2015 in sports
Calendar by month -- September
Table:
Date

Sport

Venue/Event

Status

Winner/s

2–12

Amateur boxing

2015 Junior World Boxing Championships

International

Russia

3

Athletics

Weltklasse Zürich

International

Kenya

3–12

Weightlifting

2015 Asian Weightlifting Championships

Continental

China

3–12 December

American football

2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season

Domestic

The American: Houston Cougars
ACC: Clemson Tigers
Big 12: Oklahoma Sooners
Big Ten: Michigan State Spartans
C-USA: WKU Hilltoppers
MAC: Bowling Green Falcons
MW: San Diego State Aztecs
Pac-12: Stanford Cardinal
SEC: Alabama Crimson Tide
Sun Belt: Arkansas State Red Wolves

4–12

Water polo

2015 FINA Junior Water Polo World Championships for Men

International

Serbia

4–19

Multi-sport

2015 All-Africa Games

Continental

Egypt

5–6

Air racing

Red Bull Air Race World Championship – Spielberg

International

Master Class: Matt Hall (Aircraft: MXS-R from MX Aircraft)
Challenger Class: Mikael Brageot (Aircraft: Extra 330LX from Extra Flugzeugbau)

5–6

Triathlon

2015 World Triathlon Series #9

International

Men: Richard Murray
Women: Vicky Holland

5–11

Multi-sport

2015 Commonwealth Youth Games

International

Australia

5–20

Basketball

/// Eurobasket 2015

Continental

Spain

6

Formula One

2015 Italian Grand Prix

International

Lewis Hamilton ( Mercedes)

7–12

Wrestling

2015 World Wrestling Championships

International

Men's freestyle: Russia (medals and points)
Greco-Roman: Turkey (medals); Russia (points)
Women's freestyle: Japan (medals and points)
Overall: Russia

