Orkhan Safarov faces Brazil's Felipe Kitadai in Judo in the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4483_default_big.jpeg "Orkhan Safarov faces Felipe Kitadai")[**Judo**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-judo) will for the first time feature a mixed team event at the Tokyo games. Judo fights end when one judoka scores an “ippon” (one whole point), by scoring a throw or maintaining a pin, or the time (5 minutes for men; 4 for women) is up. Half and quarter points can also be earned, for less precise throws and shorter pins, which can be added together to produce a game-ending ippon. In the individual competition, both men and women will compete across 7 weight categories. In the men’s heavyweight class, Teddy Riner (FRA) - the only judoka to ever win 10 world championships - will seek to become only the second judoka to win 3 consecutive Olympic gold medals. Whilst Judo is another sport which has not been dominated by any one country in recent years, Japan will be hoping their home athletes, including siblings Uta Abe (-52kg women) and Hifumi Abe (-66kg men), can bring home several medals.

The mixed team event will include 3 male (in -73kg, -90kg, and +90kg weight categories) and 3 female (-57kg, -70kg, +70kg) athletes per team. In a knockout competition, each team member will face off against their corresponding opponent, and whichever team wins the most individual bouts wins the match. In the case of a 3-3 tie, a deciding bout will occur in a randomly selected weight category. Teams will need multiple high-level judokas to have a good medal chance. In this event at the 2019 World Championships, Japan took home gold, although they can expect strong competition from nations including Russia, Brazil and Germany.

[**Taekwondo**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-taekwondo) - a martial art which focuses on kicking - has featured at the Olympics since the Sydney Games in 2000. In that time, the sport has been dominated by South Korea (12 gold and 19 total medals), and China (7 gold and 10 total medals). In Tokyo, there will be 4 weight categories for both men and women. In the women’s featherweight division, Jade Jones (GBR) will be looking to become the first athlete to win 3 Olympic taekwondo gold medals. In the men’s heavyweight division, Abdoul Razak Issoufou will be hoping to win Niger’s first ever Olympic gold medal having won Silver in Rio when he became his country’s first Olympic gold medallist since 1972. Taekwondo is a sport which relies not only on athletic ability, but also quick reactions and tactical awareness; many countries have chances to win medals in this sport, so great competition and an exciting watch is guaranteed.![Azerbaijan's Khetag Gazyumov faces Uzbekistan's Magomed Ibragimov in Wrestling at the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4484_default_big.jpeg "Khetag Gazyumov faces Magomed Ibragimov")

[**Wrestling**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-wrestling) at the Olympics takes place in two different categories: **Freestyle** (separate men’s and women’s events) and Greco-Roman (men only). Each event is contested within a 6 metre circle, and medals are awarded across 6 weight categories. In Freestyle, the entire body is a target. A wrestler wins if he manages to pin his opponent’s shoulder blades to the mat for a whole second. If this does not occur within the two rounds of 3 minutes, the match is decided on points; points are scored for takedowns, escapes, reversals, and exposures, whilst they are docked for fouls, passivity and leaving the circle. The Japanese women won 4 out of the 6 gold medals available in Rio 2016 and their athletes, including Risako Kawai, who won the 2020 Asian Championships gold, will be looking to defend their titles. In the men’s events, Iran’s Hassan Yazdani will be hoping to win his second Olympic gold, having moved up a weight division since Rio 2016, and as the defending 86kg World Champion, he is a likely favourite for a medal. Russia’s Abdulrashid Sadulaev has also moved up a weight division, having won Rio gold in the 86kg event. Now competing in the 97kg category, he will need to beat defending Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (USA) to win another Olympic medal.

In **Greco-Roman**, the legs are not a legal target and wrestlers may only attack - and attack with - their upper body. As in freestyle wrestling, a wrestler immediately wins if he manages to pin his opponent’s shoulder blades for a whole second, and points are scored in the same manner. However, it is the first wrestler to win two rounds, rather than the total number of points which decides the winner. Mijaín López (CUB), now 38, will be competing at what looks set to be his final Olympic games. Having previously won two golds in the 120kg category and one in the 130kg category, he will be looking to go out on a high with a final gold in Tokyo. López will have to be at his best to beat Riza Kiyaalp (TUR), who won World Championship golds in this weight category in 2017 and 2019 (López competed at neither).

A wide variety of combat sports will be on display at the Tokyo games, and competition is sure to be hard-fought throughout. These sports all require athletic ability, stamina, and technique, and are great to watch. Be sure to use [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/) to follow your favourite sports throughout the year!

