Flurry of Christmas Sports Stars Quiz

Answer: Four Hills

German ski jumper Sven Hannawald became the first Four Hills champion to triumph at all four hills, when he won the tournament during the 2001/02 season. Earlier champions had been able to accumulate winning points totals whilst not gaining individual victory on all of the hills. During his career, Hannawald was ski flying champion twice, and was a member of the German team that won gold in the Olympic team event at Salt Lake City in 2002.

The Four Hills are at Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany and Innsbruck and Bischofshofen, Austria.

Answer: Four Hills

In the 2017-18 tournament, Kamil Stoch, from Poland, became the second champion to be triumphant at all four hills. The year before, he had won the tournament whilst only gaining an individual win at Bischofshofen. He won again in 2020-21, with victories on both Austrian hills.

The tournament usually begins at Oberstdorf, on the 30th of December, or possibly the 29th. The event at Garmisch is usually held on New Year's Day.

Answer: Four Hills

Just a year after Stoch managed it, Japanese jumper Ryoyu Kobayashi pulled off a quadruple win in gaining his first tournament championship, in the 2018-19 season. He nearly did it again in 2020-21, but only came fifth at Bischofshofen, having won the other three hills. His total was still enough to win his second Four Hills championship.

The event at Innsbruck is usually held on the 3rd or 4th of January, while Bischofshofen is usually scheduled for Epiphany, or Kings, the sixth of January.

Answer: Four Hills

Although he never won all four hills in a single season, Finnish jumper Janne Ahonen DID win the Four Hills tournament an amazing five times, beginning in 1998-99 and ending in 2007-08, including a win shared with Czech Jakub Janda in 2005-06. Over the years Ahonen was victorious at each of the four hills, just not all in the same season. He has "retired" more than once, stating in 2018 that he would continue to jump, but not competitively.

Variations to the order of events have occurred over the years, for various reasons, including bad weather.

Answer: NHL Winter Classic

Pittsburgh Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, scored what proved to be the winning goal of the very first Winter Classic on New Year's Day 2008, during a penalty shootout. The hosting Buffalo Sabres were the losing side. Known as "Sid the Kid", Crosby was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and joined the Penguins in 2005. His many accolades have included an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The Winter Classic is a regular season game, held on an outdoor rink constructed for the purpose on either an American football field or a baseball diamond, scheduled for on or around January first. The idea is to recall the origins of the sport on frozen ponds or flooded schoolyards.

Answer: NHL Winter Classic

Jake De Brusk scored two goals in the third period of the 14th Winter Classic, to give his home side Boston Bruins a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. This game, held on 2 January 2023, was the second time that Fenway Park in Boston had been the venue for the Classic. De Brusk, from Edmonton, Alberta, was drafted by the Bruins and joined them in 2017.

Usually home to baseball's Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park first hosted the Winter Classic in 2010. Other baseball parks to have hosted the outdoor hockey classic have included Busch Stadium in St Louis and Citi Field, home to the New York Mets.

Answer: NHL Winter Classic

Goalie Tuukka Rask made 36 saves for the Boston Bruins in their 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on January 1, 2019, in a game played in the college football stadium of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Rask, from Finland, was playing in a record-setting 469th game in goal for the Bruins that day, and went on to play in nearly 100 more before retiring in 2022. He was awarded the Vezina Trophy as best goaltender in 2014.

Other college football fields to have been turned into hockey rinks for the Winter Classic include the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas and Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Answer: NHL Winter Classic

Despite goalie Robin Lehner's 39 saves, his Buffalo Sabres lost in overtime to the New York Rangers, on New Year's Day 2018 at Citi Field in Queens, New York. The final score was 3-2, and Lehner was applauded as the games second "star". (It's traditional for three stars to be picked for NHL games.) Lehner is from Sweden and has played for several NHL teams including the Sabres, the Ottawa Senators and the Vegas Golden Knights.

National Football League stadiums that have hosted the Winter Classic include Heinz Stadium in Pittsburgh, and the New England Patriots' home field in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Answer: Boxing Day Test Match

Fast bowler Curtly Ambrose, of the West Indies, was named Player of the Match in both 1988 and 1996, helping his team to victory over Australia in both of those years. Australia had defeated a variety of opponents in each of the intervening years. Ambrose was born in Antigua and appeared in 98 test matches for the West Indies.

Since 1980, a test match has been held most years, in Melbourne, traditionally starting the day after Christmas (Boxing Day) between Australia and another, previously announced, international side. A similar match occurred sporadically from 1950-1980.

Answer: Boxing Day Test Match

Though he was born in Barbados, Gladstone Small appeared internationally as a member of England's cricket team, appearing in 17 test matches. He was Player of the Match in the 1986 Boxing Day Test, helping England to victory over Australia.

That 1986 match was the fourth test of the 1986-87 Ashes series, which is a biennial series played between England and Australia. The Ashes has coincided with the Boxing Day Test a number of times, including in 1950, 1974 and 2013.

Answer: Boxing Day Test Match

Australian Ricky Ponting garnered Player of the Match accolades for his part in Australia's nine wicket victory over India in 2003. A native of Tasmania, Ponting appeared in 168 test matches for Australia between 1995 and 2012, after which he took up coaching and commentating.

The first Player of the Match was named for the 1975 Boxing Day Test, when Australian Jeff Thomson took the honour for his part in the victory over the West Indies.

Answer: Boxing Day Test Match

New Zealander Richard Hadlee received Player of the Match awards for the 1980 and 1987 editions of the Boxing Day Test Match. Both matches were drawn. Hadlee competed in 86 tests between 1973 and 1990 and is considered to be one of the best all rounders to have ever played the sport.

In 1989 the Boxing Day Test was replaced by a One Day International (ODI) played on the same ground, in which Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 30 runs.

Answer: NBA Christmas Day Matches

Playing for the New York Knicks, Patrick Ewing led them in a come from behind defeat of the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day 1985, and scored a buzzer beater to win against the Chicago Bulls the following season. Born in Jamaica, Ewing played for the Knicks from 1985-2000. He retired as a player in 2002, having spent time with Seattle and Orlando after leaving the Knicks.

The NBA (National Basketball Association) is the only one of the North American "big four" sports leagues to play regularly on Christmas Day, a tradition which began in 1947.

Answer: NBA Christmas Day Matches

In 2022, LeBron James played in his 17th Christmas Day game, with his LA Lakers losing to the Dallas Mavericks. His first Christmas Day game was in 2003 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost that day to the Orlando Magic. His games in the intervening years were played with the Cavs, the Miami Heat and the Lakers with varying degrees of success.

Christmas Day match ups have traditionally been arranged to make the most of rivalries between teams, cities and players.

Answer: NBA Christmas Day Matches

During the 2000s a number of games between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled for Christmas Day, to take advantage of the so-called "Shaq-Kobe feud" between O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, who were former teammates. The first of these occurred in 2004, with Miami winning in overtime. Shaquille O'Neal was born in Newark, NJ, and played in the NBA from 1992-2011, with six different teams.

Beginning in 1995, one of the games scheduled for Christmas Day would feature the defending NBA champions.

Answer: NBA Christmas Day Matches

Glenn "Doc" Rivers participated as a player for the NY Knicks in a Christmas Day game in 1992, losing to the Chicago Bulls. From 2008 through 2013 Rivers coached the Boston Celtics, participating as coach in five more Christmas Day games, winning twice. He led the Celtics to the NBA championship in the 2007-08 season.

The Christmas Day matches are quite possibly more popular with fans and broadcasters than with the players, who might rather spend that day with their families, though families are usually encouraged to attend the games on Christmas Day.