Super Sport Badge Sportacular! Blue Peter

Today's live Blue Peter is about celebrating all things Sport Badge.

A host of sports superstars will be fighting it out to win this,

the Blue Peter cup.

And with Andy Murray through all the way to the semifinal,

I'm going to be looking at the science behind tennis.

As well as that, I'll be getting on a horse and training

with the para-equestrian GB team.

All that and so much more. We are playing A Question Of Sport...

ALL: ..Badge.

Hello and welcome to live Blue Peter.

Today, we're playing a very exciting game.

It's called A Question Of Sport...Badge.

And it's all about this little thing.

It is the Blue Peter Sport Badge.

There it is in all its glory. 2016, so what are we waiting for?

Let's get on with it. Barney, who's going to be on your team today?

In my team today, to my right, to your left,

Gemma Bonner, England football international.

She's played for Leeds and Chelsea.

She's now the captain at Liverpool FC

and has led her team to two Super League victories.

She likes long walks on the beach and it's her birthday next week.

This is Giarnni Regini-Moran. He is an awesome gymnast.

He vaulted onto our screens in 2014.

He came away from the Youth Olympics with five medals -

three of them gold, two of them chocolate.

Can we have a round of applause for this amazing team, please?

You guys are looking strong.

Giarnni, I'll come to you first,

cos we go way back to 2014, don't we?

-Yeah, we do.

-We met at the Youth Olympic Games.

Let's have a little look.

For some reason, we decided to have a laugh

and do some wushu together.

Why did we do that?

Um, I think we just needed a day off.

We needed a day off, a break from the Youth Olympic Games.

You've had a little setback recently, haven't you?

Yeah, unfortunately, I've had a bit of a setback.

Missing out on Rio 2016

but I'll be back and I'll be ready for the next Olympics, so...

Yeah, and you've broken your leg.

You should see the crutches and everything under there

but you're going to recover and you're going to do it.

We're all behind you.

Gemma, what an incredible career you've had.

Who would you say is your inspiration?

For me, I'd have to say my parents.

I mean, ever since I wanted to play football when I was younger,

they supported me all the way

and they've helped me to get to where I am today.

-Are they any good at football?

-Um, not really.

Oh, shouldn't have said that on the telly! Let's meet Radzi's team.

-Off you go, Radz.

-Yes, indeed, we have the dream team here.

Let's start with the Queen of British Snowboarding, Jenny Jones.

This lady has countless Big Air and Slopestyle titles

in her illustrious career,

including a cheeky Winter Olympic bronze medal.

This behemoth, however, to my right, is Willie Isa.

He is a Samoan rugby international,

currently playing for the Wigan Warriors.

There he is, tearing through men like they're absolutely nothing.

This man has more horsepower than the Grand National.

-Just look at him.

-Very nice.

Let's have a round of applause for Radzi's team, everyone.

Now, Willie, we saw you there. You played for the Wigan Warriors.

-How are you guys getting on so far?

-Yeah, of course, we're doing well.

We're equal, on top with Hull FC,

but hopefully at the end of the year,

we'll lift the trophy.

Fingers crossed. We're all behind you. Jenny Jones, let's talk to you,

because you are the most successful British snowboarder of all time.

-Yes!

-Which is ridiculous! It's amazing.

So what inspired you to get into snowboarding and snow sports?

Um, actually, it's probably my brothers.

They surf, they skateboard, and then

they started trying snowboarding, so I was like, "Yes, let's do it!"

Amazing. Well, that's Jenny.

The question is, who will you inspire

to get your Blue Peter Sports Badge 2016

and what sport are you going to do?

We want to know. Leave your comments on the Blue Peter website...

Now, we're playing a very fun game in this jam-packed show.

It's called Spot Shelley. There she is. Look at that little tinker.

And she's going to be hiding somewhere a little bit later on.

-I've found her.

-No, this time doesn't count

but later you'll see her.

So if you do spot her, let us know. Now, question for you at home.

What on earth would a game show be without a buzzer round?

It would be - no, it would be terrible.

-So let's do the buzzer round.

-Yes!

I've got my important cards.

You have got 16 seconds on the clock.

Start the time now.

Which country is hosting the 2016 Olympic Games?