***Callum Farnden, July 2021***

Photos by [Tom Page](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:London_2012_Olympics_Fencing_(7996937616).jpg), [Roberto Castro](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Competitions_in_judo_at_the_2016_Olympics_07.jpg), [Ilgar Jafarov](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wrestling_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics,_Gazyumov_vs_Ibragimov.jpg)

Discover the history of Olympic Combat Sport from karate's debut on the Olympic stage to the ancient sport of fencing. Learn more with Fixture Calendar.

Combat Sports at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s Olympic sports series. This week, we&rsquo;ll be looking at Equestrian sports: the events, the top competitors, and why you should watch them in Tokyo.

Equestrian sports have appeared at every summer Olympics since 1912, however, until 1952 the Equestrian events were only open to military officers. Despite the delay in opening the event to all athletes, Equestrian is the only Olympic sport where men and women compete against each other across all events.

Within Equestrian sports, the Olympics has three disciplines: Dressage, Show Jumping, and Eventing. Each discipline has both an individual and team event. While many countries have sent excellent athletes across the various disciplines, Germany has dominated across all three, currently holding the record for the most Olympic Gold medals in Equestrian events, and will be hoping to continue that tradition. Equestrian sports are growing and excitingly there are several Olympic debutants this summer with Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Sri Lanka all expecting to field athletes in Tokyo.

Dressage is often compared to ballet since the precision, poise and accuracy required by both horse and rider is similar to a dance. Individual riders have the opportunity to perform three separate tests within this competition. The first two tests, the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special, act as qualifiers for the final test, the Grand Prix Freestyle. Within all three tests, the horse and rider are judged on a scale from 1 to 10 based on the accuracy and correctness of each individual movement. At the end, scores are converted to a percentage with 100 being the best possible score.<img alt="Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro at the London 2012 Olympic Dressage" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4462_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro" />

In Team Dressage, scores are decided by adding the individual team member&rsquo;s scores. The 8 highest scoring teams from the Grand Prix are able to move onto the Grand Prix Special. The Grand Prix special is used to determine the team medals and is performed to music of the rider&rsquo;s choice. Germany, having won at Rio in 2016 and the FEI European Championships in 2019, will be the favourites to win again in Tokyo. Great Britain won Gold in London in 2012 and silver in Rio and will be looking to challenge the German dominance.

The Individual Dressage event uses the same scores from the team tests to determine the top 18 riders who then qualify for the Grand Prix Freestyle. The Grand Prix Freestyle is performed to music and, unlike the first two, is choreographed by the riders. Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) won this event in 2012 and 2016 on her horse Valegro. While she would normally be a favourite to win again, Valegro has recently retired and other competitors such as Isabell Werth (GER), who placed second at Rio, will be looking to stop her making it 3 Golds in a row.

In Show Jumping, horses and riders are asked to complete a timed course of somewhere between 10 and 15 jumps which can be as tall and wide as 2 metres. Riders are penalized for the number of rails that are hit or knocked down, the number of refusals and the number of seconds that they go over the decided optimal time for the course. Ties are broken by competing in a jump-off where penalties are given for the same mistakes and all else equal, the fastest time wins. Of the Equestrian events, Show Jumping is the only one for which Individual and team competitions are held completely separately of <img alt="Show Jumping at the 2012 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4463_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Show Jumping at the Summer Olympics" />one another.

Individual Show Jumping takes place first and scores are decided on the rider&#39;s completion of two different courses. The first course acts as a qualifying round where the top 30 riders move on to the second course and ties are settled by a jump-off. While defending champion Nick Skelton (GBR) will not be competing in Tokyo, there will be many other strong contenders returning and hoping to claim his title.

Team Show Jumping follows a similar format, where riders from the top 10 teams are able to move on to the final course. Individual scores are added up to determine the team scores. If a rider is eliminated or unable to complete the first course, the team is penalized and the score is determined by the two remaining rider&rsquo;s scores. If two or more riders from a team do not complete the first course, the team is eliminated. In the final, teams are again scored on the aggregate of all their individual scores and ties are resolved in a jump-off. France are the defending champions in this event, however they will have to fight hard to beat Germany, who won silver ahead of them in the 2019 European Championships, as well as the US team who finished just behind France at Rio 2016.&nbsp;

Three-Day Eventing or Eventing is one of the most demanding competitions that the Equestrian sports have to offer. Horses and riders are required to be competent in dressage, cross country, and show jumping. Falling short in just one of these three disciplines could bring a rider&rsquo;s hopes for an Olympic medal crashing down.

