Sports Day – Mike Winstone (1996)

Although alluding to Gateshead’s renown in sports and the International Stadium, the sculpture avoids clichéd representations of athletic prowess, tensed muscles and ‘action’ poses. More humorous than heroic, Mike Winstone’s figure competes in the sack race – an event not known for poise and glamour. The artist aimed to convey a view of sport which most people could identify with – one emphasising the excitement, enjoyment and optimistic exertions of a school sports day. The sculpture also incorporates a salutary reference to Aesop’s fable of the race between the tortoise and the hare.

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