7–13

Rhythmic gymnastics

2015 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships

International

Russia

8–23

Volleyball

2015 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup

International

United States

10–13

Golf

2015 Evian Championship

International

Lydia Ko

10–3 January 2016

American football

2015 NFL season

Domestic

AFC: Denver Broncos
NFC: Carolina Panthers

11

Athletics

Memorial Van Damme

International

United States

11–19

Volleyball

2015 FIVB Volleyball Women's U20 World Championship

International

Dominican Republic

11–20

Volleyball

2015 FIVB Volleyball Men's U21 World Championship

International

Russia

12–13

Golf

2015 Walker Cup

International

Great Britain/ Ireland Team

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State the answer to the question: Who governs the country that won the event which coincided with an American football season ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practised at the collegiate level , at the Olympic Games , Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games , as well as many associations .
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .
Athletics is a group of sporting events that involves competitive running , jumping , throwing , and walking . The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field , road running , cross country running , and race walking . The results of racing events are decided by finishing position ( or time , where measured ) , while the jumps and throws are won by the athlete that achieves the highest or furthest measurement from a series of attempts . The simplicity of the competitions , and the lack of a need for expensive equipment , makes athletics one of the most common types of sports in the world . Athletics is mostly an individual sport , with the exception of relay races and competitions which combine athletes ' performances for a team score , such as cross country . Organized athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC . The rules and format of the modern events in athletics were defined in Western Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th century , and were then spread to other parts of the world . Most modern top level meetings are held under the auspices of World Athletics , the global governing body for the sport of athletics , or its member continental and national federations . The athletics meeting forms the backbone of the Summer Olympics . The foremost international athletics meeting is the World Athletics Championships , which incorporates track and field , marathon running and race walking . Other top level competitions in athletics include the World Athletics Cross Country Championships and the World Half Marathon Championships . Athletes with a physical disability compete at the Summer Paralympics and the World Para Athletics Championships .
Weltklasse Zürich ( English : World Class Zurich ) is an annual , invitation-only , world-class track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zürich , Switzerland , generally held at the end of August . Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events , it now serves as a final of the Wanda Diamond League , alongside Memorial Van Damme between 2010 and 2019 . In 2020 and 2021 , Welklasse Zürich will serve as the sole final of the Diamond League . One of the first large-scale international athletics events ( outside the Summer Olympics ) , it is sometimes referred to as the one-day Olympics . Weltklasse Zürich first took place on 12 August 1928 . In the beginning , the meeting was nicknamed by the public the Nurmi meeting after the most admired and celebrated participant at the time , Paavo Nurmi . On 21 June 1960 , on the Letzigrund track , Armin Hary became the first human to run the 100 m dash in 10.0 seconds . UBS has supported Weltklasse Zürich as its main sponsor since 1981 . Other sponsors are Vaudoise Assurances , Migros , Le Gruyère Switzerland , Medica , Omega , Swiss , Lexus , Erdgas and Puma .
Kenya ( /ˈkɛnjə/ ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Kenya ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Kenya ) , is a country in Africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors . At 580,367 square kilometres ( 224,081 sq mi ) , Kenya is the world 's 48th largest country by total area . With a population of more than 47.6 million people , Kenya is the 29th most populous country . Kenya 's capital and largest city is Nairobi , while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa . Kisumu City is the third largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria . Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret . Kenya is bordered by South Sudan to the northwest , Ethiopia to the north , Somalia to the east , Uganda to the west , Tanzania to the south , and the Indian Ocean to the southeast . According to archaeological dating of associated artifacts and skeletal material , the Cushites first settled in the lowlands of Kenya between 3,200 and 1,300 BC , a phase referred to as the Lowland Savanna Pastoral Neolithic . Nilotic-speaking pastoralists ( ancestral to Kenya 's Nilotic speakers ) started migrating from present-day southern Sudan into Kenya around 500 BC . European colonisation of Kenya began in the 19th century during the European exploration of the interior . Modern-day Kenya emerged from a protectorate established by the British Empire in 1895 and the subsequent Kenya Colony , which began in 1920 . Numerous disputes between the UK and the colony led to the Mau Mau revolution , which began in 1952 , and the subsequent declaration of independence in 1963 .
Olympic weightlifting , or Olympic-style weightlifting , often simply referred to as weightlifting , is a sport in which the athlete attempts a maximum-weight single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates . The two competition lifts in order are the snatch and the clean and jerk . The snatch is a wide-grip , one-move lift . The clean and jerk is a close-grip , two-move lift . Each weightlifter receives three attempts in each , and the combined total of the highest two successful lifts determines the overall result within a bodyweight category . Bodyweight categories are different for male and female competitors . A lifter who fails to complete at least one successful snatch and one successful clean and jerk also fails to total , and therefore receives an incomplete entry for the competition . The clean and press was once a competition lift , but was discontinued due to difficulties in judging proper form . In comparison with other strength sports , which test limit strength ( with or without lifting aids ) , weightlifting tests aspects of human ballistic limits ( explosive strength ) ; the lifts are therefore executed faster - and with more mobility and a greater range of motion during their execution - than other strength movements . The lifts performed in the sport of weightlifting , and in particular their component lifts ( e.g . squats , deadlifts , cleans ) , are commonly used by elite athletes in other sports to train for both explosive and functional strength .
The 2015 Asian Weightlifting Championships was held in Phuket , Thailand from September 3 - 12 , 2015 . It was the 45th men 's and 26th women 's championship .
China ( Chinese : 中国 ; pinyin : Zhōngguó ) , officially the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , is a country in East Asia and is the world 's most populous country , with a population of around 1.428 billion in 2017 . Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers ( 3,700,000 sq mi ) , it is the third largest country by area . [ j ] Governed by the Communist Party of China , the state exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , [ k ] five autonomous regions , four direct-controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ) , and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau . China emerged as one of the world 's first civilizations , in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain . For millennia , China 's political system was based on hereditary monarchies , or dynasties , beginning with the semi-mythical Xia dynasty in 21st century BCE . Since then , China has expanded , fractured , and re-unified numerous times . In the 3rd century BCE , the Qin reunited core China and established the first Chinese empire . The succeeding Han dynasty , which ruled from 206 BCE until 220 CE , saw some of the most advanced technology at that time , including papermaking and the compass , along with agricultural and medical improvements . The invention of gunpowder and movable type in the Tang dynasty ( 618-907 ) and Northern Song ( 960-1127 ) completed the Four Great Inventions . Tang culture spread widely in Asia , as the new Silk Route brought traders to as far as Mesopotamia and the Horn of Africa . Dynastic rule ended in 1912 with the Xinhai Revolution , when the Republic of China ( ROC ) replaced the Qing dynasty . China , as a whole , was ravaged by feudal warlordism and Japan during World War II .
American football , referred to as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron , [ nb 1 ] is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end . The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or passing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball , aims to stop the offense 's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves . The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs or plays ; if they fail , they turn over the football to the defense , but if they succeed , they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team 's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent 's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of a game wins . American football evolved in the United States , originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football match was played on November 6 , 1869 , between two college teams , Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time . A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the Father of American Football , established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams , and the concept of downs . Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone and specified the size and shape of the football . The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game ( although their rules were developed independently from that of Camp 's ) . Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football . The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football .