Dressage is the only phase within Eventing where horse and rider are judged on poise and ease of movement. Unlike the dressage event, riders only complete one test and do not have the opportunity to write their own. This first phase is judged the same as the dressage event, except that once scores are added up, the percentage is inverted so that lower scores are optimal. Penalties accumulated in the two final phases are added onto this score.

In the Cross-country phase, horses and riders must clear a course of obstacles which can be up to 4 miles long and contain 40 obstacles up to 1.4 metres high and wide. Jumps tend to be very solid and resemble natural obstacles such as stone walls, logs, wood tables and ditches. Riders are penalized for not completing the course within the set amount of time and for refusals that they may have on course. A refusal results in a hefty penalty and a rider is eliminated if they have three or more refusals, fall off their horse while on course or jump obstacles out of order.&nbsp;<img alt="Cross-country in the 2012 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4464_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Cross-country in the Summer Olympics" />

Show Jumping is the final phase in the eventing competition. Horses and riders are required to have precision and speed while completing a jump course of 9 to 12 obstacles up to 1.25 metres high. Similar to cross-country, competitors are penalised for refusals and finishing outside of the allocated time in addition to being penalized for knocking over rails.

In Team Eventing each country sends a 4 rider team to compete in all three phases of the eventing competition. Scores for all riders are then added up to determine the team placings and heavy penalties are given for teams containing a rider that did not complete all three phases of the event or was disqualified. The team with the lowest overall score will take the gold. In 2016, France beat Germany to claim gold and will be hoping to do the same in Tokyo. However, Germany got revenge at the European Championships in 2019 and are expected to carry that form to Tokyo.&nbsp;

Individual Eventing placings are awarded to the top 25 horse and rider teams in the team event. After completing the dressage, cross country, and show jumping phases, the top 25 riders will compete in an additional show jumping competition of 9 obstacles up to 1.3 metres high. Each nation is only allowed to enter up to 3 riders in this competition. Michael Jung (GER) will be looking to defend his title from Rio, however, Olympic veteran and 2016 Bronze medallist Phillip Dutton (USA) and others will provide a strong challenge.&nbsp;

There are many exciting <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-equestrian">equestrian</a> events to watch at the Tokyo games, from the thrilling cross-country events to the elegant and musical sport of dressage. Make sure to tune in to find out who wins and enjoy the nail biting competition that this sport is sure to offer. Use <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/">Fixture Calendar</a> to follow your favourite sports in the Olympics and throughout the year!

Harriet Thomson, July&nbsp;2021

Photos by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Dujardin_2012_Olympic_Dressage.JPG">Wikimedia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2012_Olympic_Show_jumping_impression.jpg">Ben Fitzgerald-O&#39;Connor</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Equestrian_sports_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_-_Olympic_day_3_event_(2).jpg">Simonimages</a>

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar’s Olympic sports series. This week, we’ll be looking at Equestrian sports: the events, the top competitors, and why you should watch them in Tokyo.

Equestrian sports have appeared at every summer Olympics since 1912, however, until 1952 the Equestrian events were only open to military officers. Despite the delay in opening the event to all athletes, Equestrian is the only Olympic sport where men and women compete against each other across all events.

Within Equestrian sports, the Olympics has three disciplines: Dressage, Show Jumping, and Eventing. Each discipline has both an individual and team event. While many countries have sent excellent athletes across the various disciplines, Germany has dominated across all three, currently holding the record for the most Olympic Gold medals in Equestrian events, and will be hoping to continue that tradition. Equestrian sports are growing and excitingly there are several Olympic debutants this summer with Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Sri Lanka all expecting to field athletes in Tokyo.

**Dressage** is often compared to ballet since the precision, poise and accuracy required by both horse and rider is similar to a dance. Individual riders have the opportunity to perform three separate tests within this competition. The first two tests, the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special, act as qualifiers for the final test, the Grand Prix Freestyle. Within all three tests, the horse and rider are judged on a scale from 1 to 10 based on the accuracy and correctness of each individual movement. At the end, scores are converted to a percentage with 100 being the best possible score.![Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro at the London 2012 Olympic Dressage](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4462_default_big.jpeg "Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro")

In **Team Dressage**, scores are decided by adding the individual team member’s scores. The 8 highest scoring teams from the Grand Prix are able to move onto the Grand Prix Special. The Grand Prix special is used to determine the team medals and is performed to music of the rider’s choice. Germany, having won at Rio in 2016 and the FEI European Championships in 2019, will be the favourites to win again in Tokyo. Great Britain won Gold in London in 2012 and silver in Rio and will be looking to challenge the German dominance.

