10 Olympic Starters
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
10 intriguing starters related to the mechanics of sport.
Little Little G
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
See how little g and your weight varies around the world. Did this variation help Bob Beamon to long-jumping succes in 1968?
Angle of Shot
Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level
At what angle should you release the shot to break Olympic records?
High Jumping
Age 14 to 18
How high can a high jumper jump? How can a high jumper jump higher without jumping higher? Read on...
Decathlon: the Art of Scoring Points
Age 14 to 18
How do decisions about scoring affect who wins a combined event such as the decathlon?
What's the Point of Squash?
Age 14 to 18
Challenge Level
Under which circumstances would you choose to play to 10 points in a game of squash which is currently tied at 8-all?
Alternative Record Book
Age 14 to 18
Challenge Level
In which Olympic event does a human travel fastest? Decide which events to include in your Alternative Record Book.
Stadium Sightline
Age 14 to 18
Challenge Level
How would you design the tiering of seats in a stadium so that all spectators have a good view?
Olympic Triathlon
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Is it the fastest swimmer, the fastest runner or the fastest cyclist who wins the Olympic Triathlon?
Training Schedule
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
The heptathlon is an athletics competition consisting of 7 events. Can you make sense of the scoring system in order to advise a heptathlete on the best way to reach her target?
The Fastest Cyclist
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Andy is desperate to reach John o'Groats first. Can you devise a winning race plan?
Nutrition and Cycling
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Andy wants to cycle from Land's End to John o'Groats. Will he be able to eat enough to keep him going?
Track Design
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Where should runners start the 200m race so that they have all run the same distance by the finish?
Speed-time Problems at the Olympics
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to race against Usain Bolt?
The Olympic Torch Tour
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
Imagine you had to plan the tour for the Olympic Torch. Is there an efficient way of choosing the shortest possible route?
Who's the Winner?
Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level
When two closely matched teams play each other, what is the most likely result?
Secondary Sport Collection
Age 11 to 18
This is our secondary collection of favourite mathematics and sport materials.
Olympic Logic
Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level
Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?
Olympic Records
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Can you deduce which Olympic athletics events are represented by the graphs?
Olympic Measures
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
These Olympic quantities have been jumbled up! Can you put them back together again?
Medal Muddle
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Countries from across the world competed in a sports tournament. Can you devise an efficient strategy to work out the order in which they finished?
Who's the Best?
Age 11 to 14
Challenge Level
Which countries have the most naturally athletic populations?
Performing Beyond Expectations - Using Sport to Motivate Students in Mathematics Lessons
Age 7 to 16
In this article, Alan Parr shares his experiences of the motivating effect sport can have on the learning of mathematics.
Match the Matches
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Decide which charts and graphs represent the number of goals two football teams scored in fifteen matches.
Olympic Starterslive
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Look at some of the results from the Olympic Games in the past. How do you compare if you try some similar activities?
National Flags
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
This problem explores the shapes and symmetries in some national flags.
Now and Then
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Look at the changes in results on some of the athletics track events at the Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948. Compare the results for 2012.
Sports Equipment
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
If these balls are put on a line with each ball touching the one in front and the one behind, which arrangement makes the shortest line of balls?
Olympic Turns
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
This task looks at the different turns involved in different Olympic sports as a way of exploring the mathematics of turns and angles.
Going for Gold
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Looking at the 2012 Olympic Medal table, can you see how the data is organised? Could the results be presented differently to give another nation the top place?
Sport Collection
Age 5 to 18
Challenge Level
This is our collection of favourite mathematics and sport materials.
Half Time
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
What could the half time scores have been in these Olympic hockey matches?
Olympic Cards
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Design your own scoring system and play Trumps with these Olympic Sport cards.
Can You Do it Too?
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Try some throwing activities and see whether you can throw something as far as the Olympic hammer or discus throwers.
Olympic Rings
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
This problem is intended to get children to look really hard at something they will see many times in the next few months.
Who Can Be the Winner?
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Some children have been doing different tasks. Can you see who was the winner?
The Games' Medals
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Can you see who the gold medal winner is? What about the silver medal winner and the bronze medal winner?
The Animals' Sports Day
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
One day five small animals in my garden were going to have a sports day. They decided to have a swimming race, a running race, a high jump and a long jump.
Opening Patterns
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Look at some of the patterns in the Olympic Opening ceremonies and see what shapes you can spot.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.