The 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) . The regular season began on September 3 , 2015 and ended on December 12 , 2015 . The postseason concluded on January 11 , 2016 with Alabama defeating Clemson in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship . This was the second season of the College Football Playoff ( CFP ) championship system .
The 2015 American Athletic Conference football season is the 25th NCAA Division I FBS football season of the American Athletic Conference ( The American ) . The season is the third since the breakup of the former Big East Conference , and the second season with the new College Football Playoff in place . Under the playoff system , The American is no longer an Automatic Qualifying conference ( AQ ) , and is considered a member of the Group of Five ( G5 ) with Conference USA , the Mid-American Conference , Mountain West Conference , and the Sun Belt Conference . Whereas under the previous system the champion of the conference was guaranteed an automatic berth to a BCS bowl game , now the highest-ranked member of the G5 will receive a bid to one of the six major bowls . The American consists of 12 members : Cincinnati , East Carolina , Houston , Memphis , SMU , South Florida , Temple , Tulane , Tulsa , UCF , UConn , and new member Navy . In June 2015 , the Collegiate Commissioner 's Association announced that it will postpone final rankings until after the annual Army-Navy Game if Navy or Army are in contention for a spot in the semifinals or a New Years Six bowl . If Navy is the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion and loses to Army , it would be replaced by next highest-ranked Group of 5 champion in the New Years Six Bowl .
The 2015 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . It was the 68th year of season play for Houston . The team was led by first-year head coach Tom Herman and played its home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston . The Houston Cougars football team is a member of the American Athletic Conference in its West Division . They finished the season 13-1 , 7-1 in American Athletic play to win a share of the West Division title . Due to their head to head win over Navy , they represented the West Division in the inaugural American Athletic Championship Game where they defeated Temple to become American Athletic Conference champions . As the highest ranked team from the Group of five , they received an automatic bid to a New Year 's Six bowl . They were invited to the Peach Bowl where they defeated Florida State .
The 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference football season was the 63rd season of college football play for the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . It was played from September 2015 to January 2016 . The Atlantic Coast Conference consisted of 14 members in two divisions . The Atlantic Division consisted of Boston College , Clemson , Florida State , Louisville , North Carolina State , Syracuse , and Wake Forest . The Coastal Division consisted of Duke , Georgia Tech , Miami , North Carolina , Pittsburgh , Virginia , and Virginia Tech . The division champions , Clemson and North Carolina , met on December 5 in the 2015 ACC Championship Game , in Charlotte , North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium .
The 2015 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney in his seventh full year and eighth overall since taking over midway through 2008 season . They played their home games at Memorial Stadium , also known as Death Valley . Clemson competed in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . On December 5 , 2015 , the Tigers won the 2015 ACC Championship Game by defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels , 45-37 , capping their first undefeated regular season since winning the national title in 1981 . Ranked No . 1 throughout the College Football Playoff ( CFP ) rankings , Clemson defeated the No . 4 Oklahoma Sooners , 37-17 , in the 2015 Orange Bowl to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship . On January 11 , 2016 , the No . 2 Alabama Crimson Tide ( 13-1 ) defeated the No . 1 Clemson Tigers ( 14-0 ) in the 2016 national championship , 45-40 . Both Clemson and Alabama finished the season 14-1 .
2015 Pre-season Coaches All-Big 12
The 2015 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season , the 121st season of Sooner football . The team was led by two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award winner , Bob Stoops , in his 17th season as head coach . They played their home games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman , Oklahoma . They were a charter member of the Big 12 Conference . Conference play began on October 3 , 2015 with a 44-24 win against West Virginia in Norman , Oklahoma and ended with a 58-23 win against Oklahoma State in Stillwater , Oklahoma on November 28 , 2015 . Oklahoma finished conference play with an 8-1 record winning their ninth Big 12 Championship , their first since 2012 . Oklahoma was selected as the 4th seed to play in the 2015 College Football playoff against 1st seed Clemson on December 31 , 2015 in the Orange Bowl which they lost 17-37 . Oklahoma finished the season with an 11-2 record .
The 2015 Big Ten Conference football season was the 120th season of college football play for the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The conference began its season on Thursday , September 3 , with Michigan and Minnesota opening their seasons . The remainder of the teams in the conference began their seasons on September 4 and 5 . This was the Big Ten 's second season with 14 teams . The league was home to the defending national champion and inaugural winner of the College Football Playoff in Ohio State . The Big Ten also welcomed four new head coaches for the 2015 season . Jim Harbaugh replaced Brady Hoke as head coach at Michigan , Mike Riley took over for Bo Pelini at Nebraska , Paul Chryst came in as the head man at Wisconsin , replacing Gary Andersen , and Bill Cubit served as the interim head coach at Illinois after Tim Beckman was fired just one week before the beginning of the season . There were also two coaching changes made during the middle of the 2015 season . On October 13 , Maryland dismissed coach Randy Edsall and named his offensive coordinator Mike Locksley as interim coach for the rest of the season . On October 28 , Jerry Kill retired as Minnesota 's head coach due to health concerns . His defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys was named as interim coach before being named the permanent replacement on November 11 . In preseason polling , Ohio State was unanimously voted to repeat as the Big Ten champion by the media in the Big Ten Preseason poll , receiving all 40 first place votes .
The 2015 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . Michigan State played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing , Michigan and were led by ninth-year head coach Mark Dantonio . They finished the season 12-2 , 7-1 in Big Ten play to share the East Division championship with Ohio State . Due to their head-to-head win over Ohio State , they represented the East Division in the Big Ten Championship Game where they defeated West Division champion Iowa to become Big Ten Champions . They finished the season No . 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings and were selected to play in the CFP Semifinals at the Cotton Bowl Classic where they lost to No . 2 Alabama . The season was one of the most successful in school history . The Spartans defeated in-state rival Michigan in Ann Arbor after a fumbled snap by Wolverine punter Blake O'Neill was picked up by Jalen Watts-Jackson and returned for a touchdown in the final ten seconds to give Michigan State a 27-23 win . The Spartans defeated Ohio State on the road in Columbus , playing without Connor Cook and relying on the arms of backup QBs Damion Terry and Tyler O'Connor . Michael Geiger would make a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give the Spartans a 17-14 win and to win the East Division . Michigan State would win its third Big Ten Championship in six years after defeating Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game , 16-13 .
The 2015 Conference USA football season was part of the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season and played from August 2015 through January 2016 . The 2015 football season marked the 21st season of the Conference USA 's existence and 20th of football competition ; although C-USA was established in 1995 , it did not begin football competition until 1996 .
The 2015 WKU Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University ( WKU ) in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season as members of the East Division of Conference USA . Led by second year head coach Jeff Brohm , they played their home games at Houchens Industries-L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green , Kentucky . They finished the season 12-2 , 8-0 in C-USA play to be champions of the East Division . They represented the East Division in the Conference USA Football Championship Game where they defeated Southern Miss to win their first ever C-USA championship . They were invited to the Miami Beach Bowl where they defeated South Florida . They were also ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history .
The 2015 Mid-American Conference football season is the 70th season of college football play for the Mid-American Conference ( MAC ) and is part of the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2015 Bowling Green Falcons football team represented Bowling Green State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Falcons played their home games at Doyt Perry Stadium . They were led by second-year head coach Dino Babers and were members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference . They finished the season 10-4 , 7-1 in MAC play to be champions of the East Division . They represented the East Division in the MAC Championship where they defeated Northern Illinois to become MAC champions . They were invited to the GoDaddy Bowl where they lost to Georgia Southern .
The 2015 Mountain West Conference football season was the 17th season of college football for the Mountain West Conference ( MW ) . In the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season , the MW had 12 football members : Air Force , Boise State , Colorado State , Fresno State , Hawaii , Nevada , New Mexico , San Diego State , San Jose State , UNLV , Utah State , and Wyoming .