The **Individual Dressage** event uses the same scores from the team tests to determine the top 18 riders who then qualify for the Grand Prix Freestyle. The Grand Prix Freestyle is performed to music and, unlike the first two, is choreographed by the riders. Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) won this event in 2012 and 2016 on her horse Valegro. While she would normally be a favourite to win again, Valegro has recently retired and other competitors such as Isabell Werth (GER), who placed second at Rio, will be looking to stop her making it 3 Golds in a row.

In **Show Jumping**, horses and riders are asked to complete a timed course of somewhere between 10 and 15 jumps which can be as tall and wide as 2 metres. Riders are penalized for the number of rails that are hit or knocked down, the number of refusals and the number of seconds that they go over the decided optimal time for the course. Ties are broken by competing in a jump-off where penalties are given for the same mistakes and all else equal, the fastest time wins. Of the Equestrian events, Show Jumping is the only one for which Individual and team competitions are held completely separately of ![Show Jumping at the 2012 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4463_default_big.jpeg "Show Jumping at the Summer Olympics")one another.

**Individual Show Jumping** takes place first and scores are decided on the rider's completion of two different courses. The first course acts as a qualifying round where the top 30 riders move on to the second course and ties are settled by a jump-off. While defending champion Nick Skelton (GBR) will not be competing in Tokyo, there will be many other strong contenders returning and hoping to claim his title.

**Team Show Jumping** follows a similar format, where riders from the top 10 teams are able to move on to the final course. Individual scores are added up to determine the team scores. If a rider is eliminated or unable to complete the first course, the team is penalized and the score is determined by the two remaining rider’s scores. If two or more riders from a team do not complete the first course, the team is eliminated. In the final, teams are again scored on the aggregate of all their individual scores and ties are resolved in a jump-off. France are the defending champions in this event, however they will have to fight hard to beat Germany, who won silver ahead of them in the 2019 European Championships, as well as the US team who finished just behind France at Rio 2016.

Three-Day Eventing or **Eventing** is one of the most demanding competitions that the Equestrian sports have to offer. Horses and riders are required to be competent in dressage, cross country, and show jumping. Falling short in just one of these three disciplines could bring a rider’s hopes for an Olympic medal crashing down.

**Dressage** is the only phase within Eventing where horse and rider are judged on poise and ease of movement. Unlike the dressage event, riders only complete one test and do not have the opportunity to write their own. This first phase is judged the same as the dressage event, except that once scores are added up, the percentage is inverted so that lower scores are optimal. Penalties accumulated in the two final phases are added onto this score.

In the **Cross-country** phase, horses and riders must clear a course of obstacles which can be up to 4 miles long and contain 40 obstacles up to 1.4 metres high and wide. Jumps tend to be very solid and resemble natural obstacles such as stone walls, logs, wood tables and ditches. Riders are penalized for not completing the course within the set amount of time and for refusals that they may have on course. A refusal results in a hefty penalty and a rider is eliminated if they have three or more refusals, fall off their horse while on course or jump obstacles out of order. ![Cross-country in the 2012 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4464_default_big.jpeg "Cross-country in the Summer Olympics")

**Show Jumping** is the final phase in the eventing competition. Horses and riders are required to have precision and speed while completing a jump course of 9 to 12 obstacles up to 1.25 metres high. Similar to cross-country, competitors are penalised for refusals and finishing outside of the allocated time in addition to being penalized for knocking over rails.

In **Team Eventing** each country sends a 4 rider team to compete in all three phases of the eventing competition. Scores for all riders are then added up to determine the team placings and heavy penalties are given for teams containing a rider that did not complete all three phases of the event or was disqualified. The team with the lowest overall score will take the gold. In 2016, France beat Germany to claim gold and will be hoping to do the same in Tokyo. However, Germany got revenge at the European Championships in 2019 and are expected to carry that form to Tokyo.

