A 33-year-old Kiwi man has grabbed a top spot at one of Britain’s zaniest sports contests.
Byron Smith won one of the races at the annual Cooper’s Hill cheese rolling competition, where runners plunged down a 180-metre perilously steep pitch in pursuit of a speeding wheel of Double Gloucester cheese.
It came after the first race of the day, where German YouTuber Tom Kopke, of Munich, tripped, stumbled and tumbled his way to victory for a second year.
Kopke was the first to reach the bottom of the hill behind the cheese.
“All the people at the top said they were going to steal my title, but this is mine,” a shirtless Kopke declared as he clutched his prize — the three-kilogram circle of cheese.
“I risked my life for this. It’s my cheese. Back to back.”
The contest, traditionally held on the late-May public holiday near Gloucester, about 145km west of London, dates back at least two centuries, maybe longer.
It’s attended by thousands, who pack the woods flanking the hill or take cover behind fences at the bottom, as competitors from around the world risk serious injury in the hope of glory. There are multiple races during the event.
Smith won his award in the final men’s downhill race of the day, saying afterwards felt “great”.
The 33-year-old New Zealander told media: “I did this last year and I came second, Tom beat me. He’s a very quick guy, I didn’t want to race him again, so I went in the third race and I’m happy I did because I managed to win.”
He is now in hospital with broken ribs and internal bleeding, but hoped to be out tomorrow.
Gravity and acceleration combine to leave few runners on their feet, leading to epic wipeouts that can result in twisted ankles, broken collarbones and concussions.
Ava Sender Logan, from London, won the women’s race after somersaulting and rolling at least a dozen times as she clutched her head.
“I will probably feel it tomorrow,” she said. “It felt quite long coming down, and then I hit my head. I’m down, that’s what matters. I’m fine.”
Additional reporting by 1News