Radzi's team.

Brazil. Correct.

What year was the first Blue Peter Sport Badge released?

I think that was just Radzi.

2013.

Correct.

Who won the 2015 BBC Sports Personality Of The Year award?

2015. Go on, then, Willy.

-Andy Murray.

-Correct. Correct.

True or false.

You can earn your Sport Badge

by inspiring a friend to try korfball?

-Go ahead, Barnes.

-False. Unless you do it yourself.

It's true. It is true. Of course you can.

In Rugby Union,

how many points do you get for a penalty kick?

Three.

-Radzi's team. Willie?

-Three.

Three, yes. Of course, that's correct.

What colours make up the border of the 2016 Sport Badge?

Go on, then, Barney's team.

Yellow and green.

The border's just green. I'm going to be mean.

No points, sorry. How many events in a heptathlon?

-It isn't! That is so unfair!

-It is not.

How many events in a heptathlon?

-Jenny?

-Seven.

-Eight.

-Seven.

-Barney got there first.

It's yellow and green.

OK, fine. Barney, you can have a point. You can have a point there.

At the end of that round, the scores are one to Barney's team

-and four to Radzi's team.

-Wait a minute!

-Now, shush, you.

-This is a fix. This is an outrage.

We'll discuss it in this next bit. Er, right.

I've got a question for you lot at home. Buzz in if you know.

How many of these are used at Wimbledon each year? Don't know?

RADZI BUZZES

Stop it, Radzi. A lot of this. Stop it.

To make the most famous tennis tournament in the world,

you are going to need world-class players,

the fastest courts in the land,

and some hi-tech equipment packed full of hidden science.

Mix it all together, and you've got the ultimate tennis tournament.

Every summer, millions of people around the world are gripped

by the action and drama of Wimbledon.

This is the 130th Championships

and it will see over 600 players play 660 games.

But before even a single point can be played,

there's some serious science that needs taking care of.

And it all happens right here

at the International Tennis Federation.

It's home to the world's most advanced tennis testing lab -

and it's really ace.

A whopping 54,250 tennis balls are used throughout Wimbledon

and each one has to have an exact size, weight and bounce.

And it's up to Jamie and his team to make sure they do.

What are we going to be measuring today?

So we're going to start with tennis ball size,

so the width of the ball needs to be between 6.54 and 6.86 centimetres.

Wow! Not that you're being precise, or anything!

It's about the thickness of a pound coin.

Gosh, you would need a hawk's eye to see that. Get it? Hawk-Eye.

OK, so let's get testing. What do we do?

-So you start by putting it in the top ring.

-Uh-huh.

And if it's not too big, then it falls through,

and then you put it in the bottom one,

and it should stop if it's not too small.

-So that one's ready for a match.

-That one's fine to play with, yeah.

To make sure every player has the same advantage,

each ball must be able to bounce the same height, as well.

So, Jamie, it's quite noisy but it looks really impressive.

What's this all about?

The noise is a vacuum, so, up at the top, there, there's a suction cup.

-Ah!

-That's where you drop the ball.

That's why I've got this clever stick.

I'm going to put the ball up there and then we'll drop it.

-Is that right?

-That's right.

To make it to the tournament,

a ball must be able to bounce between 135 and 147 centimetres,

after being dropped from a height of 2.5 metres.

The test is done in the dark,

so the shadow of the ball's bounce can be recorded.

-This is a replay of the bounce it did.

-OK.

-It's coming up and then it peaks at about 142.

-Oh, so that's good.

So that's a pass.

Jamie and his team test batches of balls at random

and if they pass, they're good to be used at the Championships.

But of course, a ball is no use without a racquet.

HEAVY METAL PLAYS

No, not like that.

I'm talking about one of these.

Play it again!

MUSIC STARTS

Just like the balls,

the strings on the players' racquets have to pass a number of tests, too.

Wimbledon has very strict rules to make sure the strings

are strong enough to hit balls travelling at up to 148mph,

without giving a player an advantage.

So Jamie has a special way of checking

the strings can be used on Wimbledon's courts.

This machine spins a racquet at 70mph, before hitting a ball.

Wow!

This recreates the forces the strings need to withstand

at this elite level of tennis.