**Individual Eventing** placings are awarded to the top 25 horse and rider teams in the team event. After completing the dressage, cross country, and show jumping phases, the top 25 riders will compete in an additional show jumping competition of 9 obstacles up to 1.3 metres high. Each nation is only allowed to enter up to 3 riders in this competition. Michael Jung (GER) will be looking to defend his title from Rio, however, Olympic veteran and 2016 Bronze medallist Phillip Dutton (USA) and others will provide a strong challenge.

There are many exciting [equestrian](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-equestrian) events to watch at the Tokyo games, from the thrilling cross-country events to the elegant and musical sport of dressage. Make sure to tune in to find out who wins and enjoy the nail biting competition that this sport is sure to offer. Use [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/) to follow your favourite sports in the Olympics and throughout the year!

***Harriet Thomson, July 2021***

Photos by [Wikimedia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Dujardin_2012_Olympic_Dressage.JPG), [Ben Fitzgerald-O'Connor](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2012_Olympic_Show_jumping_impression.jpg), [Simonimages](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Equestrian_sports_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_-_Olympic_day_3_event_(2).jpg)

Explore Equestrian Sports at the Tokyo Olympics. Learn about the veterans as well as countries fielding their first ever Olympic Equestrians.

Equestrian Sport at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s Olympic sports series. This time, we&rsquo;ll be looking at Gymnastics: the different events, the medal contenders and famous names, as well as why you should watch. Olympic gymnastics is broadly divided into three categories: Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-artistic-gymnastics">Artistic Gymnastics</a> is what most people imagine when they think of Olympic gymnastics: an athlete performing short routines on a piece of apparatus. There are 6 different pieces of apparatus used by the men and 4 by the women. Medals are available on each piece of apparatus, as well in team and all-around events. In each event, there is a qualification stage before the top athletes compete in the final to decide the medals.

The Floor Exercise is a feature of both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s competition. In this event, gymnasts perform short routines on a 12 x 12 metre sprung floor. In their routine they will perform multiple passes and must visit each corner at least once. Points will be awarded for difficulty as well as execution. The women&rsquo;s event is performed to music and includes more dance and acrobatic skills than the men&rsquo;s event which is performed without music. Max Whitlock (GBR) won the men&rsquo;s event at Rio 2016, but will not defend his title in Tokyo. The 2019 World Championships was won by the Philippines&#39; Carlos Yulo (the youngest competitor in the top 8) ahead of the Israeli Artem Dolgopyat and they will both be looking to medal in this event in Tokyo. The women&rsquo;s event in Rio was won by Simone Biles (USA), and having won the 2019 World Championship gold, she will be expected to defend her title in Tokyo.

The Vault is the only other event to feature in both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events. Gymnasts run down a 25m runway before launching themselves off a springboard, over the platform and twist or somersault through the air before landing within a set of lines. Gymnasts must be powerful to get a good launch, and then skilful to twist and land correctly. In the men&rsquo;s event, Russian athletes have seen great success in recent years, winning silver at Rio 2016, and then taking home gold and silver at the 2019 World Championships, so their athletes are a good bet for a Tokyo medal. This is another event in which Biles will be looking to defend a Rio gold medal, and it would be surprising if she did not succeed, having won the 2019 World Championships ahead of Jade Carey (USA).

The Pommel Horse is used only by men; with their weight on their hands, gymnasts swing their legs in circular motions around the horse (a 1.6 metre form with 2 handholds in its middle), before performing a dismount. Max Whitlock (GBR) won gold in this event at Rio and having also won gold at the 2019 World Championships, he will be hoping to win again.

The Uneven Bars is a women&rsquo;s event. Two parallel bars are above the floor at different heights; gymnasts perform various rotations and twists, as well as transitions between the bars, before finishing their routine with a dismount. Aliya Mustafina (RUS) won the last 2 Olympic golds in this event, but it does not seem likely that she will compete in Tokyo. Similarly, Rio silver medallist Madison Kocian (USA) has retired, making this event hard to call. Nina Derwael (BEL) won gold at the 2019 World Championships, whilst Rio bronze medallist Sophie Scheder (GER), will also have a medal chance after injury ruled her out of the 2019 World Championships.<img alt="Still Rings event in the 2016 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4426_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Still Rings at the 2016 Summer Olympics" />

The Still Rings is a men&rsquo;s event. Two rings are suspended above the floor, so that the gymnast can swing freely below them. Routines end with a dismount and must contain at least one strength move. In Rio, Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) won gold, and having dominated the scene since, he is the favourite to win again in Tokyo.