The 2015 San Diego State Aztecs football team represented San Diego State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Aztecs were led by fifth-year head coach Rocky Long and played their home games at Qualcomm Stadium . They were members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference . They finished the season 11-3 , 8-0 in Mountain West play to become West Division Champions . They represented the West Division in the Mountain West Championship Game where they defeated Mountain Division representative Air Force to be crowned Mountain West champions . They were invited to the Hawaii Bowl where they defeated Cincinnati .
The 2015 Pac-12 Conference football season was the fifth season for the conference as a twelve-team league . The season began on September 3 , 2015 with a trio of games , Arizona hosting UTSA , Utah hosting Michigan , and Hawaii hosting Colorado . The final game was the Pac-12 Championship Game at Levi 's Stadium on December 5 , 2015 , with ESPN televising the game .
The 2015 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Cardinal were led by fifth-year head coach David Shaw . They played their home games at Stanford Stadium and were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference . In 2015 , the Cardinal were the champions of the Pac-12 . After finishing in first place in the North Division , they beat USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game by a score of 41-22 . They defeated Iowa 45-16 in the Rose Bowl on January 1 , 2016 . The Cardinal finished the season ranked # 3 in the final Coaches Poll , their highest final ranking in the history of that poll . They were similarly ranked # 3 in the final AP Poll , their highest final ranking in 75 years , following the 1940 national championship season .
The 2015 Southeastern Conference football season represented the 83rd season of SEC football taking place during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The season began on September 3 with South Carolina defeating North Carolina on ESPN . This was the fourth season for the SEC under realignment that took place in 2012 adding Texas A & M and Missouri from the Big 12 Conference . The SEC is a Power Five conference under the College Football Playoff format along with the Atlantic Coast Conference , the Big 12 Conference , the Big Ten Conference , and the Pac-12 Conference . The SEC consists of 14 members : Alabama , Arkansas , Auburn , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , LSU , Mississippi , Mississippi State , Missouri , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas A & M , and Vanderbilt ; and is split up into the East and West divisions , with the champion of each division meeting in Atlanta to compete for the SEC Championship on December 5 . Alabama began the season as defending SEC champions as they defeated Missouri in the previous year 's championship game . Alabama would then go on to participate in the first ever College Football Playoff as the number one overall seed , and would lose their semi-final match to eventual National Champion Ohio State by a score of 42-35 . The SEC entered the 2015 season with high expectations , including a record 10 teams ranked in the preseason AP Poll . Great finishes and bowl wins for teams like Tennessee and Arkansas at the conclusion of 2014 , in addition to traditional favorites Alabama , Georgia , LSU , and Florida , led many to predict a huge year for the SEC . However , the regular season featured early non-conference upsets including Toledo over Arkansas and Memphis over Ole Miss , and down years from Auburn , Missouri , and South Carolina . Alabama was crowned SEC champions after defeating Florida in the SEC Championship Game , and earned their second consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff . As the number two overall seed , the Tide defeated Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl 38-0 , and capped off the season with a 45-40 victory in the National Championship Game over Clemson .
The 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . It marked the Crimson Tide 's 121st overall season , 82nd as a member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) and its 24th within the SEC Western Division . The team played its home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa , Alabama . They were led by ninth-year head coach Nick Saban . They finished the season with a record of 14 wins and 1 loss ( 14-1 overall , 7-1 in the SEC ) , as SEC champions and as consensus national champions after they defeated Clemson in the College Football Playoff ( CFP ) National Championship Game . Alabama also secured its 10th Associated Press ( AP ) national title . Running back Derrick Henry became Alabama 's second Heisman Trophy recipient . He led the nation in both rushing yards ( 2,219 ) and rushing touchdowns ( 28 ) .
The 2015 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 15th college football season for the Sun Belt Conference . During the 2015 season , eleven schools competed in Sun Belt football : Appalachian State , Arkansas State , Georgia State , Georgia Southern , Idaho , Louisiana-Lafayette , Louisiana-Monroe , New Mexico State , South Alabama , Texas State and Troy . On September 1 , 2015 , it was announced that Coastal Carolina will join the Sun Belt Conference . They will compete in SBC football starting in 2017 .
The 2015 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represented Arkansas State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season . They were led by head coach Blake Anderson , who was the first Red Wolves head coach since Steve Roberts in 2002 to return for a second season at Arkansas State ( the three coaches between Roberts and Anderson all left for other head coaching jobs after a single season ) . The Red Wolves , who play their home games at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro , Arkansas , are members of the Sun Belt Conference . The Red Wolves finished the regular season 9-3 , 8-0 in Sun Belt play to win their fourth Sun Belt Championship in five seasons . In the New Orleans Bowl , the Red Wolves fell to Louisiana Tech 28-47 .
Water polo is a competitive team sport played in the water between two teams . The game consists of four quarters in which the two teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team 's goal . The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins the match . Each team is made up of six field players and one goalkeeper . Except for the goalkeeper , players participate in both offensive and defensive roles . Water polo is typically played in an all-deep pool meaning that players can not touch the bottom . A game of water polo mainly consists of the players swimming to move about the pool , treading water ( often using the eggbeater kick technique ) , passing the ball and shooting at the goal . Teamwork , tactical thinking and game awareness are also highly important aspects in a game of water polo . Water polo is a highly physical and demanding sport and has frequently been cited as one of the toughest sports to play . Special equipment for water polo includes a water polo ball , a yellow-green ball which floats on the water ; numbered and coloured caps ; and two goals , which either float in the water or are attached to the side of the pool . The game is thought to have originated in Scotland in the late 19th century as a sort of water rugby . William Wilson is thought to have developed the game during a similar period .
FINA Junior Water Polo World Championships is an international water polo tournament held every two years for the players under the age of 20 . It was launched by FINA in 1981 for men and in 1995 for women . The 2009 championships were played with U18 teams each , but in 2011 the FINA switched to U20 teams again .
The Serbia men 's national water polo team represents Serbia in international water polo competitions and is controlled by the Water Polo Association of Serbia . They have won gold medals in the Olympics , World and European Championships , World Cup , FINA World League , Mediterranean Games and Universiade , making them one of the most successful men 's water polo teams in the world . They are Serbia 's most successful national team , having won more titles than all other Serbian national teams combined . In 2016 , they became the first team to hold titles in all five existing major championships : European Championship , World Championship , World Cup , World League and Olympic Games simultaneously .
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event , often held over multiple days , featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from ( mostly ) nation-states . The first major , modern , multi-sport event of interna . Most have the same basic structure . Games are held over the course of several days in and around a host city , which changes for each competition . Countries send national teams to each competition , consisting of individual athletes and teams that compete in a wide variety of sports . Athletes or teams are awarded gold , silver or bronze medals for first , second and third place respectively . The games are generally held every four years , though some are annual competitions .
The 11th African Games took place from September 4-19 , 2015 in Brazzaville , Republic of the Congo . This edition marked the 50th anniversary of the Games , as well as their return to Brazzaville , which hosted the first edition in 1965 .
Egypt , participated at the 2015 All-Africa Games held in the city of Brazzaville , Republic of the Congo . It participated with 298 athletes in 17 sports .
Air racing is a highly specialised type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course , with the winner either returning the shortest time , the one to complete it with the most points , or to come closest to a previously estimated time .
Matt Hall ( born 16 September 1971 in Newcastle , Australia ) is a third-generation pilot , a former Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) fighter combat instructor , international unlimited aerobatic competitor and the first Australian to be selected to compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship , starting in 2009 . He won the championship in the final season of Red Bull Air Race in 2019 .
The MXS is a single-seat aerobatic aircraft made of carbon fiber and built by MX Aircraft , a manufacturer located in North Carolina . The MXS-R is a race variant flown by several pilots in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship . The planes are all-composite in construction , piston-powered , low-wing monoplanes . They are produced both in kit form for amateur construction , and completed ready to fly at the factory . The two-seat version is called the MX2 and has reached notable fame , becoming vice-world aerobatics advanced champion in 2010 . There are only 12 MXS ' in existence .
The Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 is a two-seat aerobatic monoplane capable of Unlimited category competition . It was designed in 1987 by Walter Extra , a German aerobatic pilot , and built by Extra Flugzeugbau .
The Extra Aircraft company was established in 1980 as Extra Flugzeugbau in Germany by Walter Extra , an aerobatic pilot , to design and develop his own aerobatic aircraft . The company is located at Dinslaken airfield in Hünxe , North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany . Worldwide production of aircraft is about three units per month with a six-month backlog .
A triathlon is a multisport race with three continuous and sequential endurance races . The word is of Greek origin , from τρεῖς or treis ( three ) and ἆθλος or athlos ( competition ) . While variations of the sport exist , the most common form includes swimming , cycling , and running over various distances . Triathletes compete for fastest overall course completion , including timed transitions between the three races . A transition area is set up where the athletes change gear for different segments of the race . This is where the switches from swimming to cycling and cycling to running occur . These areas are used to store bicycles , performance apparel , and any other accessories needed for the next stage of the race . The transition from swim to bike is referred to as T1 and that between the bike and run is referred to as T2 . The athlete 's overall time for the race includes time spent in T1 and T2 . Transition areas vary in size depending on the number of participants expected . In addition , these areas provide a social headquarters before the race . The nature of the sport focuses on persistent and often periodized training in each of the three disciplines , as well as combination workouts and general strength conditioning .
Richard Murray ( born 4 January 1989 in Cape Town ) is a South African triathlete . Murray won the Junior ITU Duathlon World Championships in 2007 and 2008 , entered the adult Tri in 2009 , and was the Under-23 African champion in both triathlon and duathlon in 2010 , and was the elite African triathlon champion in 2011 and 2012 . He scored his first win in the ITU World Triathlon Series in Hamburg in 2012 . At the 2012 Summer Olympics men 's triathlon on Tuesday , August 7 , he placed 17th . In 2014-2015 , he was part of ECS Triathlon , an elite club based in Sartrouville , France . At the 2014 Commonwealth Games , he won a silver medal in the mixed team relay and a bronze in the men 's triathlon . He won the Gran Final of the World Triathlon Series ( WTS ) in Chicago in 2015 . He won the ITU Duathlon World Championships in Asturias ( Spain ) in 2016 . He was disqualified from the World Series race in Hamburg for unsportsmanlike conduct in July 2016 . At the 2016 Summer Olympics men 's triathlon on Thursday , August 18 , he placed 4th .
Vicky Holland ( born 12 January 1986 ) is an English triathlete who is part of the Great Britain Olympic team , a 2-time World Mixed Team Champion and the 2018 ITU WTS champion . She was born in Gloucester . She is the first female triathlete to win an Olympic medal for Great Britain , a bronze in 2016 .
The 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games was the fifth Commonwealth Youth Games which started in 2000 . They were held in Apia , the capital of Samoa . Samoa were the only bidders for the Games . All events took place in the capital city , Apia . The opening and closing ceremonies were held in Apia Park , which also hosted the athletics , rugby and tennis competitions . All other events ( boxing , swimming , squash , weightlifting and lawn bowls ) were hosted in the Faleata Sports Complex . About a thousand athletes from 63 nations and territories participated in the nine sports : aquatics , archery , athletics , boxing , lawn bowls , rugby sevens , squash , tennis and weightlifting . Sierra Leone 's delegation of seven athletes were prevented from taking part , as the Samoan government refused to grant them visas , citing fears over the spread of ebola . The Commonwealth Games Federation appealed unsuccessfully to Samoan Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi to reverse that decision , but also rejected Ghana 's request that Samoa be subjected to sanctions as a result .
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia , is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent , the island of Tasmania , and numerous smaller islands . It is the largest country in Oceania and the world 's sixth-largest country by total area . The population of 26 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard . Australia 's capital is Canberra , and its largest city is Sydney . The country 's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne , Brisbane , Perth , and Adelaide . Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for about 65,000 years prior to the first arrival of Dutch explorers in the early 17th century , who named it New Holland . In 1770 , Australia 's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788 , a date which became Australia 's national day . The population grew steadily in subsequent decades , and by the time of an 1850s gold rush , most of the continent had been explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies established . On 1 January 1901 , the six colonies federated , forming the Commonwealth of Australia . Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy , comprising six states and ten territories . Australia is the oldest , flattest , and driest inhabited continent , with the least fertile soils . It has a landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometres ( 2,941,300 sq mi ) .
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams , most commonly of five players each , opposing one another on a rectangular court , compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball ( approximately 9.4 inches ( 24 cm ) in diameter ) through the defender 's hoop ( a basket 18 inches ( 46 cm ) in diameter mounted 10 feet ( 3.048 m ) high to a backboard at each end of the court ) while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop . A field goal is worth two points , unless made from behind the three-point line , when it is worth three . After a foul , timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a technical foul is given one or more one-point free throws . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins , but if regulation play expires with the score tied , an additional period of play ( overtime ) is mandated . Players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running ( dribbling ) or by passing it to a teammate , both of which require considerable skill . On offense , players may use a variety of shots - the lay-up , the jump shot , or a dunk ; on defense , they may steal the ball from a dribbler , intercept passes , or block shots ; either offense or defense may collect a rebound , that is , a missed shot that bounces from rim or backboard . It is a violation to lift or drag one 's pivot foot without dribbling the ball , to carry it , or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling . The five players on each side at a time fall into five playing positions the tallest player is usually the center , the tallest and strongest is the power forward , a slightly shorter but more agile player is the small forward , and the shortest players or the best ball handlers are the shooting guard and the point guard , who implements the coach 's game plan by managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays ( player positioning ) . Informally , players may play three-on-three , two-on-two , and one-on-one . Invented in 1891 by Canadian-American gym teacher James Naismith in Springfield , Massachusetts , United States , basketball has evolved to become one of the world 's most popular and widely viewed sports . The National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is the most significant professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity , salaries , talent , and level of competition . Outside North America , the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the EuroLeague and the Basketball Champions League Americas .
EuroBasket 2015 was the 39th annual edition of the EuroBasket championship that is organized by FIBA Europe . It took place in Croatia , France , Germany , and Latvia , making it the first EuroBasket held in more than one country . It started on 5 September and ended on 20 September . The top two teams ( Spain and Lithuania ) qualified to the 2016 Summer Olympics . The next five teams ( France , Serbia , Greece , Italy and the Czech Republic ) advanced to the World Olympic Qualifying Tournaments . Latvia and Croatia later qualified due to Serbia and Italy hosting two of the Olympic qualifying tournaments while Turkey also qualified as an invitee . Spain won their third title by defeating Lithuania 80-63 in the final . France won bronze on home soil defeating Serbia ( 81-68 ) . The final game was held in the Stade Pierre-Mauroy and set a new record for the highest attendance in a EuroBasket game , with 26,922 . Pau Gasol was named the tournament 's MVP .
The Spain men 's national basketball team ( Spanish : Selección Española de Baloncesto ) represents Spain in international basketball competition . They are managed by the Spanish Basketball Federation , the governing body for basketball in Spain . Spain has appeared 32 times at the EuroBasket , winning three gold medals , six silver medals , and four bronze medals . They have also competed at the Summer Olympics 12 times , with three silver medals and one bronze medal as their accomplishments . They have reached the FIBA World Cup 12 times , winning it all twice , in 2006 and 2019 . Spain is currently ranked 2nd in the FIBA World Rankings only behind the United States .