But there is another test the racquets

have to go through - and some say it's the most fearsome of all.

It's known simply as the Russell test.

Ooh! Oh. Hey!

CROWD GROAN

OK, maybe not.

But all that attention to detail doesn't end in the labs.

Everything at the Championships has to be perfect -

right down to the balls.

The balls are stored right here, directly under Centre Court

in a really special room,

where they're kept at exactly 20 degrees Celsius.

This means they perform perfectly from the very moment

they're served up to the players.

The tennis racquets also undergo careful preparation

and are sent to this room to be restrung

before almost every single match.

Between them, the players here at Wimbledon

have their racquets restrung 3,500 times.

That's 28 miles' worth of string being used at each tournament.

Even the courts have to pass some very strict rules.

Wimbledon is the only major tennis tournament played on grass

and all 19 of the courts used are maintained in exactly the same way.

In charge of looking after the court is Neil Stubley,

the head groundsman.

Neil, we are, of course, on Centre Court.

How'd you keep it looking so spectacular?

Every day, we're cutting,

we're marking out, we're measuring the court,

we're making sure that the grass is at the right height,

-the hardness is right.

-What is that height that it has to be at?

It's 8 millimetres for tournament play.

It keeps the grass nice and healthy but it's also short enough

for the players so they get a nice grip and they don't slip.

Ah! That's a good point, Neil.

So do you think I could touch the grass?

Absolutely. You can check to see if it's 8mm.

I'll check for you. Let me just see.

That feels not a millimetre over eight.

-I'm happy with that, Neil.

-Me, too.

So, when you're enjoying the tennis, don't forget all the clever science

and careful preparation that's gone into it.

Now there's just one thing left to do.

Grab a quick selfie with seven-time champion Roger Federer.

There we go!

APPLAUSE

How cool is that? You know what? On that day,

I ate so many strawberries while we were filming.

-I love Wimbledon. Now, Barney's team.

-Yo!

You might be able to get an extra sneaky little point here.

I hope you were watching that Wimbledon day very, very carefully

cos I've got a little question for you.

Are you ready? At what temperature are tennis balls kept at Wimbledon?

20 degrees Celsius.

Let's see if you're right.

The balls are stored right here, directly under Centre Court,

in a really special room,

where they're kept at exactly 20 degrees Celsius.

-Up top!

-Another point for Barney's team. Well done.

Something you may not know is that I had a huge part to play

in Venus Williams doing so well.

-Ahem!

-Well, not huge part to play,

but Venus Williams has done very well this year at Wimbledon.

Maybe it was helped by the fact

that I strung her tennis racquet earlier this week.

Look on the Blue Peter website.

Really? That's amazing.

I did! I got to actually touch her tennis racquet.

It was very exciting.

I thought you were joking.

Head to the website. Barney, shush.

Now I need someone from each team to head up to the big badge wall

as we play Whose Badge Is It Anyway?

OK, it is going to get really competitive now.

As you can see, we filled the big badge wall

with photos from your Sport Badge applications.

Now, each photo features a Blue Peter viewer who's done something -

they've inspired a family member,

or maybe a friend to get involved with a sport

for their BP Sport Badge.

So I'm going to be reading out some Sport Badge stories

and you guys need to match them up to our BP sporty superstars.

I can see all kind of studying the big badge wall

very carefully before we begin. Let's do it, guys.

When you think you know, plonk on a Sport Badge onto the big badge wall.

-Are we ready?

-Can we help?

-Let's go. No, you can't help.

-OK.

Question one. Leana inspired her sister Zoe to take up a new sport.

She says, "I like that I can look around while going really fast.

"I also like the fact that I can walk my dog at the same time.

"I really enjoy different moves and spins.

"It's a simple sport to teach, but can sometimes be quite hard."

Now I think Barney's team got in there first.

So let's see what you did. You got it right! That is correct.

It was roller-skating. Well done to you, guys. Number two.

Aston took his friend Frankie to play his favourite sport.

He said it was very funny cos Frankie's laces kept coming undone,

as you can see in the picture.

Wow! They made him keep stumbling.

His favourite part was running fast and scoring goals.

I think that might be another point for Barney's team,

cos you got it right!

It was indeed. Our little friend playing football, there.

