sport

Christopher McDougall, whose book Born to Run is driving interest in barefoot running, had been told by top US sports specialists that his injuries would force him to quit running. He went to Mexico, threw away the running shoes and never looked back.

While skiing in Kashmir, Julian Wilson and Aaron Patillo came up with the idea of starting a luxury clothing company that would use yak hair from Tibet and Mongolia. Their designs were worn in Vancouver by Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong of Ghana.

Game on! The Winter Olympics are under way. Big events like alpine skiing and ice hockey dominate the television schedules, but it's worth taking time to check out the less popular sports — especially the one with its own medieval language.

They have analyzed the dynamics of curling and the hand positioning of downhill skiers. They have studied snowflakes and steel-on-ice interaction. They have used video technology to help skater Patrick Chan do the right thing. They want gold.

It's the biggest advertising event of the year. The Super Bowl draws 95 million viewers, but Americans prefer the ads to the action. Sixty-six per cent remembered their favourite ad from last year's game, but only 39 per cent recalled which team won.

The Winter Olympics will officially be opened on 12 February by the governor general of Canada, Michaëlle Jean. She is a refugee from Haiti who came to Canada in 1968. The motto of the Games is "With glowing hearts/Des plus brillants exploits".