YouTuber crowned back-to-back winner of world's most dangerous cheese race

A German YouTuber tripped, stumbled and tumbled his measurement to triumph for nan 2nd twelvemonth moving astatine 1 of Britain's zaniest sports contests.

Tom Kopke, of Munich, was king of Cooper's Hill successful nan yearly food rolling title arsenic runners plunged down a 180m, perilously steep transportation successful pursuit of a speeding instrumentality of double Gloucester cheese.

Kopke was nan first to scope nan bottommost of nan elevation down nan cheese.

"All nan group astatine nan apical said they were going to bargain my title but this is mine," a shirtless Kopke declared arsenic he clutched his prize — nan 3kg circle of cheese.

"I risked my life for this. It's my cheese. Back to back."

The contest, traditionally held connected nan late-May nationalist vacation adjacent Gloucester, astir 145km westbound of London, dates backmost astatine slightest 2 centuries, possibly longer.

It's attended by thousands, who battalion nan woods flanking nan elevation aliases return screen down fences astatine nan bottom, arsenic competitors from astir nan world consequence superior wounded successful nan dream of glory.

Gravity and acceleration harvester to time off fewer runners connected their feet, starring to epic wipeouts that tin consequence successful twisted ankles, surgery collarbones and concussions.

Ava Sender Logan, from London, won nan women's title aft somersaulting and rolling astatine slightest a twelve times arsenic she clutched her head.

"I will astir apt consciousness it tomorrow," she said.

"It felt rather agelong coming down and past I deed my head. I'm down, that's what matters. I'm fine."

Dressed arsenic Superman, Gloucester section Luke Briggs won nan 2nd men's race, New Zealander Byron won nan last men's title and Ariel Denpsey won nan women's uphill race, but revealed she only took portion for ratio reasons.

"I did nan downhill title and near my telephone up present pinch someone. I thought nan uphill title would beryllium nan champion measurement backmost up," Ariel told nan BBC, besides saying that she only decided to participate connected nan greeting of nan race.

Video footage of immoderate food rolling title depicts a segment of utter chaos.

Few competitors are capable to stay upright for very long, immoderate are anxiously trying to support power by sliding connected their bottoms, while others person mislaid each dignity, careening down successful various states of distress.

Still images captured by photographers astatine nan bottommost coming a confusing tableau, arsenic if a elephantine has tipped a container of action figures retired onto nan hillside, bodies are upside down, aliases airborne sideways, and limbs are flailing everywhere.

"You've conscionable sewage to person a disregard for your ain safety," Chris Anderson explained to CNN Sports.

Anderson won his first of his grounds 23 races successful 2005 and collapsed his ankle successful nan celebrations, but nan excruciating symptom and 8 weeks successful a formed didn't put him off.

The adjacent twelvemonth he won again, but he doesn't retrieve overmuch astir his 3rd triumph successful 2007, erstwhile he crossed nan decorativeness statement unconscious.

"That was a spot of a blur," he noted, recalling that he'd banged his caput connected nan measurement down.

Anderson first attended nan food rolling erstwhile he was astir 10 years old, and he remembers seeing nan wide of humanity flashing past him connected nan hill.

"It was truthful nosy to watch group flying and falling," he reminisced, adding that it wasn't each nosy and games.

"One of nan astir standout things was personification breaking their leg, his studs sewage stuck successful nan crushed and nan momentum conscionable pushed him forward. He was sat successful nan mediate of nan elevation pinch his limb conscionable dangling, it was beautiful disgusting!"

Serious injuries are practically guaranteed.

One year, Anderson witnessed 3 surgery ankles, 2 of which belonged to world runners who missed their flights location because of emergency surgery.

Ankle injuries are communal – immoderate person witnessed feet retired of alignment by 180 degrees – arsenic are concussions; 2023 women's champion Delaney Irving was knocked retired conscionable earlier nan decorativeness statement and only learned of her triumph erstwhile she was told astir it successful nan aesculapian enclosure.

On nan Netflix docuseries We Are nan Champions, women's grounds holder and four-time victor Flo Early revealed a protrusion of her correct shoulder, a imperishable disfigurement, caused by a collarbone that was surgery connected nan hill.

It's truthful nary astonishment that galore runners mightiness request a scatter of intoxicant successful bid to run.

Anderson said that nan races utilized to commencement astatine 6.30pm successful nan evening, but nan commencement clip was moved earlier because excessively galore group were intoxicated.

Now, runners successful request of immoderate Dutch courageousness conscionable commencement drinking earlier.

Anderson told CNN Sports he prepares successful moderation by drinking a azygous tin of lager connected nan locomotion up.

"I ever saw that if you were drunk and you collapsed something, there's not a awesome woody they tin springiness you for nan pain, truthful I ever effort to do it arsenic sober arsenic possible," he said.

Signs posted each complete nan elevation make it clear that runners are participating astatine their ain risk, nan section enthusiasts who shape nan arena opportunity they are not charismatic organisers – successful lawsuit of injury, location is cipher to sue, and nan arena is uninsured.

Nevertheless, nan BBC reported successful 2013 that nan Gloucestershire constabulary unit advised 86-year-old cheesemaker Diana Smart – who makes nan instrumentality of double Gloucester food utilized successful nan title – that she could beryllium held liable because anyone who facilitates nan arena could beryllium deemed an organiser by default.

Anderson told CNN that he ne'er had immoderate volition of breaking nan grounds of 21 food wins, which was group successful 1991, but erstwhile he sewage to 13, he decided to support going.

In 2011 and 2017, he won 3 races successful a azygous time and he collapsed nan grounds pinch 2 much wins successful 2018.

At nan property of 37, he's recovering from a semipermanent hep wounded – and he is "supposed to beryllium retired" – but if his 16-year-old boy decides to compete past he could beryllium tempted backmost onto nan hill, partially to make judge he does it right.

"I'd beryllium happy for him to run," he said, "but I've told him if you're not gonna commit, there's nary constituent successful moreover doing it."

The seasoned cheese-chaser knows that location are galore ways to beryllium wounded connected nan hill.

"The astir vulnerable point is going slow and getting deed from behind. I'd for illustration him to beryllium speedy capable to get distant from nan carnage."

And if he ever decides to tally again, he said it won't beryllium for nan cheese: "I really don't for illustration it. It's sewage rather a beardown aftertaste to it."

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