Still not recovered from the Olympic hype and need something to cure those athletic competition blues? Well how about the Garbage Can World Cup?

The international garbage races took place on the streets of Hermeskeil in Germany with over 6,000 fans in attendance.

The event featured more than 60 competitors from Germany, Austria and Luxembourg racing each other on modified dustbins.

Reigning champion Norman Schaefer successfully defended his title, clocking an impressive time of 21.1seconds.

‘It is all about technique,’ explained the delighted racer following his victory.

‘Little contact of the feet to the asphalt and little contact between the garbage can and the ground, so that only those two wheels are rolling.’

The event was organised by the Hermeskeil-based Garbage Can Association, which currently boasts over 40 members.

Explaining how the event came into being, association member Christoph Koenig said: ‘We got the idea at the Nurburgring Formula One race track when we were on a visit to the Rock at the Ring music festival.

‘There was a garbage can on the ground and someone laid himself on it.

‘And now we have transformed this into the idea of a race, we are having the Garbage Can World Cup in Hermeskeil.’