And a final question. Here we go, last one.

Zara and Cara - good rhyming names -

enjoyed a sport together which they loved,

because you could do different routes,

so it was different each time.

You get up high but it didn't matter if you fell

and it was great fun.

The answer was climbing and team Radzi got it. Well done to Jenny.

Another good round.

It is 4-5 to Radzi's team at the moment. A big well done.

I hope that's inspired you to get your BP Sports Badge 2016.

If it hasn't, fear not. Watch this.

Hello, my name is Bonita

And to earn my Blue Peter Sports Badge,

I inspired my friend Imani to take up basketball.

Since earning my badge,

I've been playing more at the park with my dad when it's sunny.

You should inspire a friend to earn the Blue Peter Sports Badge,

because once you have it, you'll feel really proud

and you can also inspire other people to get the badge, too.

That's how I earned my Blue Peter Sports Badge.

Hi, my name is Oscar and I got my Blue Peter Sports Badge

cos I inspired my brother Felix to take up skateboarding.

My skateboarding hero is Tony Hawks,

because he just makes me feel like I can do anything in skateboarding.

I love skateboarding because I have talipes -

that means I'm always on my tiptoes.

Skateboarding is just really fun,

and, also, it's a sport that I can do,

and that's how I earned my Blue Peter Sports Badge.

Hello, my name is Ella,

and to earn my Blue Peter Sports Badge,

I inspired my friend Lucy to take up synchronised swimming.

I love synchronised swimming because it's really fun

and there's always something new to learn.

When I took Lucy to synchro, I cracked my goggles!

That's how I earned my Blue Peter Sport Badge.

Hello. My name's Poppy,

and to earn my Blue Peter Sports Badge,

I inspired my friend Molly to take up climbing.

My inspiration was the people around me,

cos when I walked into my local climbing centre,

I thought it was really fun and I wanted a go.

Since earning my Sports Badge,

I did a sponsored climb for Sport Relief and raised £190.

So, go on, get active,

and you could earn yourself a 2016 Blue Peter Sport Badge.

Amazing work there!

To think they could be the Olympians of the future.

Now one team who knows what it's like to get medal after medal

after medal in their sport is the GB para-equestrian team.

Have a look.

To be the very best in sport, you need to stay focused...

..train hard

and give it your all.

Wow! These medals are really heavy.

HORSE NEIGHS

All right?

So why am I lifting a bucket of medals?

Well, there's over 140 in there,

which is the same number

as Great Britain's para-equestrian dressage team

have won in the last 16 years.

In fact, Great Britain has won team gold

at every Paralympic world and European championship

since the sport began.

Unbelievable.

But what makes this team so good?

I've come to their main training camp to find out.

Para-equestrain dressage is a highly skilled sport,

where the horse riders perform a number of tactical moves

in front of a panel of judges.

To tell me more, I'm meeting gold medallists

Lee Pearson and Sophie Wells.

Lee, you yourself, you've won ten Paralympic gold medals.

So, what does it feel like to win one?

It was just surreal, it was an unbelievable experience

nothing can describe, really.

Why do you think Great Britain are so good at this sport?

We train really, really hard.

Everybody thinks when you ride a horse, it's really easy,

the horse does all the work, but we get absolutely exhausted, don't we?

With Rio just round the corner, how are you feeling?

I think, as a team, Great Britain are in a good place,

but obviously the competition is really tough.

We're trying to bring home that team gold medal.

That is our main priority.

But as well as aiming for success in Rio, Sophie also trains

the next generation of athletes. Meet 15-year-old Izzy.

She's been riding since she was two

and is one of Britain's big hopes for the future.

Izzy has cerebral palsy,

which means one side of her body is stronger than the other,

but that hasn't stopped her

from taking her sport to the ultimate level.

So, Izzy, what does it feel like when you're riding?

It feels incredible, the movement of the horse.

When you're riding them, they are so gentle,

and you build up such a partnership and harmony

between the horse and rider.

It's just a lovely feeling to go around and perform an elegant dance.

Let's talk about the Olympics, 2020 in Tokyo.

How would it feel for you to be selected for those Games?

It would be absolutely amazing. It's my lifetime dream.

