A Trip Around the Sporting World Quiz

Answer: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid

The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, home of the Los Blancos (aka Real Madrid), opened in 1947. With an all-seated capacity of just over 81,000 it is the second-largest home stadium of any top-flight European soccer club, only the Nou Camp of Spanish rivals Barcelona holds more. The stadium has hosted the European Cup Final three times (1957, 1969 and 1980) and the final of the European Champions League once (2010).

The home team appeared in only one of those four, beating Fiorentina of Italy 2-0 in the 1957 final.

The stadium has also hosted the European championship final, in 1964, and the 1982 FIFA World Cup in which Italy defeated West Germany 3-1.

Answer: The Kentucky Derby

Located on Central Avenue on the south side of Louisville KY, Churchill Downs has hosted the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May since 1875. The grounds most recognizable feature are the twin spires on the grandstand seen clearly in the photograph.
Although the official capacity of the stadium is 120,000, 50,000 of those seated, crowds as high as 150,000 are not uncommon on Derby Day. The Derby dirt track is exactly one mile in circumference. It is 80 feet wide most of the way round, opening up to 120 feet for a short distance at the starting area.

Answer: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia

Opened in 1853, the Melbourne Cricket Ground is the traditional venue for the annual Boxing Day test match that begins annually on December 26. The principal venue for both the 1956 Summer Olympic Games and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the M.C.G. is also the home of the Collingwood, Melbourne, Richmond and Hawthorn clubs in the Australian Football League and the venue for the AFL Grand Final every September. The Melbourne Marathon also finishes here.
The current capacity of the M.C.G. is just over 100,000 (with 95,000 of those seated), making it the world's tenth-largest sporting venue. Crowds have been higher in the past and the record attendance here was for a show by evangelist Billy Graham in 1959 when more than 130,000 were packed in.
In addition to being the world's largest test cricket venue, the M.C.G. also has the highest light towers of any sporting venue in the world.

Answer: Silverstone, England

In the 1950s, Silverstone shared the British Grand Prix with Aintree and from 1963 until 1986 the race alternated between Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Since 1987, though, Silverstone has become the permanent home of the British leg of the Formula One season. The 3.66-mile long course that straddles the Northamptonshire/Buckinghamshire border has been modified to improve safety for the drivers many times since 1948, most recently prior to the 2010 Grand Prix.

The most successful British driver at the circuit is Nigel Mansell, who scored three of his four British Grand Prix victories at Silverstone, in 1986, 1991 and 1992. David Coulthard also won twice here, in 1999 and 2000. Lewis Hamilton became the first British winner since Coulthard when he claimed the 2008 race.

The most successful driver in the circuit's history, though, is from across the Channel, France's Alain Prost, who won five times at Silverstone between 1983 and 1993.

Answer: Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa

Home to the DHL Stormers of the Super 14 and to Western Province, Newlands is now exclusively a rugby stadium having previously been the home ground of Santos, Vasco da Gama and Ajax Cape Town from the South African soccer leagues.
The first official match was held at Newlands in 1890 and the following year saw the first visit of the British Lions, who have visited the ground on every tour since. Newlands was also one of the main venues for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, hosting two pool games, a quarter-final and the semi-final that saw the All Blacks defeat England 45-29.
Of the alternatives, Stradey Park opened before Newlands: it was home to the Llanelli Scarlets since 1879, but it is no more, having been closed in 2010 to be replaced by a housing development. Twickenham, the world's larget exclusively rugby union ground and the second-largest sporting venue in England (after Wembley Stadium) was built in 1907 and opened in 1909. Eden Park, a combined rugby and cricket venue and the first stadium to host two Rugby World Cup finals, opened in 1900.

Answer: Soldier Field, Chicago IL

Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears, is the oldest surviving NFL stadium by a long way -- it opened in 1924 and Lambeau Feild, the second oldest, did not open until 1957. "Da Bears" moved to Soldier Feild in 1971 having shared Wrigley Field with the Cubs of MLB for more than half a century.

The playing surface was changed from astroturf to natural grass in 1988. Renovated during the 2002-03 season, the 'New Soldier Field' has been dubbed "The Mistake by the Lake" and the stadium was stripped of its National Historic Landmark status in 2006. Of the alternatives, the home of the Minnesota Vikings is the smallest NFL stadium (capacity 52,000) and the third newest, having opened only in 2009.

The Green Bay Packers stadium is the league's second-oldest after Soldier Field, but it holds just over 80,000, which is the third-largest capacity in the league after the homes of the Redskins and the Giants/Jets.

The Oakland Coliseum comes close to fulfilling the question's brieg: it is the third oldest stadium (built in 1966) and the league's second-smallest (53,200).

Answer: U.S. Open

Originally called the Louis Armstrong Stadium when it opened in 1978, the USTA National Tennis Centre in the Flushing Meadow district of Queen, NY was renamed as the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006 in honor of the former 4-time champion. The main court at the complex is at the 22,547-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium which opened in 1997.
The U.S. Open was played outdoors on grass until 974 and then, briefly from 1975-77 on clay. Since 1978 the surface has been an artificial 'DecoTurf'.

Answer: Royal Troon

Located on the west coast of Scotland in southern Ayrshire, Royal Troon Golf Club hosted the Open Championship for the eighth time in 2004. Founded in 1878, it was granted 'Royal' status in its centenary year, 1978. The Open Championship was first held here in 1923, when Arthur Havers became the first and so far only English winner at the course.

The only other non-American winner on the seven occasions on which the Open was staged here during the 20th Century was South Africa's Bobby Locke in 1950.

Answer: Cincinnati Reds

Founded as baseball's first professional team in 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings were a founder member of the American Association in 1882 and of the National League in 1890. They have played under the name of the Cincinnati Reds since 1890 apart from a spell in the 1950s when they were renamed the 'Redlegs'.

As baseball's oldest team, the Reds traditionally host the opening fixture of each Major League season. Having started playing at the bank Street Grounds in 1882, the Reds went through three consecutive stadiums named League Park before moving into Crosley Field in 1912.

They remained there until 1970, when they moved to Riverfront Stadium which was renamed Cinergy Field in 1996. The Reds moved to their current home at the Great American Ballpark for the start of the 2003 season.

Answer: Munich 1972

Held from August 26 to September 11 1972, the Munich Olympics will always be overshadowed by the murder of eleven Israeli athletes and coaches and one West German police officer by members of the Black September terrorist group.
Sporting highlights included Spitz's record-breaking performance in the pool, two remarkable doubles on the track, by Finland's Lasse Viren in the 5,000m and 10,000m and by Russia's Valeriy Borzov in the 100m and 200m. The star of the show for the millions of spectators watching on television around the world, though, was surely the 17-year old Russian gymnast Olga Korbut.
The photograph was taken from the top of the Olympic Tower looking down on the main stadium. The stadium's design, with canopies of acrylic glass stabilized by metal ropes, was revolutionary on such a scale at the time.