10th to 16th August
Welcome to another review where the warm weather of last weekend has extended throughout the week and most of Europe is basking in very high temperatures. Even if one could compare sports, one must admit the biggest world event currently in progress is the US PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, San Francisco. Haotong Li of China is the current leader at 8 under par with two rounds to go and two shots clear of the chasing pack. The US PGA Championship is one of the four golf majors and earlier in July it was announced that the US Open (another major) will go ahead at the Winged Foot's West Course in September. This event, as decided for the moment, will also not allow spectators to attend. With regards to the other two, The Masters has been postponed to November and The Open has been cancelled for this year. In road cycling and part of the UCI WorldTour (men's tour), today features the Milano-Sanremo (or Milan to San Remo, Italy), the longest one-day race averaging 300 km. The first event was an amateur race in 1906 and the following year in April it became the first official event. Today is the 111th race and forms part of the Five Monuments of road cycling. These races are the five oldest still going and is considered a prestigious event to win. The other four are Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Tour of Flanders, Paris Roubaix, and Giro di Lombardia.
Earlier during the lockdown period, organisers of the FIA Formula E World Championship announced that the 2020 season was cancelled. Recent positive events in Supercross, Formula One, MotoGP and Superbike, must all have had an influence and a rethink of the season. The Berlin Tempelhof airport was chosen as the track and six races were created to be completed in nine days. Today is round eight, with round eleven and the final round on Thursday. Portugal's António Félix da Costa is 40 points clear at the top of the standings. On Friday the Stade Louis II in Monaco will host Herculis, an IAAF Diamond League meeting. Athletics is slowly emerging from its isolation with more athletes now prepared to travel and flights becoming more frequent. In cricket the England men's team are now facing more formidable opponents, but the first test against Pakistan is still very evenly poised. It was also announced in the week that the ICC Women's World Cup, due to be held in New Zealand next year, has been postponed to 2022. We wonder whether this has not been a decision made too hastily. In rugby union, the remaining two rounds of Six Nations will be played on 24 and 31 October. Finally, we seem to be still on course for the FEI Multi-discipline Equestrian World Cup to go ahead in Ruila, Finland. This will be one of the first since the isolation period.
Until next time, have a great sporting week!
Air Sports
Saturday to 22nd August - Paragliding World Cup Tour - Disentis, Switzerland
Athletics
Tuesday - World Continental Tour Gold - Paavo Nurmi Games - Paavo Nurmi Stadium, Turku, Finland
Thursday - IAAF Diamond League - Herculis - Stade Louis II, Monaco
Cricket
Thursday to 17th August - England v Pakistan (2nd Test) - Southampton, England
Cycling
Wednesday to Sunday - UCI World Tour - Critérium du Dauphiné - France
Motorcycling
Wednesday - MXGP World Championship - MXGP of Riga - Kegums, Latvia
Friday to Sunday - MotoGP Word Championship - MyWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria
Sunday - MXGP World Championship - MXGP of Kegums - Kegums, Latvia
Motor Racing
Wednesday - Formula E World Championship - Round 10 - Berlin, Germany
Thursday - Formula E World Championship - Round 11 - Berlin, Germany
Friday to Sunday - Formula One World Championship - Aramco Grand Premio de España 2020 - Circuit de Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
Saturday - Endurance World Championship - Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps - Belgium
Snooker
31st July to Sunday - Betfred World Championship - Sheffield, England
Friday to 18th August - Rokit Seniors World Championship - Sheffield, England
Tennis
Monday to Sunday - Prague Open (WTA) - Prague, Czech Republic; The Top Seed Open presented by Bluegrass Orthopaedics - Lexington, KY, USA