Wednesday 2nd July 2025
Mix and Sports Analysis
Welcome. Today we continue our lightweight analysis of the 2025 WQC paper with a look at Sport. This was a REALLY tough area, which had the lowest average score amongst the top 1000 players taking part.
Before that though, let’s have a mix of question. Enjoy
QUESTIONS
On what island was Napoleon's first wife, Josephine, born on?
Who was Napoleon's Bonaparte's second wife? They were married from 1810 to 1814
Who 'dreams of Sushi' according to the title of David Gelb's 2011 documentary film?
With over 16 million inhabitants, what Asian desert is the most densely populated in the world?
What was the name of the Swiss village that was wiped out by a Glacier collapse in May 2025?
Demis Hassabis was a joint winner of which Nobel Prize in 2024? He is the CEO of Google Deepmind
Based on a 1992 Robert Zemeckis movie, which Broadway musical contains the numbers 'Tell Me, Ernest' and 'Madeline Ashton's Intimate Wedding Extravaganza'?
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, who played the "young" version of the title character in the first Act of the film?
What is the two-word name of the 2024 crime series which stars Kaitlin Olson as Morgan Gillory, an intellectually gifted cleaning woman who becomes a police consultant?
The 1968 movie Star! was nominated for 7 Oscars without winning any. It was a biographical musical film starring Julie Andrews based on the life and career of which British performer?
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
On what island was Napoleon's first wife, Josephine, born on?
MARTINIQUE
Who was Napoleon's Bonaparte's second wife? They were married from 1810 to 1814
MARIE LOUISE of Austria
Who 'dreams of Sushi' according to the title of David Gelb's 2011 documentary film?
JIRO dreams of Sushi
With over 16 million inhabitants, what Asian desert is the most densely populated in the world?
The THAR desert, India
What was the name of the Swiss village that was wiped out by a Glacier collapse in May 2025?
BLATTEN
Demis Hassabis was a joint winner of which Nobel Prize in 2024? He is the CEO of Google Deepmind
Nobel Prize in CHEMISTRY
Based on a 1992 Robert Zemeckis movie, which Broadway musical contains the numbers 'Tell Me, Ernest' and 'Madeline Ashton's Intimate Wedding Extravaganza'?
DEATH BECOMES HER
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, who played the "young" version of the title character in the first Act of the film?
River PHOENIX
What is the two-word name of the 2024 crime series which stars Kaitlin Olson as Morgan Gillory, an intellectually gifted cleaning woman who becomes a police consultant?
HIGH POTENTIAL
The 1968 movie Star! was nominated for 7 Oscars without winning any. It was a biographical musical film starring Julie Andrews based on the life and career of which British performer?
Gertrude LAWRENCE
Finally, let’s turn our eye to Sport. Wow, this was tough. Here’s what Claude has to say. If you disagree, don’t blame me! I don’t know where Claude is getting the “6 questions of Football” from. I only counted two (and got them both wrong).
World Quiz Championship Sport Questions Analysis
Subject Identification
Main Categories Identified:
Video Games & Gaming
Wordle, Super Smash Bros, Helldivers, Cult of the Lamb, Plants vs Zombies, PUBG
Gaming terminology (4X strategy games)
Board games based on video games (Frogger)
Olympic Sports & Athletics
Swimming (Katie Ledecky, Kate Ziegler)
Track & Field (javelin, heptathlon, discus, hurdles)
Figure skating (Surya Bonaly, Ilia Malinin)
High jump, gymnastics
Football (Soccer)
European club football (Karim Benzema, Deco, Serge Gnabry)
World Cup references
Player transfers and achievements
Motor Sports
Formula One (Kimi Antonelli)
Rally racing (Africa Eco Race, Mongol Derby)
American Professional Sports
NFL (Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium)
NBA (Thompson twins, Elgin Baylor, Bo Nix)
MLB (Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox)
Individual Sports
Tennis (Kei Nishigori, Donna Vekić)
Golf (Lydia Ko, British Open)
Chess (French Defence, Max Euwe)
Boxing (Mary Kom)
Niche/Traditional Sports
Sumo wrestling (Takerufuji)
Speed skating (clap skates)
Triathlon (SuperTri league)
Modern Pentathlon changes
Sports Equipment & Innovation
Zamboni machines
Clap skates evolution
Stadium design advantages
Recurring Themes
Cross-year patterns:
Gaming questions: Both years feature 6-8 gaming questions
Olympic sports: Heavy emphasis on recent Olympic achievements
Individual athlete achievements: Focus on record-breaking performances
Equipment/rule innovations: Technical aspects of sports evolution
International diversity: Athletes from multiple continents featured
Most frequent subjects:
Video games (8 questions across both years)
Olympic athletics (7 questions)
Football/soccer (6 questions)
Swimming (4 questions)
American professional sports (5 questions)
Trends Analysis
Question Types:
Factual identification: "Who was the first..." "Which athlete..."
Record-based: Focus on world records, achievements, firsts
Technical knowledge: Equipment, rules, terminology
Contemporary relevance: Recent transfers, 2024 Olympics, current players
Observable Trends:
2024-2025 shift: Increased focus on 2024 Olympic Games
Gaming integration: Video games treated as legitimate sports/competition
Technical evolution: Questions about equipment and rule changes
Diversity emphasis: Global representation across sports and regions
Expert Predictions for 2026
Likely Topics:
2024 Paris Olympics aftermath: Follow-up stories, record implications
2026 Winter Olympics: Milan-Cortina preparation and athletes
Gaming evolution: Esports growth, new game releases
Equipment innovation: Technology changes in traditional sports
Global sports expansion: Emerging markets and athletes
Climate impact: Sustainable sporting events, location changes
Rule modernization: Sports adapting for TV/streaming audiences