Well, I'm crossing my fingers and crossing everything for you,

because I think you can do it. Izzy is such an inspiration.

I definitely want to give this amazing sport a go.

And luckily, Sophie and Izzy have agreed to give me a lesson.

The only problem, I've not really done that much horse riding.

So this is a pretty special horse I'm on, isn't it, Izzy?

-Yes, this is Noki, and he's a Paralympic gold medallist.

-Wow.

Noki won gold at London 2012.

Oh, we're off, we're off, we're off.

The key to para-equestrian dressage is control,

so Sophie wants me to get used to stopping,

starting and steering Noki.

If we pull and squeeze on the rein, then he's going to stop.

-Good.

-Was that me that did that?

-Yes.

-No. That was you, wasn't it?

It wasn't, Rachel didn't do anything.

OK, squeeze with your heels. It's going to make him go forward.

-How do you steer him?

-You're going to look where you're going.

If you wanted to come round smaller now,

-you'd squeeze on the inside rein a little bit.

-Like that?

By gently pulling on the reins, I managed to turn Noki left and right.

Oh, hello. There we go.

-How do I look, Izzy?

-You're looking good.

Now that I'm used to riding Noki at a walking pace,

it's time to try a trot, which is between a walk and a gallop.

Izzy shows me what to do, but she makes it look really easy.

-What if he just legs it?

-He definitely won't. And squeeze.

Let's go, let's go.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! I'm terrified.

Good lad.

To really show off their control, top riders perform different moves.

And they want me to attempt the rising trot,

where the rider stands up

in time with the movement of the horse's legs.

It's quite advanced for a beginner.

-Let's go, mate.

-Push-up.

That's it, trot. Up, down, up, down.

Oh, that's hard. Ow! Hurts my bum.

THEY LAUGH

Not many people get on the horse for the first time

and then have a trot, so you've done a good job.

We're the dream team.

It's been such an honour to meet three gold medallists,

if you include Noki, and a very talented hope for the future.

It just goes to show where lots of hard work,

passion and dedication can get you.

Fingers crossed for Rio and beyond.

WHOOPING AND APPLAUSE

I had so much fun that day, but I've got to say,

thanks very much to Willie and Jenny,

who were laughing at me all the way through that.

I know I don't look very natural on a horse.

Speaking of which, we actually asked Izzy to score me out of ten

how she thought I did, between one and ten, ten being phenomenal.

Radzi, for an extra point for your team,

-what do you think she scored me?

-Team huddle.

-You can confer very quickly.

-One to ten.

-Five, six.

Ah, Jenny!

-Five or six!

-You just looked a bit uncomfortable.

-Six.

Right, they've gone for six, let's see if they're right.

I would give her an eight out of ten.

Because she coped being on a horse really well.

And she went with the flow.

And rewarded him really well

and took on board what Sophie was telling her to do.

-She read that autocue really well.

-Oh, stop it.

I thought I did very well. Eight out of ten indeed. Stop it, Jenny.

Right, if you think... You didn't get the point, by the way.

If you think you know your bits from your bridles

and your saddles from your stirrups, go online,

because there's a nice little horsey quiz for you to do there.

Are you a horse expert, we ask. Find out later, do the quiz.

Now, let's have a little score update.

At the moment, it stands as 4-5

to Radzi, so it is very close.

It's still all to play for, which is good,

because we're going into the final round, The Sprint Finish.

DRAMATIC MUSIC

Now, each team captain is going to come up here,

they've got 30 seconds each

to act out as many sports as they physically can.

These are sports that you lot at home have done

and you've inspired others to do

to get your Blue Peter Sport Badges 2016.

Radzi, your team are in the lead, so you get to go up first.

Come on up, my friend, and a massive good luck, OK?

It is all to play for. Can we start the clock now?

Football.

-Climbing.

-Rock climbing.

P...

Pogo dancing?

SHE LAUGHS

Come on!

-Hurdling.

-What am I doing?

-Jumping.

-Bouncy castle.

-Trampolining.

-Yes!

LAUGHTER

-Swimming. Synchronised.

-Yes!

Loving it.

KLAXON

OK, your time is up, Radzi.

A very good effort. He's on nine points. Well done, team.

Barney, that means it is all to play for. Up you get.

