Why do boxer wear gloves?

Padded gloves protect a fighter's hand.They also spare his opponent from the worst cuts and injuries.

In ancient Greek and Roman times,boxers wore weighted leather gloves when they fought. These offered their hands a certain amount of protection but they also made their blows extremely damaging.

The sport had become slightly less savage by the time the first organized bouts were held in Britain in the 18th century. A bar-knuckle style of fighting was used then.Padded gloves were not commonly used until the late 19th century.

at the 1968 Olympics a new kind of soft leather glove without a surface seam was introduced.Even this small change made a great difference.It reduces serious cuts around the eyes from 46 during the 1964 Game to less than ten in the 1968 Games.

Why can some races be won by walking?

Walking races are also to be found in the Olympics. The rules are strict,for at no point do they allow the contestants to break into a run to beat their rivals.

Race-walking is also known as hell-and-toe racing,as the racers must never break the contact with the ground. One foot must always be in touch.The legs must also be held straight as if walking and not be bent,as when running.

The method for race-walking is nothing like normal walking.The hips are rolled rhythmically,the legs are pulled or jerked up and down very rapidly,and the shoulders and arms are swung in very exaggerated pumping movements. The overall effect in very comical to watch.It is something like a penguin's waddle,yet it allows racers to move along at up to 16 kilometres per hour.
Walking races are  very long. In the Olympics the events cover 20-kilometre and 50-kilometre distances.

Why do most golfers have handicaps?

A handicap is a way of scoring so that a good player can be fairly matched with a weaker player. Each golfer is given minus points,depending on the average number of strokes he or she needs to complete the game. Better golfers take fewer strokes so they have higher handicaps because they take more strokes.

The aim of golf is for each player to hit the ball from the starting point,or tee,into a small hole with the least number of strokes.The golfer uses a selection of different clubs.The distance between the tee and the hole can be from 100 to 600 yardsZ90-550 metres).A compete game has 18 holes.

Golf is an ancient  Scottish game dating from well before the 15th century .The oldest club still running is the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews in Scotland,which was founded in 1754.

Why do runners use starting blocks?

Starting blocks allow a sprinter to drive forward smoothly and powerfully, and to reach top speed much more quickly than if a standing start was used. The block are only needed in sprints races.

Starting blocks were first used in 1927 by the American running coach George Bresnahan. His were made from wood or metal and could be adjusted to support a runner's feet at different angles and distances apart. At Olympia in Greece there are sign of grooves in the track where racers in ancient times might have obtained a good toehold to keep from slipping as the races began.

Until 1884,sprinters started in standing or leaning positions. That year,a Scottish runner began to use a crouched position with one foot in front of the other and both hands touching the ground. From this coiled crouch a runner could spring forward into full racing speed.

Why are very long races known as marathon events?

The highlight of long distance racing in the Olympics is the marathon.It takes its name from a legendary run made by a Greek soldier in 490 BC. He raced from the plain of Marathon to Athens to announce the news of great victory over an army of invading Persians.

In 1896,at the first modern Olympics in Athens,it was decided to stage a long road-race.Most of 16 runners in the first marathon were Greek,but they were untrained with exhaustion. The winner,a Greek called Spiros Louis,was  finally joined by members of the Greek royal family who jogged alongside him on the last lap to the finish line. His victory was a sensation.
Since 1908,the marathon has been fixed at 42.2 kilometres,a distance regularly run in about two and a half hours nowadays.

Why are the Olympic games held every four years?

When the Olympic games were revived in 1896,1500 years after last being held,it was decided to stage them every four years as has been done in the ancient Greek times.

The first recorded Olympic Games were held in 776 BC at Olympic,from where they take their name.They grew out of religious ceremony held that involved a sprinting race. According to legend,a Cretan named Herakles proclaimed that the race and ceremony were to be held there every four years.

In time the games became the most magnificent world.Competitors came from far and wide and from many kingdoms and states.It was the custom to arrange formal truce so that everyone could complete,friend and enemy alike. Today the games serve once again a kind of truce, as well as bringing nation together.