Monday, 17th October
Cycling at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines is a relatively new town in the French department of Yvelines and for the last week became the focal point for the world's best track cyclists at the UCI Track World Championships. We were entertained with some incredible performances. With many results to report, we start with Great Britain who won the Men's Team Pursuit. Germany's Lotte Kopecky won the Women's Elimination, while the Netherland's Harrie Lavreysen claimed the Men's Keirin. Fellow countrymen Yoeri Havik and Jeffrey Hoogland won the Men's Point Race and Men's 1km TT respectively. Italy's star Filippo Ganna set a world record and claimed gold in the Men's Individual Pursuit. His time was 3:59.636. Team USA won the Women's Omnium, while French sensation Mathilde Gros is the Women's Sprint Champion. Marie Divine Kouame is another French star to claim gold in the Women's 500m Time Trial. Team Belgium won the Women's Madison. Germany's Franziska Brausse is the Women's Individual Pursuit Champion, with Britain's Ethan Hayter claiming the Men's Omnium. Fellow Brit Neah Evans took gold in the Women's Point Race. France's Benjamin Thomas and Donovan Grondin are the Men's Madison Champions, while Harrie Lavreysen is still the Men's Sprint Champion, successfully defending his title for four years in a row. Germany's Lea Sophie Friedrich is the Women's Keirin Champion, while Italy's Elia Viviani claimed gold in the Men's Elimination to close off a spectacular competition.
In chess news, the Czech Republic's Novy Bor emerged as the winner of the European Club Cup, while Turkey became the FIDE Youth U16 Chess Olympiad 2022 champions. Brazil topped the table with an incredible 160 medals at the XII South American Games that was hosted by Asunción, Paraguay.
The USA's Soleil Errico and Australia's Harrison Roach are the World Surf League 2022 Longboard Tour Champions. At the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Australia's Rhiannan Iffland and France's Gary Hunt are crowned champions at the season finale in Sydney. Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana ran 2:17:20 at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon to claim the fastest ever women's marathon debut, while Kenya’s Edward Zakayo and Pamela Kosgei won the senior international races in Cardiff at the first World Athletics Cross-Country Tour Gold.
In Motor Sport, organisers of the W Series decided to end the season early to focus on fundraising for 2023, making Britain's Jamie Chadwick the 2022 champion. In Formula Drift, a motor sport growing in popularity, Norway's Fredric Aasbo is the 2022 Pro Champion, while USA's Robert Thorne is the Prospect Champion. USA's Jared Mees successfully defended his title in the final race of the American Flat Track season at Barberville, Florida. The FIM Enduro World Championship also completed the season in Germany over the weekend. with Italy's Andrea Verona and Britain's Jane Daniels claiming the men's and women's Enduro GP titles. With only two races remaining, Italy's Francesco Bagnaia has taken the lead in the overall standings of the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup started on Sunday in Australia and Namibia stole the headlines with a shock win over Sri Lanka. This was only their second win over a Test side. On Saturday India beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets to win the ACC Women's T20 Asia Cup 2022.
Serbia beat Brazil 3-0 to win the FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship. Italy also defeated USA 3-0 to claim bronze. The 2022 Dynamic Billiard European Pool Championships were held in Laško, Slovenia. Germany's Harald Stolka and the Netherland's Melissa Rademakers won the 10-ball seniors' titles, with team gold going to Poland. The 8-ball crowns went to Germany's Reiner Wirsbitzki, with Rademakers claiming her second. Stolka then went on to win the men’s Straight Pool division, his first gold medal. Spain's Francisco Diaz-Pizarro and Norway's Ine Helvik claimed the final gold medals in the 9-ball division.
France's Audrey Merle earned her first-ever victory at the World Triathlon World Cup 2022 hosted by Tongyeong, South Korea. USA's Matthew McElroy claimed the men's victory. In boxing news USA's Claressa Shields became the undisputed middleweight champion after defeating long-standing rival Savannah Marshall in London. Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder made a winning return in his fight against Robert Helenius.
Ukraine’s Bohdan Kolmakov and Mexico's Ella Bucio are the FIG Parkour Freestyle World Champions. Spain won both the junior titles at the FIP Junior European Padel Championships. Morocco won the IKF All-Africa Korfball Championship North-East 2022. Slovenia's Toni Vodisek and USA's Daniela Moroz won the IKA Formula Kite World Championships held in Cagliari. Vejle in Denmark hosted the World Wheelchair Rugby Championship with Australia claiming victory over USA in Sunday's final.
India and China have so far dominated the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol, with more than a week still to go in Cairo. In squash news, Peru's Diego Elias became the first from his nation to reach the final of a Professional Squash Association tournament, who then went on to win the 2022 U.S. Open in Philadelphia. Egypt's Nouran Gohar claimed the women's title. Finally, a special mention goes to USA's Chris Nikic who competed at the IRONMAN World Championships and became the first person with Downs Syndrome to finish the race in a fantastic performance.
Until next time, have a great week in sport.