The Parallel Bars is another event for the men. In this event, men perform short routines on two bars 1.75 metres above the floor and only shoulder-width apart, displaying swings, balances and jumps, before finishing with a dismount. This event requires both strength and precision. Joe Fraser (GBR) won gold at the 2019 World Championships and will be hoping to secure another victory in Tokyo.

The final men&rsquo;s event is the Horizontal Bar. Here, a stiff, metal bar above the ground is used for a short routine of turns, twists and releases, before an impressive dismount. Fabian Hamb&uuml;chen (GER) won gold in this event at Rio, but he has since retired, as have Rio silver and bronze medallists Leyva (USA) and Wilson (GBR), so this event is wide open, and many athletes will be looking to medal.

The Balance Beam is the final women&rsquo;s event and is one of the oldest pieces of apparatus used. On a 5 metre long and 10cm wide beam, the gymnast performs a routine lasting around 90 seconds including leaps, turns, and small dance elements. Only Romania&rsquo;s Nadia Comǎneci has won consecutive Olympic golds in this event; Sanne Wevers (NED) will hope to become the second to defend an Olympic Balance Beam title, although she will face close competition from Simone Biles (USA) who won the 2019 World Championships in this event.

<img alt="Simone Biles in the Balance Beam event at the 2016 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4428_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Simone Biles in the Balance Beam event" />Medals are also available in the All-Around for both men and women, in which athletes compete on every piece of apparatus and their scores on each are combined. This medal is perhaps regarded as the ultimate goal of Olympic gymnastics. In the men&rsquo;s event, Kōhei Uchimura (JPN) retained his 2012 gold in Rio, but he will not compete in the all-around in Tokyo. Russian athletes Nagornyy and Dalaloyan finished 1st and 2nd in the 2019 World Championships in this event and will be favourites for Olympic gold. In the women&rsquo;s event, Simone Biles (USA) won gold at Rio, and will be clear favourite to win again in Tokyo.

There is also a Team event. In Tokyo, teams of 4 will compete in both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events, where one athlete per country will compete on each piece of apparatus and their scores will be added together to produce the overall standings. In the women&rsquo;s event, the USA led by Simone Biles will be expected to defend the title they won in Rio. In the men&rsquo;s event, the Japanese team will be looking to defend their title from Rio against challengers including Russia and China who finished ahead of Japan at the 2019 World Championships.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-rhythmic-gymnastics">Rhythmic Gymnastics</a> was first introduced to the Olympics in 1984 and has appeared at every Games since. This women-only sport will feature both individual and team events in Tokyo. Gymnasts perform a routine to music with apparatus such as hoops, balls, clubs, and ribbons. Routines include typical gymnastic moves including tumbles and stands in addition to throws and other use of the apparatus. It is incredibly impressive to watch, and much of it has to be seen to be believed.

The team event is performed by teams of 5. Routines rely on not only individual gymnastic talent, but also inch-perfect teamwork and impressive choreography. Russia has won each of the last 5 gold medals in the team event, and it would be brave to bet against them.

Russia has similarly dominated the individual event and have won the last 5 gold medals in this discipline, as well as 3 silvers and 1 bronze in that time. Rio gold medallist Margarita Mamun (RUS) retired after the 2016 games, but it seems likely that one of the Russian Averina sisters will take over her title having come 1st and 2nd at the 2019 World Championships.<img alt="Israel in Rhythmic Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4427_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Israel in the Rhythmic Gymnastics event" />

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-trampoline-gymnastics">Trampoline</a> has featured at the Olympics since 2000 and in Tokyo, there will be both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events. After a number of bounces to generate height, gymnasts perform a short routine containing somersaults and twists whilst reaching heights of up to 8 metres, before they are marked on: difficulty, execution, flight time, and horizontal displacement to determine the overall winner. This is a sport in which Chinese athletes have traditionally performed well, but not one which they have dominated.

In the men&rsquo;s event, China&rsquo;s Dong Dong will be looking for his 4th Olympic medal having previously won silver (Rio 2016), gold (London 2012), and bronze (Beijing 2008). He will be competing against the Belarusian 2016 Olympic gold medallist Uladzislau Hancharou, as well as many others with medal chances. In the women&rsquo;s event, Rosie MacLennan (CAN) will be looking to win her third consecutive Olympic gold medal, although home athlete Hikaru Mori (JPN) will be hoping to build on her 2019 World Championships gold to win her first Olympic medal.