Formula One ( also known as Formula 1 or F1 ) is the highest class of single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA ) and owned by the Formula One Group . The World Drivers ' Championship , which became the FIA Formula One World Championship in 1981 , has been one of the premier forms of racing around the world since its inaugural season in 1950 . The word formula in the name refers to the set of rules to which all participants ' cars must conform . A Formula One season consists of a series of races , known as Grands Prix ( French for 'grand prizes ' or 'great prizes ' ) , which take place worldwide on purpose-built circuits and on public roads . The results of each race are evaluated using a points system to determine two annual World Championships : one for drivers , the other for constructors . Drivers must hold valid Super Licences , the highest class of racing licence issued by the FIA . The races must run on tracks graded 1 ( formerly A ) , the highest grade-rating issued by the FIA . Most events occur in rural locations on purpose-built tracks , but several events take place on city streets . Formula One cars are the fastest regulated road-course racing cars in the world , owing to very high cornering speeds achieved through the generation of large amounts of aerodynamic downforce . The cars underwent major changes in 2017 , allowing wider front and rear wings , and wider tyres , resulting in peak cornering forces near 6.5 lateral g and top speeds of up to approximately 350 km/h ( 215 mph ) . As of 2019 [ update ] the hybrid engines are limited in performance to a maximum of 15,000 rpm , the cars are very dependent on electronics and aerodynamics , suspension and tyres . Traction control and other driving aids have been banned since 2008 .
The 2015 Italian Grand Prix ( formally known as the Formula 1 Gran Premio d'Italia 2015 ) was a Formula One motor race held on 6 September 2015 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza , Italy . The race was the twelfth round of the 2015 season , and marked the 85th running of the Italian Grand Prix . Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes was the defending race winner , and entered with a 28-point lead over teammate Nico Rosberg in the Drivers ' Championship , with Sebastian Vettel a further 39 points behind . Mercedes lead the Constructors ' Championship by 184 points over Ferrari , with Williams a further 81 points behind in third . Hamilton completed the second Grand Slam of his career by winning the race , taking pole position , setting the fastest lap and leading every lap of the race . He finished 25 seconds ahead of Vettel , while Felipe Massa finished third for Williams . Rosberg retired with three laps to go due to an engine failure , resulting in Hamilton extending his lead in the Drivers ' Championship to 53 points . Hamilton 's victory was confirmed a few hours after the race following an investigation from race stewards after it was discovered that the left-rear tyre on his Mercedes was below Pirelli 's recommended minimum tyre pressure standards in a random check but due to procedural inconsistencies , no sanctions were imposed against either Mercedes driver or the team . This race marked the 41st and final podium finish for Felipe Massa .
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE HonFREng ( born 7 January 1985 ) is a British racing driver who races in Formula One for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport . A six-time Formula One World Champion , he is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport , and considered by some to be the greatest of all time . [ note 2 ] He won his first World Drivers ' Championship with McLaren in 2008 , before moving to Mercedes in 2013 , with whom he has won a further five titles . One of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport , Hamilton 's six World Championship titles is the second-most of all time , as is his tally of 84 race victories and 151 podium finishes . He currently holds the records for the all-time most career points ( 3431 ) , the all-time most pole positions ( 88 ) , the most grand slams in a season ( 3 ) and the most points in a season ( 413 ) . [ note 3 ] Born and raised in Stevenage , Hertfordshire , Hamilton enjoyed a successful ascent up the racing ladder and was signed to the McLaren young driver programme in 1998 . This later resulted in a Formula One drive with McLaren in 2007 , making Hamilton the first and only black driver to race in the sport . [ note 4 ] That season , Hamilton set numerous records as he finished runner-up to Kimi Räikkönen by one point . The following season , he won his maiden title in dramatic fashion - making a crucial overtake on the last corner of the last lap in the last race of the season - to become the then-youngest Formula One World Champion in history . After four more years with McLaren without finishing higher than fourth in the drivers ' standings , Hamilton signed with Mercedes in 2013 , reuniting with his childhood karting teammate , Nico Rosberg . Changes to regulations for 2014 mandating the use of turbo-hybrid engines contributed to the start of a highly successful period for Hamilton , during which he has won five further World Championship titles . Hamilton won consecutive titles in 2014 and 2015 during an intense and sometimes volatile rivalry with teammate Nico Rosberg , to match his hero Ayrton Senna 's three World Championships .
Mercedes-Benz , through its subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited , is currently involved in Formula One as a constructor under the name of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team . The team is based in Brackley , Northamptonshire , United Kingdom , using a German licence . Mercedes-Benz competed in the pre-war European Championship winning three titles and debuted in Formula One in 1954 , running a team for two years . The team is also known by their nickname , the Silver Arrows . After winning their first race at the 1954 French Grand Prix , driver Juan Manuel Fangio won another three Grands Prix to win the 1954 Drivers ' Championship and repeated this success in 1955 . Despite winning two Drivers ' Championships , Mercedes-Benz withdrew from motor racing in response to the 1955 Le Mans disaster and did not return to Formula One until rejoining as an engine supplier in association with Ilmor , a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company later acquired by Mercedes , in 1994 . In addition to its factory team , Mercedes currently supplies engines to Racing Point and Williams . The manufacturer has collected more than 180 wins as an engine supplier and is ranked second in Formula One history . Seven Constructors ' and 11 Drivers ' Championships have been won with Mercedes-Benz engines . Mercedes has become one of the most successful teams in recent Formula One history , having achieved consecutive Drivers ' and Constructors ' Championships from 2014 to 2019 . In 2014 , Mercedes managed 11 one-two finishes beating McLaren 's 1988 record of 10 . The record was extended the following year with 12 one-two finishes .
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling . [ citation needed ] There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games : freestyle and Greco-Roman . Both styles are under the supervision of United World Wrestling ( UWW ; formerly known as FILA , from the French acronym for International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles ) . A similar style , commonly called collegiate ( also known as scholastic or folkstyle ) , is practiced in colleges and universities , secondary schools , middle schools , and among younger age groups in the United States . Where the style is not specified , this article refers to the international styles of competition on a mat . In February 2013 , the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) voted to remove the sport from the 2020 Summer Olympics onwards . On 8 September 2013 , the IOC announced that wrestling would return to the Summer Olympics in 2020 . The rapid rise in the popularity of the combat sport mixed martial arts ( MMA ) has increased interest in amateur wrestling due to its effectiveness in the sport and it is considered a core discipline .
The 2015 UWW World Wrestling Championships were the 12th edition of World Wrestling Championships of combined events and was held from September 7 to 12 in Las Vegas , United States .
Turkey ( Turkish : Türkiye [ ˈtyɾcije ] ) , officially the Republic of Turkey ( Turkish : Türkiye Cumhuriyeti [ ˈtyɾcije dʒumˈhuːɾijeti ] ( listen ) ) , is a transcontinental country located mostly on the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia , with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeastern Europe . East Thrace , the part of Turkey in Europe , is separated from Anatolia by the Sea of Marmara , the Bosporus and the Dardanelles ( collectively called the Turkish Straits ) . Istanbul , mostly located on the European side , is the largest city in the country while Ankara is the capital . Turkey is bordered by Greece and Bulgaria to its northwest , the Black Sea to its north , Georgia to its northeast , Armenia , the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to its east , Iraq and Syria to its southeast , the Mediterranean Sea to its south , and the Aegean Sea to its west . Approximately 70 to 80 percent of the country 's citizens identify as Turkish , while Kurds are the largest minority at anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of the population . At various points in its history , the region has been inhabited by diverse civilisations including the Assyrians , Greeks , Thracians , Phrygians , Urartians , and Armenians . Hellenization started during the era of Alexander the Great and continued into the Byzantine era . The Seljuk Turks began migrating into the area in the 11th century , and their victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 symbolises the start and foundation of Turkey . The Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243 , when it disintegrated into small principalities called beyliks . Beginning in the late 13th century , the Ottomans started uniting beyliks and conquering the Balkans . After Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 , Ottoman expansion continued under Selim I . During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent the Ottoman Empire encompassed much of Southeast Europe , West Asia and North Africa and became a world power .
