Anti-clockwise tracks
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We haven’t watched all of the Winter Olympics, but did see Lindsey Vonn airlifted off the slopes after her dreadful crash. The delay as she was attended to must have been nerve-racking for competitors waiting to make their bid for Olympic honour. It was mesmerising to watch them visualising the track and making graceful movements with their hands and arms as they rehearsed the downhill course they were to follow.
We watched quite a lot of curling. There’s something very appealing about a sport that is not dynamic, but measured and somehow peaceful.
Ice hockey is fast and furious and something I privately call ‘ice brawling.’
Speed skating is graceful and powerful, but as the men, with their enormous thighs, glided at speed (can you glide at speed?) round the ice rink, I wondered why racing tracks always run anti-clockwise.
The answer seems to be that it has always been thus. When Roman charioteers raced, they held their swords in their right hands. Most people are right-handed, so to run counter-clockwise means that the stronger right leg can cope more efficiently with curves.
Once standardised, it became impossible – and inconvenient - to change the arrangement. It seems a little unfair to left-handers, though. Question: How many of the great track runners in the world have been left-handed?
The same does not hold true for horse-racing, however, and there are many famous clockwise courses in the UK, including Ascot and Goodwood.
Vague memories from childhood tell me Australian race tracks are anticlockwise too. Dad would go to the track and my brother and I would go along too, Dad would be betting and brother and I would mix in with the crowds scooping up discarded or dropped tickets and cash. Pickings were better closer to the beer rooms, though we never went home with much, maybe enough for an ice cream cone or two.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that the Olympics doesn't interest me at all lol
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ReplyDeleteIt's a bit weird here, as in two states horses run clockwise and in all other states anti-clockwise. I wonder if some horses run better in one direction than the other.
ReplyDeleteHandedness doesn't coincide with footedness! You can be right handed and left foot/legged. People who are right eyed, handed and footed are, I believe, pretty rare. They get scouted for major league pitching. But I don't know how they decide in which way to race. Our local park has a big oval walking path which I walk clockwise because it feels right. I'm usually against the stream though.
ReplyDeleteI seen to remember dog races in the UK running counterclockwise
ReplyDeletePublic skating here is almost always anti-clockwise. It has been a long time since I skated, but every now and then, they might advise the skaters to skate clockwise for maybe 10 minutes. I loved it because I could turn that way much better than the other way, even though I am right handed. I am simply opposite to the average person.
ReplyDeleteA thoughtful reflection on the contrasting spirit of winter sports, paired with an intriguing question about the anti-clockwise tradition in racing and its impact on athletes
ReplyDeleteWinter Olympics is not streamed live because most the events aren't popular here. But I watch the highlights on YouTube Olympics channel, mostly ice hockey and figure skating. I have heard a lot about curling. Never understood it until I read about how it's played.
ReplyDeleteLindsey Vonn's accident was terrible. She is a very determined athlete. Hope she gets well soon.
Here too the running tracks are anticlockwise.
Never gave it any thought but now that you mention it....I'll check out the horse racing here down under.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised I have watched so much of the Olympics. I have enjoyed the curling. I had no idea so many countries partake in the sport.
ReplyDeleteI'm not watching any sports on TV, but the clockwise/anti-clockwise question is truly interesting once you start to think about it, which I never have done until your post.
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