Olympic Gymnastics is always an exciting watch, and with so many different medal contenders at Tokyo, this year is sure to be no different. Be sure to use <a href="http://fixturecalendar.com">Fixture Calendar</a> to follow your favourite sports throughout the year!

Callum Farnden, June 2021

Photos by&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Competitions_in_gymnastics_at_the_Olympics_2016._Discipline_-_rings._04.jpg">Ag&ecirc;ncia Brasil</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simone_Biles_2016_Rio_beam.jpg">Danilo Borges</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_Rhythmic_gymnastics_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_(7915082100).jpg">CDE Photos</a>

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar’s Olympic sports series. This time, we’ll be looking at Gymnastics: the different events, the medal contenders and famous names, as well as why you should watch. Olympic gymnastics is broadly divided into three categories: Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline.

[**Artistic Gymnastics**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-artistic-gymnastics) is what most people imagine when they think of Olympic gymnastics: an athlete performing short routines on a piece of apparatus. There are 6 different pieces of apparatus used by the men and 4 by the women. Medals are available on each piece of apparatus, as well in team and all-around events. In each event, there is a qualification stage before the top athletes compete in the final to decide the medals.

The **Floor Exercise** is a feature of both men’s and women’s competition. In this event, gymnasts perform short routines on a 12 x 12 metre sprung floor. In their routine they will perform multiple passes and must visit each corner at least once. Points will be awarded for difficulty as well as execution. The women’s event is performed to music and includes more dance and acrobatic skills than the men’s event which is performed without music. Max Whitlock (GBR) won the men’s event at Rio 2016, but will not defend his title in Tokyo. The 2019 World Championships was won by the Philippines' Carlos Yulo (the youngest competitor in the top 8) ahead of the Israeli Artem Dolgopyat and they will both be looking to medal in this event in Tokyo. The women’s event in Rio was won by Simone Biles (USA), and having won the 2019 World Championship gold, she will be expected to defend her title in Tokyo.

The **Vault** is the only other event to feature in both men’s and women’s events. Gymnasts run down a 25m runway before launching themselves off a springboard, over the platform and twist or somersault through the air before landing within a set of lines. Gymnasts must be powerful to get a good launch, and then skilful to twist and land correctly. In the men’s event, Russian athletes have seen great success in recent years, winning silver at Rio 2016, and then taking home gold and silver at the 2019 World Championships, so their athletes are a good bet for a Tokyo medal. This is another event in which Biles will be looking to defend a Rio gold medal, and it would be surprising if she did not succeed, having won the 2019 World Championships ahead of Jade Carey (USA).

The **Pommel Horse** is used only by men; with their weight on their hands, gymnasts swing their legs in circular motions around the horse (a 1.6 metre form with 2 handholds in its middle), before performing a dismount. Max Whitlock (GBR) won gold in this event at Rio and having also won gold at the 2019 World Championships, he will be hoping to win again.

The **Uneven Bars** is a women’s event. Two parallel bars are above the floor at different heights; gymnasts perform various rotations and twists, as well as transitions between the bars, before finishing their routine with a dismount. Aliya Mustafina (RUS) won the last 2 Olympic golds in this event, but it does not seem likely that she will compete in Tokyo. Similarly, Rio silver medallist Madison Kocian (USA) has retired, making this event hard to call. Nina Derwael (BEL) won gold at the 2019 World Championships, whilst Rio bronze medallist Sophie Scheder (GER), will also have a medal chance after injury ruled her out of the 2019 World Championships.![Still Rings event in the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4426_default_big.jpeg "Still Rings at the 2016 Summer Olympics")

The **Still Rings** is a men’s event. Two rings are suspended above the floor, so that the gymnast can swing freely below them. Routines end with a dismount and must contain at least one strength move. In Rio, Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) won gold, and having dominated the scene since, he is the favourite to win again in Tokyo.

The **Parallel Bars** is another event for the men. In this event, men perform short routines on two bars 1.75 metres above the floor and only shoulder-width apart, displaying swings, balances and jumps, before finishing with a dismount. This event requires both strength and precision. Joe Fraser (GBR) won gold at the 2019 World Championships and will be hoping to secure another victory in Tokyo.

The final men’s event is the **Horizontal Bar**. Here, a stiff, metal bar above the ground is used for a short routine of turns, twists and releases, before an impressive dismount. Fabian Hambüchen (GER) won gold in this event at Rio, but he has since retired, as have Rio silver and bronze medallists Leyva (USA) and Wilson (GBR), so this event is wide open, and many athletes will be looking to medal.

