Events
Wimbledon
Championships
SPORTS
Tour de France
From motor racing to tennis, Ascott Living
gives you the lowdown on the best sporting
events across the globe in the coming year
22 ASCOTT LIVING
The world of tennis descends
upon Wimbledon in south-west
London for two weeks every
summer. This historic event is
one of four annual Grand Slam
tennis tournaments held around
the world. If you’re lucky enough
to get your hands on Centre
Court tickets, you can sip a glass
of Pimm’s and lemonade while
watching world-class players
like Maria Sharapova and Roger
Federer compete.
London, UK
June 27 to July 10, 2016
Photos: Getty Images (F1, Wimbledon, Melbourne Cup); IFSC/Eddie Fowke (IFSC World Championships)
It is a whole new experience visiting a city during a
sporting fixture when the atmosphere buzzes with
tangible excitement.
Winter sports enthusiasts travelling to Korea during the
skating season should consider checking out the World
Sprint Speed Skating Championships. The best 500- and
1,000-metre speed skaters in the world gather in Seoul on
February 27 and 28 for a high-speed race to victory.
Further north, winter draws to an end with the
Snowboarding World Championships in Yabuli, China.
If it’s not too much of a hassle, consider prolonging your
holiday or business trip to China for this event held from
February 21 to March 13. The ski resort is the largest in
the country, so it will definitely not disappoint — and you
could perhaps take to the slopes yourself.
Fans of horse racing and betting should mark Dubai as
a destination on their calendars. The Dubai World Cup,
which is one of the region’s biggest social and sporting
events, pays tribute to the Arabian love affair with horses.
The high profile equestrian event will take place on
March 26 at the grand Meydan Racecourse, with its prize
of US$30 million is the richest day of racing in the world.
Those visiting London at the start of the European
spring should bookmark the UCI Track Cycling World
Championships as a must-see. Spectators can watch
sporting history being made as the world’s greatest
track stars compete for the coveted rainbow jersey. The
race takes place at the city’s iconic 6,000-seat Lee Valley
VeloPark from March 2 to 6.
If running is your spectator sport of choice, and
you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime race to participate
in, set your mind to conquering the 5,164 steps of
China’s greatest monument on May 21. With the full
marathon covering over 42km up and down steep stone
steps, the Great Wall Marathon is one of the world’s
most challenging, but runners will be rewarded with
picturesque views.
This is the year for another round of the Olympic
Games, this time in Rio de Janeiro. The sporting feast
sees top athletes fight for the most coveted title of
Olympic gold medallist. From August 5 to 21, there will
be 306 medal events ranging from 100-metre sprint races
to more unique games such as Greco-Roman wrestling.
Being the country’s biggest
sporting event, this world-class
cycle race is a moving feast of
athletic brilliance. A pilgrimage
to watch the race — especially
for cycling enthusiasts — is a
must. Contestants whip around
the country at breakneck pace,
and spectators can watch the
race while enjoying the rural
beauty of the mountains, valleys,
villages and towns of France.
France
July 2 to 24, 2016
IFSC World
Championships
Melbourne Cup
A less popular sport but an
intense one to watch nonetheless,
this is the biennial world
championships for sport climbing,
which includes lead climbing,
bouldering and speed climbing.
Here you will see incredible
displays of strength as you
watch some of the strongest
men and women from around
the world scale up rock walls
with the might of a few fingers.
Singapore
Grand Prix
Singapore
September 16 to 18, 2016
Held annually since 2008, this
is the world’s only Formula One
night race. The huge event sees
spectators arriving from all over
the globe to watch world-class
drivers race through heart-stopping
twists and turns along Singapore’s
Marina Bay circuit. Paired with
the high-speed race is an eclectic
concert line-up featuring fistpumping international acts.
The first Tuesday of November
is when Australians come to
a standstill for the Melbourne
Cup, the annual horse race that
has been around since 1861.
Melbourne Cup Day is an official
public holiday in Melbourne, but
celebrated across the country.
With a winner’s purse of AUD
$6 million (US$43 million), it’s
no wonder it’s such a draw.
Melbourne, Australia
November 1, 2016
Paris, France
September 14 to 18, 2016
For international sporting events,
tickets sell out extremely quickly
and buying a resale ticket
may be impossible. Sites like
stubhub.com will alert you as
soon as tickets are available.
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