Japan ( Japanese : 日本 , Nippon [ ɲippoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) or Nihon [ ɲihoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) ) is an island country located in East Asia . It is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east , and spans more than 3,000 kilometers ( 1,900 mi ) along the coast of the continent from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Philippine Sea in the south . Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire , Japan encompasses a stratovolcanic archipelago of about 6,852 islands , with five main islands ( Hokkaido , Honshu , Kyushu , Shikoku , and Okinawa ) comprising 97% of the country 's total area of 377,975 square kilometers ( 145,937 sq mi ) . Japan is officially divided into 47 prefectures and traditionally into eight regions . Approximately two-thirds of the country 's terrain is mountainous and heavily forested , and less than one-eighth of land is suitable for agriculture . Consequently , Japan is among the most densely populated and urbanized countries in the world , with over 90% of its population living in urban areas . The largest of these is the metropolitan area centered on the capital city of Tokyo , which is the most populous in the world and home to more than 38 million people . Japan itself is the world 's eleventh most populous country with a population of 126.2 million , of which 97.8% are ethnically Japanese . The kanji ( or Chinese characters ) that make up the name of Japan in the Japanese language mean sun origin ; in the Western world , the country is often known by the sobriquet Land of the Rising Sun . Periods of influence from other regions , primarily China , followed by periods of isolation , particularly from Western Europe , have characterized the history of Japan . While archaeological evidence indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period , the first written mention of the archipelago appears in Chinese texts from the first century AD . Between the fourth and ninth centuries , the kingdoms of Japan became gradually unified under an Emperor and imperial court based in Heian-kyō ( modern Kyoto ) .
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus : hoop , ball , clubs , ribbon or rope . The sport combines elements of gymnastics , dance and calisthenics ; gymnasts must be strong , flexible , agile , dexterous and coordinated . Rhythmic gymnastics is governed by the International Gymnastics Federation ( FIG ) , which first recognized it as a sport in 1963 . It became an Olympic sport in 1984 , with an individual all-around event . The group all-around competition was added to the Olympics in 1996 . At the international level , rhythmic gymnastics is a women-only sport . The most prestigious competitions , besides the Olympic Games , are the World Championships , World Games , European Championships , European Games , the World Cup Series and the Grand Prix Series . Gymnasts are judged on their artistry , execution of skills , and difficulty of skills , for which they gain points . They perform leaps , balances , pivots , and flexibility movements , along with tossing , catching , rolling and otherwise manipulating the apparatus .
The 2015 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships , the 34rd edition , was held in Stuttgart , Germany , from September 7 to 13 , 2015 at the Porsche Arena .
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net . Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team 's court under organized rules . It has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo 1964 . The complete set of rules are extensive , but play essentially proceeds as follows : a player on one of the teams begins a 'rally ' by serving the ball ( tossing or releasing it and then hitting it with a hand or arm ) , from behind the back boundary line of the court , over the net , and into the receiving team 's court . The receiving team must not let the ball be grounded within their court . The team may touch the ball up to 3 times , but individual players may not touch the ball twice consecutively . Typically , the first two touches are used to set up for an attack , an attempt to direct the ball back over the net in such a way that the serving team is unable to prevent it from being grounded in their court . The rally continues , with each team allowed as many as three consecutive touches , until either ( 1 ) : a team makes a kill , grounding the ball on the opponent 's court and winning the rally ; or ( 2 ) : a team commits a fault and loses the rally . The team that wins the rally is awarded a point and serves the ball to start the next rally . A few of the most common faults include :
The 2015 FIVB Volleyball Men 's World Cup was held in Japan from 8 to 23 September 2015 in . The tournament served as a qualification process for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . The top two teams , USA and Italy , qualified for the Olympics , and joined Brazil as they had already secured a berth as the host country . United States secured the country 's second title with 10 victories and only 1 loss . Matthew Anderson was elected the Most Valuable Player . Moreover , there were 3 record breakings . Firstly , Thomas Edgar broke the highest score points in a single match record in Australia 's win over Egypt with 50 points . Secondly , in Canada 's win over Australia in five sets ( 32-34 , 25-14 , 25-21 , 27-29 , 20-18 ) , two tournament records were broken : the longest match ( 2 hours and 49 minutes ) and the highest scoring game ( 245 points ) .
The United States men 's national volleyball team represents the country in international competitions and friendly matches . The team is governed by USA Volleyball . The team has won 5 Olympic medals , including three golds .
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible . Golf , unlike most ball games , can not and does not utilize a standardized playing area , and coping with the varied terrains encountered on different courses is a key part of the game . The game at the usual level is played on a course with an arranged progression of 18 holes , though recreational courses can be smaller , often having nine holes . Each hole on the course must contain a tee box to start from , and a putting green containing the actual hole or cup 4 1⁄4 inches ( 11 cm ) in diameter . There are other standard forms of terrain in between , such as the fairway , rough ( long grass ) , bunkers ( or sand traps ) , and various hazards ( water , rocks ) but each hole on a course is unique in its specific layout and arrangement . Golf is played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual , known as stroke play , or the lowest score on the most individual holes in a complete round by an individual or team , known as match play . Stroke play is the most commonly seen format at all levels , but most especially at the elite level . The modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland . The 18-hole round was created at the Old Course at St Andrews in 1764 . Golf 's first major , and the world 's oldest tournament in existence , is The Open Championship , also known as the British Open , which was first played in 1860 in Ayrshire , Scotland . This is one of the four major championships in men 's professional golf , the other three being played in the United States : The Masters , the U.S. Open , and the PGA Championship .
The 2015 Evian Championship was played 10-13 September at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains , France . It was the 22nd Evian Championship ( the first 19 played as the Evian Masters ) , and the third as a major championship on the LPGA Tour . The event was televised by Golf Channel and NBC Sports in the United States and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom . Lydia Ko won her first major championship , becoming the youngest major winner , at age 18 , and shooting the lowest final round , 63 , to win a major .
Lydia Ko MNZM ( born 24 April 1997 ) is a Korean-born New Zealand professional golfer who became the No . 1-ranked woman professional golfer on 2 February 2015 at 17 years , 9 months and 9 days of age , making her the youngest player of either gender to be ranked No . 1 in professional golf . Upon winning The Evian Championship in France on 13 September 2015 , she became the youngest woman , at age 18 years , 4 months and 20 days , to win a major championship . Her closing round of 63 was a record lowest final round in the history of women 's golf majors . On 3 April 2016 , she won the ANA Inspiration , for her second consecutive major championship , where she also became the youngest player to win two women 's major championships . Since turning professional in 2014 , Ko has career winnings of $ 10,031,335 as of 21 September 2019 . Additionally , she is the first LPGA Tour player to win at least $ 2,000,000 in each of her first three full seasons on Tour . She had been the top-ranked woman amateur golfer in the world for 130 weeks when she announced she was turning professional on 23 October 2013 . She became the youngest person ever to win a professional golf tour event and youngest person ever to win an LPGA Tour event . In August 2013 , she became the only amateur to win two LPGA Tour events . As an amateur she never missed a cut in 25 professional tournaments , and by September 2013 had risen to fifth in the Women 's World Golf Rankings in only 23 professional tournaments .
The 2015 NFL season was the 96th season in the history of the National Football League ( NFL ) , and the 50th of the Super Bowl era . To celebrate the 50th season of the Super Bowl , a gold-plated NFL logo and other various gold-themed promotions were used throughout the season . It began on Thursday , September 10 , 2015 , with the annual kickoff game featuring the defending Super Bowl XLIX champion New England Patriots defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-21 . The season concluded with Super Bowl 50 , the league 's championship game , on Sunday , February 7 , 2016 , at Levi 's Stadium in Santa Clara , California , with the Denver Broncos defeating the Carolina Panthers 24-10 . During the 2015 season , the Oakland Raiders , the St. Louis Rams , and the San Diego Chargers announced their intentions to relocate back to Los Angeles in the ensuing offseason ( all three teams had previously resided in the city at various points in their history ) . NFL owners eventually only approved the relocation of the Rams , by a vote of 30-2 on January 12 , 2016 . Thus , 2015 ended up being the Rams ' last season in St. Louis .
The American Football Conference ( AFC ) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League ( NFL ) , the highest professional level of American football in the United States . This conference and its counterpart the National Football Conference ( NFC ) , currently contain 16 teams organized into 4 divisions . Both conferences were created as part of the 1970 merger with the rival American Football League ( AFL ) , with all ten of the former AFL teams and three NFL teams forming the AFC , and the remaining thirteen NFL clubs forming the NFC . A series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger , thus making the current total of 16 clubs in each conference . The current AFC champions are the Kansas City Chiefs , who defeated the Tennessee Titans in the 2020 AFC Championship Game for their 1st conference championship .