The **Balance Beam** is the final women’s event and is one of the oldest pieces of apparatus used. On a 5 metre long and 10cm wide beam, the gymnast performs a routine lasting around 90 seconds including leaps, turns, and small dance elements. Only Romania’s Nadia Comǎneci has won consecutive Olympic golds in this event; Sanne Wevers (NED) will hope to become the second to defend an Olympic Balance Beam title, although she will face close competition from Simone Biles (USA) who won the 2019 World Championships in this event.

![Simone Biles in the Balance Beam event at the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4428_default_big.jpeg "Simone Biles in the Balance Beam event")Medals are also available in the **All-Around** for both men and women, in which athletes compete on every piece of apparatus and their scores on each are combined. This medal is perhaps regarded as the ultimate goal of Olympic gymnastics. In the men’s event, Kōhei Uchimura (JPN) retained his 2012 gold in Rio, but he will not compete in the all-around in Tokyo. Russian athletes Nagornyy and Dalaloyan finished 1st and 2nd in the 2019 World Championships in this event and will be favourites for Olympic gold. In the women’s event, Simone Biles (USA) won gold at Rio, and will be clear favourite to win again in Tokyo.

There is also a **Team** event. In Tokyo, teams of 4 will compete in both men’s and women’s events, where one athlete per country will compete on each piece of apparatus and their scores will be added together to produce the overall standings. In the women’s event, the USA led by Simone Biles will be expected to defend the title they won in Rio. In the men’s event, the Japanese team will be looking to defend their title from Rio against challengers including Russia and China who finished ahead of Japan at the 2019 World Championships.

[**Rhythmic Gymnastics**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-rhythmic-gymnastics) was first introduced to the Olympics in 1984 and has appeared at every Games since. This women-only sport will feature both individual and team events in Tokyo. Gymnasts perform a routine to music with apparatus such as hoops, balls, clubs, and ribbons. Routines include typical gymnastic moves including tumbles and stands in addition to throws and other use of the apparatus. It is incredibly impressive to watch, and much of it has to be seen to be believed.

The team event is performed by teams of 5. Routines rely on not only individual gymnastic talent, but also inch-perfect teamwork and impressive choreography. Russia has won each of the last 5 gold medals in the team event, and it would be brave to bet against them.

Russia has similarly dominated the individual event and have won the last 5 gold medals in this discipline, as well as 3 silvers and 1 bronze in that time. Rio gold medallist Margarita Mamun (RUS) retired after the 2016 games, but it seems likely that one of the Russian Averina sisters will take over her title having come 1st and 2nd at the 2019 World Championships.![Israel in Rhythmic Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4427_default_big.jpeg "Israel in the Rhythmic Gymnastics event")

[**Trampoline**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-trampoline-gymnastics) has featured at the Olympics since 2000 and in Tokyo, there will be both men’s and women’s events. After a number of bounces to generate height, gymnasts perform a short routine containing somersaults and twists whilst reaching heights of up to 8 metres, before they are marked on: difficulty, execution, flight time, and horizontal displacement to determine the overall winner. This is a sport in which Chinese athletes have traditionally performed well, but not one which they have dominated.

In the men’s event, China’s Dong Dong will be looking for his 4th Olympic medal having previously won silver (Rio 2016), gold (London 2012), and bronze (Beijing 2008). He will be competing against the Belarusian 2016 Olympic gold medallist Uladzislau Hancharou, as well as many others with medal chances. In the women’s event, Rosie MacLennan (CAN) will be looking to win her third consecutive Olympic gold medal, although home athlete Hikaru Mori (JPN) will be hoping to build on her 2019 World Championships gold to win her first Olympic medal.

Olympic Gymnastics is always an exciting watch, and with so many different medal contenders at Tokyo, this year is sure to be no different. Be sure to use [Fixture Calendar](http://fixturecalendar.com) to follow your favourite sports throughout the year!

***Callum Farnden, June 2021***

Photos by [Agência Brasil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Competitions_in_gymnastics_at_the_Olympics_2016._Discipline_-_rings._04.jpg), [Danilo Borges](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simone_Biles_2016_Rio_beam.jpg), [CDE Photos](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_Rhythmic_gymnastics_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_(7915082100).jpg)

A detailed look into the Gymnastics events featured at Tokyo 2020. Learn why Gymnastics is sure to excite fans and follow it with Fixture Calendar.

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