After all the exciting football news, it’s time to remind ourselves that this blog isn’t actually a football blog. No, here at 6000 miles…, we like to see every sport represented in its own right. And so is some other news from other recent sporting events that might otherwise have passed you by.
The Austrians claimed victory on home soil in the 2025 Tram Driving WM event, held in Vienna. You might remember that last year Hungary won it in the last European only event in Frankfurt.
But there was no stopping the Austrians this year, and with Poland taking second, and the Championship moving to Warsaw next year, I know who my money is on.
It’s Poland.
In the World Ploughing Championship (remember this post?), just over the border in the Czech Republic, a Yorkshireman took the honours.
Sue Frith, chief executive of the Society of Ploughmen, said: “This is a tremendous result for James Witty and for England. To say we were delighted when James was announced as World Champion is an understatement.”
Witty had previously also won the [checks notes] “World Reversible Ploughing Championship” in 2003, and becomes only the third person in history to have won both titles. I think we’re aware that the reversible plough is more efficient than the conventional plough, which throws the furrow slice to one side of the travel direction because it has a lower draught requirement and a larger field capacity. So being able to master both techniques is very impressive.
Obviously.
And then OUTRAGE in Scotland at the World Stone Skimming Championship – it is a very addictive sport:
…where some competitors had suspiciously circular stones.
Entrants choose their own stones and judges use a measuring device, the “ring of truth”, to ensure they are no bigger than three inches in diameter.
Organiser Dr Kyle Mathews, also known as the “Toss Master”, told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland that judges heard “rumours and murmurings of some nefarious deeds”.
“There was a little bit of stone doctoring,” he said.
“They had shaped it so that it was perfectly circular and fitted our three inch measurer.”
The event is held annually in an old slate quarry that was filled with water from a tidal wave in 1881, and was won this year by American Jonathan Jennings with a 177m total over three throws.
That’s your round up of all the big sporting action of the last few days, and plenty of fodder for upcoming pub quiz answers as well.