Simon Engel15.02.2024Sport always reflects gender roles and images. Ice hockey being a rather extreme example. This is largely due to the way in which the sport has evolved.
Manda Beck / Michael Jucker20.12.2023What do pineapples have to do with the sport of tennis? Enough for one to sit atop the world-famous Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles trophy. The cup, which has been presented to each successive winner of the Championships since 1887, is adorned with a small pineapple at its peak. This is connected with the colonial history of sport.
Chiara Zgraggen01.09.2023Schwingen, the traditional, homegrown style of wrestling, is as much a part of Switzerland as chocolate and watches. At least, as long as it’s men who are donning the breeches. But when it comes to women’s involvement in the sport, it’s a whole different story ‒ one that has caused quite a few scandals.
Simon Engel17.08.2023Should athletes participate in events held in countries at war or governed by authoritarian regimes? That is the perennial question. Politicians have no qualms about recommending that their sporting associations impose a boycott. However, sport is per se apolitical. That was the backdrop to the West’s boycotting campaign in the run-up to the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Alexander Rechsteiner26.07.2023Alice Baumann was one of the world’s most successful waterskiers in the 1960s. Time for a look at some exhilarating photos from the pioneering age of water skiing.
Nils Widmer16.05.2023Timekeeping is hugely important in modern sport, which is increasingly competitive, professional and international. It has made remarkable progress since its early days. A look at the history of timekeeping at the Olympic Games, and the role of the Swiss watch industry and diplomacy.
Simon Engel06.04.2023The Swiss Football Association was founded on 7 April 1895. But football actually became popular in Switzerland some time before that and can be attributed to the country’s strong international links in the 19th century.