The 2015 Denver Broncos season was the franchise 's 46th season in the National Football League and the 56th overall . It was also the fourth season with Peyton Manning as the team 's starting quarterback , as well as the final season of Manning 's 18-year NFL career . After losing in the Divisional round of the playoffs during three of the previous four seasons , the Broncos underwent numerous coaching changes , including a mutual parting with head coach John Fox , and the hiring of Gary Kubiak as the new head coach . Under Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison , the Broncos planned to install a run-oriented West coast offense with zone blocking to blend in with Manning 's shotgun passing style , but struggled with numerous changes and injuries to the offensive line . Manning missed six games due to a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot and had his worst statistical season since his rookie year with the Indianapolis Colts in 1998 . Backup quarterback Brock Osweiler filled in for Manning during the second half of the regular season , before Manning re-claimed the starting quarterback position prior to the team 's postseason run . Under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips , the Broncos ' defense ranked No . 1 in total yards , passing yards , average yards per rush and sacks , and like the previous three seasons , the team continued to set numerous individual , league and franchise records . The team 's defense is widely considered to be among the greatest of all time , particularly due to the fact that it had to carry a lackluster offense the entire season . The team 's defensive backfield , arguably the most dominant part of the defense , gave itself the nickname No Fly Zone . The Broncos clinched their fifth-consecutive AFC West division title , fourth consecutive first-round bye and the AFC 's No . 1 playoff seed for the third time in four seasons .
The National Football Conference ( NFC ) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League ( NFL ) , the highest professional level of American football in the United States . This conference and its counterpart , the American Football Conference ( AFC ) , currently contain 16 teams organized into 4 divisions . Both conferences were created as part of the 1970 merger with the rival American Football League ( AFL ) , with all ten of the former AFL teams and three NFL teams forming the AFC while the remaining thirteen NFL clubs formed the NFC . A series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger , thus making the current total of 16 clubs in each conference . The current NFC champions are the San Francisco 49ers , who defeated the Green Bay Packers in the 2019 NFC Championship Game for their seventh conference championship .
The 2015 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise 's 21st season in the National Football League ( NFL ) and their fifth under head coach Ron Rivera . This season marked the first time in team history they played on Thanksgiving . Despite waiving longtime running back and franchise rushing leader DeAngelo Williams and losing top wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to a torn ACL in the preseason , the Panthers had their best regular season in franchise history and one of the best regular seasons in NFL history . They finished the regular season 15-1 , becoming the seventh team to win at least 15 regular season games since the league expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978 . The Panthers joined the 1984 San Francisco 49ers , 1985 Chicago Bears ( for whom Rivera played as a linebacker ) , 1998 Minnesota Vikings , 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers , 2007 New England Patriots ( who were a perfect 16-0 in the regular season ) and the 2011 Green Bay Packers as the only teams to accomplish this feat . Carolina started the season 14-0 , not only setting franchise records for the best start and the longest single-season winning streak , but also posting the best start to a season by an NFC team since the NFL-AFL merger , breaking the 13-0 record previously shared with the 2009 New Orleans Saints and the aforementioned 2011 Packers . They joined the 1972 Miami Dolphins , 2007 Patriots and 2009 Indianapolis Colts , all from the AFC , as the only teams to reach 14-0 . Carolina clinched their third straight NFC South title on December 6 , when the Atlanta Falcons lost earlier that day , becoming the first team to clinch a playoff berth that season , and giving the Panthers a home playoff game for the third consecutive year . The Panthers ' undefeated streak came to an end at the hands of the Falcons in a Week 16 rematch . A week later , however , Carolina routed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to finish 15-1 , giving the Panthers home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs for the first time in franchise history . The Panthers had the league 's top offense , and quarterback Cam Newton was named the NFL Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) . In the playoffs , the Panthers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 31-24 in the divisional round , avenging their elimination at the hands of the Seahawks from the previous season .
The Memorial Van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels , Belgium that takes place in late August or early September . Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events , it is now the final event of the IAAF Diamond League , along with Weltklasse Zürich . It was first organized in 1977 by a group of journalists in honour of Ivo Van Damme , a Belgian double medal winner at the Montreal Olympics who was killed the previous year in a car accident at the age of 22 .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
The 2015 FIVB Volleyball Women 's U20 World Championship was the eighteenth edition of the FIVB Volleyball Women 's U20 World Championship , which was hosted by Puerto Rico from 11 to 19 September 2015 in the cities of Caguas , Gurabo , Juncos and Maunabo . Dominican Republic defeated Brazil 3-2 in the final to claim their first title . This marked the first world title for Dominican Republic at any age group . Brayelin Martínez was elected the Most Valuable Player .
The Dominic Republic women 's national under-20 volleyball team represents Dominic Republic in international women 's volleyball competitions and friendly matches under the age 20 and it is ruled by the Dominican Volleyball Federation That Follow the North , Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation NORCECA and also is a part of The Federation of International Volleyball FIVB
The 2015 FIVB Volleyball Men 's U21 World Championship was the eighteenth edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men 's U21 World Championship , which was hosted by Mexico from 11 to 20 September 2015 in the cities of Mexicali and Tijuana . Russia , won the tournament after defeating Argentina 3-2 in the final match , thus securing the country 's tenth title and the third in a row , after winning the editions of 2011 in Brazil and 2013 in Turkey . Pavel Pankov was elected the Most Valuable Player .
The Russia men 's national volleyball team is governed by the Russian Volleyball Federation and takes part in international volleyball competitions . Russia won one Olympic Games championship in 2012 , two World Cup 1999 and 2011 . FIVB considers Russia as the inheritor of the records of Soviet Union ( 1948-1991 ) and CIS ( 1992 ) . The USSR Volleyball Federation joined the FIVB in 1948 , a year after the foundation of the international governing body . The following year they sent a team to compete in the first FIVB Mens World Championship and have been dominating the international scene ever since , having won six World Championships , six World Cups and 14 European Championships . All Olympic medals of the Soviet Union were inherited by Russia , but not combined together with the medal count of the Russian Federation .
The 45th Walker Cup Match was played on 12 and 13 September 2015 at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes , Lancashire , England . Great Britain and Ireland won 16½ to 9½ .
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK or U.K. ) or Britain , [ note 11 ] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland . Existing under its current name since 1921 , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland . Otherwise , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east , the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the southwest , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland . The total area of the United Kingdom is 94,000 square miles ( 240,000 km2 ) . The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy . [ note 12 ] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 1952 , making her the world 's longest-serving current head of state . The United Kingdom 's capital and largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million . Other major cities include Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow , Leeds and Liverpool . The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries : England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Their capitals are London , Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast , respectively .
Ireland ( Irish : Éire [ ˈeːɾʲə ] ( listen ) ) , also known as the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ) , is a country in north-western Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of Ireland . The capital and largest city is Dublin , which is located on the eastern side of the island . Around a third of the country 's population of 4.9 million people resides in the greater Dublin area . The sovereign state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , a part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to the south , St George 's Channel to the south-east , and the Irish Sea to the east . It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The legislature , the Oireachtas , consists of a lower house , Dáil Éireann , an upper house , Seanad Éireann , and an elected President ( Uachtarán ) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties . The head of government is the Taoiseach ( Prime Minister , literally 'Chief ' , a title not used in English ) , who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President ; the Taoiseach in turn appoints other government ministers . The state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty . It had the status of Dominion until 1937 when a new constitution was adopted , in which the state was named Ireland and effectively became a republic , with an elected non-executive president as head of state . It was officially declared a republic in 1949 , following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955 .