Battleof theAtlantic
Golf’sRyderCup isspecial: team
competition inasport dominated, for the
rest of theyear, by the individual’squest
for personal glory.What beganasa
contest betweengolfers from theUSand
GreatBritain isnowoneof the few times
‘Europe’ existswholeheartedlyasasingle
entity in thepopular imagination. In2014
theRyderCup returns to its roots: the
first-ever competitionbetweengolfers
fromeither sideof theAtlantic tookplace
atGleneaglesback in 1921before
developing into thebi-annual
competitionwe’re familiarwith
today. Golf hasbecomea
multi-millioneurogame in the
meantime. ThePerthshire
course, anhour from
Edinburgh, haskept pace: this
isnowasportingenvironment
as luxuriousasany in theworld,
abeautiful place towatchaswell
as toplay. TheUS/Europe rivalry
remains resolutely traditional in its
blendof intensityandgentility.
Thisyear’sRyderCup teesoff over
the lastweekendof themonthand
will seeaEuropean teamcaptained
byPaulMcGinley (left) attempt to
win for a third time ina row. The
US, captainedatGleneaglesby
TomWatson,will for their part
be trying tobreaka20-year
jinx: theAmericanshave lifted the
trophyonly twicesince themid-1990s
.
rydercup.com
the ticket
Commonwealthgoldengirl
The2014CommonwealthGames inGlasgowwereahugesuccessonevery front.Their economic
andcultural impact has leftScotlandbouyantwitha renewedsenseof confidenceas thecountry
gearsup for itshistorical referendumon independenceon 18September.England topped the
medals table for the first time innearly30years,but theyweren’t theonlyhigh-achieving team.
Cameroonpickedupsevenmedals: two in judo, four inwrestlingand their first goldsince2002,
inweightlifting.MarieFegue, aged just 23,prettymuchblew thecompetitionaway in the69kg
category.Despitehavingpickedupabronze inDelhi four yearsago, Fegue is littleknownasan
athleteoutsideher nativeYaoundé.Herswasavictorymuchcelebratedat
home,whereweightlifting isphenomenallypopular, secondonly to football
asanational sport.ThebackstreetsofYaoundéaredottedwith thekind
of littlemakeshift gymswhereFegue first discoveredher passionand
honedher talent.Thanks to internationalmediacoverageof the recent
games, anewgenerationofCameroonianshave found inFegueboth
aheroandanexample to follow.
EilenriedeForest,
Hannover
Fewcitiespossessdowntowndistrictsbuilt
alongsidehundredsof acresof denseandbeautiful
forest.Hannover’scity forest, theEilenriede, is twiceasbigasNew
York’sCentral Park, andoffersboth residentsandvisitorsahost of
different sportsunder itssprawlingcanopy: horse-riding, cycling,
runningandhikingare,perhaps,nomore thanyou’dexpect ina forest,
but you’ll share themilesof pathwayswithdeer, foxes,haresand
martens, too.Youwon’t besurprised to read that youcan take tohigh
ropessuspendedbetween the trees, among thebirdsof prey.There’sa
football stadium in the forest, too, theStadionEilenriede,which these
days isused for reserve fixturesbyHanover96FC.Best of all, though,
is tobe in the forestwhensnow is falling: in recent years, thecityhas
organisedacross-countryskiing route through the trees.
hannover.de
the athlete
the knowledge
ALAMY; GETTY IMAGES
september2014
98
extra time
words
tomwatt
FLYTO
edinburgh
twicedaily;
hannover
threetimesdaily;
yaoundé
uptosixtimesweekly.
brusselsairlines.com
