Sumo Suit Athletics is an international sport which started in the United Kingdom in the year 2008. It is a sport where participants wear sumo fat suits while doing regular athletic events.[1] The suits used weigh around 11 kg. The suits restrict leg movement, and participants are not allowed to use their hands to lift the suits up. This results in participants raising their arms and shoulders while running producing a comedic effect.

World championships

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There have now been three World Championship events held since 2008 with the next event set to take place some time in 2012.

The five main events at the World Championships include: 100m sprint, Long jump, High jump, Shot put and the 400m endurance race. [1]

The 2009 men's event, held at the Battersea athletics track in London, was dominated by three South Africans, Willem Muller, Jeremy Gallop and brother Michael Gallop, who won in all 5 events.[2] Four world records were broken with only the 100m record standing from the previous year. In the women's event Charlotte Willis from Great Britton won 3 events, and four new world records were set in part due to the introduction of 'child's' suits for the women instead of adult suits. The women's High Jump record from 2008 was not beaten.

The 2010 event was again held at the Battersea athletics track in London. In the men's event all but the Shot Put world record was broken. Ed Moyse set a new 100m record with 14.43secs and also a Long Jump record of 4.25m. Jeremy Gallop bettered his own record from 2009 in the High Jump by jumping 1.31m. Sam Hyatt-Twynam ran a blistering pace in the 400m to set a new world record of 1.26secs. In the women's event Jo Higgins dominated by setting four new world records in the 100m, Long Jump, Shot Put and 400m. Gabrielle Morales from Hungary set a new women's high jump record with a height of 1.05m.

Records

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The current world records (as of June 2010) are:

Men's World Records

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EVENT MARK ATHLETE YEAR PLACE
100m Sprint 14.43sec   Ed Moyse (GBR) 2010 Battersea Park, London
High Jump 1.31m   Jeremy Gallop (RSA) 2010 Battersea Park, London
Long Jump 4.25m   Ed Moyse (GBR) 2010 Battersea Park, London
Shot Put 8.71m   Jeremy Gallop (RSA) 2009 Battersea Park, London
400m "Endurance" 1min26sec   Sam Hyatt-Twynam (GBR) 2010 Battersea Park, London

Women's World Records

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EVENT MARK ATHLETE YEAR PLACE
100m Sprint 18.50sec   Jo Siggins (GBR) 2010 Battersea Park, London
High Jump 1.05m   Gabriella Morales (HUN) 2010 Battersea Park, London
Long Jump 2.87m   Jo Siggins (GBR) 2010 Battersea Park, London
Shot Put 5.10m   Jo Siggins (GBR) 2010 Battersea Park, London
400m "Endurance" 1min30s   Jo Siggins (GBR) 2010 Battersea Park, London

Men's Seasons Best

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  • (Updated August 2010)

100m Sprint

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YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 17.5sec   Nick Broughton (GBR) Tooting Bec, London
2009 18.87sec   Michael Gallop (RSA) Battersea Park, London
2010 14.43sec   Ed Moyse (GBR) Battersea Park, London

High Jump

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YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 1.03m   Nick Broughton (GBR) Tooting Bec, London
2009 1.29m   Jeremy Gallop (RSA) Battersea Park, London
2010 1.31m   Jeremy Gallop (RSA) Battersea Park, London

Long Jump

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YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 3.32m   Nick Broughton (GBR) Tooting Bec, London
2009 4.00m   Jeremy Gallop (RSA) Battersea Park, London
2010 4.25m   Ed Moyse (GBR) Battersea Park, London

Shot Put

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  • (Updated August 2010)
YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 8.34m   Ross Williams (GBR) Tooting Bec, London
2009 8.71m   Jeremy Gallop (RSA) Battersea Park, London
2010 8.14m   Michael Gallop (RSA) Battersea Park, London

400m "Endurance"

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YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 1min32sec   Nick Broughton (GBR) Tooting Bec, London
2009 1min31.8sec   Willem Muller (RSA) Battersea Park, London
2010 1min26sec   Sam Hyatt-Twynam (GBR) Battersea Park, London

Women's Seasons Best

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  • (Updated August 2010)

100m Sprint

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YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 29.68sec
Tooting Bec, London
2009 27.61sec   Charlotte Willis (GBR) Battersea Park, London
2010 18.50sec   Jo Siggins (GBR) Battersea Park, London

High Jump

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YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 0.88m   Renee Barnes (AUS) Tooting Bec, London
2009 0.85m   Charlotte Willis (GBR) Battersea Park, London
2010 1.05m   Gabriella Morales (HUN) Battersea Park, London

Long Jump

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YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 1.18m
Tooting Bec, London
2009 2.56m   Charlotte Willis (GBR) Battersea Park, London
2010 2.87m   Jo Siggins (GBR) Battersea Park, London

Shot Put

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  • (Updated August 2010)
YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 4.16m
Tooting Bec, London
2009 4.73m   Rachael Addicot (AUS) Battersea Park, London
2010 5.10m   Jo Siggins (GBR) Battersea Park, London

400m "Endurance"

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YEAR MARK ATHLETE PLACE
2008 3min07sec
Tooting Bec, London
2009 1min43sec   Susie Goodman (GBR) Battersea Park, London
2010 1min30sec   Jo Siggins (GBR) Battersea Park, London

Record Sources: [3]

References

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  1. ^ a b ITN NEWS "QUIRKY: Sumo Suit Athletics World Championships" ,Retrieved 2010-06-30
  2. ^ Butler, Lee-Ann "Ex-PE man calls shots at oddball sports" ,The Weekend Post, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 14 August 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-30
  3. ^ "Sumo Suit Athletics World Championships Results", Accessed 2009-06-30
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