Sex and its relationship to sporting performance has long been debated. There are some well-known connections in the sporting world. Boxers are said to have to abstain from sex before a big fight and the Olympic village has a particularly raunchy reputation. The importance of testosterone and sex is particularly common when it comes to…
Sport
On Thin Ice
Beijing was meant to be Kamila Valieva’s Olympics. The fifteen-year-old skater had first broken onto the international skating scene in 2019, winning the Grand Prix Final and Junior World Championships on her first attempt and was heralded by many within the sport as the next great skater. This form was continued into the 2020-21 year,…
Global, Global Investigates
Global Investigates: Then and now – what did the world look like 30 years ago?
January 2022 welcomes a new year full of hope for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, ambitious goals to cap global warming, and marks Concrete’s 30th Birthday. First published in 1992, this issue marks our 384th publication. In those 30 years, the world has changed drastically, countries have collapsed and new countries formed, global tensions…
Climate Change, Science
The Sustainability Of The Olympic Games
The Tokyo Olympics held this year aimed to be the most sustainable Olympic Games ever held. However, eco-friendly experts believe not enough is being done to combat the impact on the climate. Organisers in Tokyo have gone to extreme lengths in order to keep the games as environmentally friendly as possible. Athletes have spoken at…
Sport
The Magic of the Olympics
Matching the tally from London 2012, Team GB finished a very respectable fourth in the medal table behind the host nation Japan. In an Olympics scarred by the global pandemic, there were numerous firsts achieved by Team GB before the games even had begun. The Tokyo 2020 squad is the first Olympic representation of Great…
Features
Strength is beauty: The Olympics and changing body ideals
During my childhood, it was very clear I was not destined to become a gifted athlete. My little brother, often described by friends and family as a spidermonkey, could climb anything – trees, playgrounds, big rocks – with absolute ease. I was much more of an indoor child. I’ve cultivated an appreciation for physical activity…
Breaking News, Main Stories, Sport
13-year-old Sky Brown becomes youngest GB Olympic medallist
On day 12 of the Olympics, Sky Brown made history by becoming the youngest ever GB Olympic medallist, winning a skateboarding bronze. Skateboarding made its Olympic debut this year, as the International Olympic Committee were aiming to appeal to a younger audience. Placing in fourth for her last three rounds, Brown managed to land a…
Breaking News
Poland grants Belarussian Olympian humanitarian visa
Belarussian sprinter Krystina Timanovskaya has been granted a humanitarian visa by Poland after refusing her team’s order to fly home early from the Olympics. Timanovskaya, 24, spent last night secured in a hotel under protection before travelling to the Polish embassy in Tokyo. She voiced fears for her safety following her criticism on her team’s…
Sport
A Tumultuous Time for Tokyo Olympics
The postponed Tokyo Olympics were never going to run smoothly during a global pandemic, Olympics rarely ever do. The times we live in are unprecedented but, in the past few weeks, various Olympic governing bodies have created controversies which are set to overshadow the much-anticipated games. Fina, the governing body for Olympic water sports events,…
Latest Comments