Barnes, it's your go. Stop conferring. Good luck.

You need at least five points here to draw, The time starts now.

-BOTH:

-Golf.

-Cricket.

-Yes.

-Dodge ball.

-What's next?

LAUGHTER

-Fencing.

-Yes.

Snooker. Swimming.

Oh!

How else do I do this word?

KLAXON

It was snooker, but it is swimming. Swimming, pool.

So, you got seven there as your final score.

Radzi, your final score is ten, which means

I can reveal that the winner of the Sport Badge Cup 2016

is Radzi's team!

THEY CHEER

Radzi, a huge well done, I'll bring it over to your team

-so that you can celebrate together.

-Look at this?

-Guys, how does this feel? Jenny?

-Oh, my God, amazing. Phenomenal.

How does it compare to the Winter Olympics?

Oh, way above it, way above it.

-How does it compare to the super league, Willie?

-Awesome, awesome.

Well done. You guys celebrate.

While you do, we asked you at the start of the show,

what are you going to be doing to earn

your Blue Peter Sport Badge 2016?

And we've had so many comments, I'm playing with this glitter.

-Off you go, Barnes.

-BlueGreenEarthIguana.

Oh, we're going for four names now, are we?

"I'm going to help my little sister learn to ride a bike

"and inspire her to come cycling with me."

"I've already inspired my dad."

-That's a good one.

-Nice.

BlueSillyAvocado says, "I'm going to inspire my sister

"to take up football to get my fourth Sport Badge."

-That's amazing.

-Wow.

SapphireSewingLemur, "I'm going to inspire my friend to do dancing.

"I have already printed off the form and filled in everything

-"I can before we do it."

-Excellent, good news, send it in.

-So lovely.

CrimsonBiscuitOrchard, "I'm going to inspire my brother

"to play rounders,

"and my brother is going to inspire me to play cricket."

Awesome.

-Double Sport Badge situation. Nice.

-Giarnni.

AzureBakingKangaroo, "I'm going to inspire my friend to do gym,

-"and I can already do a standing front flip."

-Oh!

-That's quite good.

-Pretty impressive.

-CeriseRainbowStarfish,

"I'll inspire some of my friends to play hockey -

"I really like the Sports Badge design for 2016." Well done.

Amazing comments, thank you... We love it when you get in touch,

we also love it when you play Spot Shelley.

Loads of you got online to tell us where she was,

and the winner is IndigoGuitarLemon.

Have a look at her earlier on.

She was just hiding in Wimbledon.

-There she is.

-I saw that, actually.

-Courtside.

She got on to Centre Court.

Cheeky Shells.

Now, it's almost time to jump onto the Fan Club,

because it's Fan Club Hour straight after the show.

And who can you speak to? None other than chart-topping superstars

Lawson. And how do I know that? Because they're in the studio.

Right now, would you please welcome Lawson?!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Welcome, welcome. Hello.

-How are you?

-What have you been upto?

-We've been recording our album, Perspective.

-It's out today.

-Out today?

-No, tomorrow.

It doesn't matter, we're that excited it's tomorrow.

Got a bit of a favour to ask.

Can all the Blue Peter viewers jump onto the Fan Club

after the show and ask as many questions as they like?

Yes, online Blue Peter Fan Club, Lawson answering all your questions.

Obviously you get asked questions a lot.

What's the weirdest question you've ever been asked?

Probably...

LAUGHTER

What would you rather be, a dog or a cat, or something like that.

-Oh, there'll be loads of those.

-Hang on a minute, wait a minute.

-This is the Fan Club we're talking about?

-Yeah.

That's happening in 12 seconds.

-You better get out there and find a computer.

-Quick!

-Quick, leg it.

-Don't slip on the glitter.

-Yes, careful.

-You haven't signed the forms yet.

-That's it for today.

But make sure you're watching next week

because there's our awesome authors. We love books, we do.

It's a special show.

And I'm going to be taking part in Letters Live,

where I read out your letters in front of a live audience.

It's amazing.

A huge thank you to our sports stars for coming in today.

You've all been brilliant. Radzi, go and celebrate, you've won!

We will see you next week. Bye, guys. Get onto the Fan Club!

WHOOPING AND APPLAUSE