Four sporting giants will leave the world of athletics, rugby and super biking to compete in some the most demanding traditional sports in the world.

Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas, World Champion sprinter Iwan Thomas, Superbike world champion James Toseland and Canadian 100-metre gold medallist Donovan Bailey will travel the globe testing their physical prowess.

The series, with the working title True Grit, will see the sportsmen begin their challenge in mid Wales at the eccentric and notorious feel run ‘Man Versus Horse’, where they will race a horse and rider over 21 miles of some of the UK’s most hostile terrain.

They will head to Turkey to take on one of the oldest sports on the planet, Turkish Oil Wrestling, where they will have to combine quick thinking and brute force to win.

From there they will travel to India, where they will discover the fierce fighting system of Kalari, said to be the root of all martial arts.

The competitors will finish their odyssey in Japan, where they will have to master the skill and precision required for the ancient art of horseback archery, known as Yabusame.

Meredith Chambers, executive producer, said, “We wanted to see what makes a winner. What takes some people to the top regardless of what’s in their way. It’s a real privilege to follow these sporting heroes as they travel the world to face some quite frankly terrifying sports and ancient skills.”

The series, produced by Electric Ray, will air on BBC Two in January 2016.