2nd to 8th August
The near impossible task is to single out any Olympic result to be greater than other events where a gold medal was won, or even a podium position was achieved. None of us really know what athletes go through to make it to this special event every four years. We will attempt to mention a few, but it does not take away the greatness of any of the medal achievements in other categories and sports. More records will come, but this is what we have so far. Adam Peaty became the first British swimmer to successfully defend his Olympic title when he won the Men's 100m Breaststroke in a typically convincing fashion. Peaty is being chased by Arno Kamminga from the Netherlands and it will be very interesting how they both perform in three years. Another swimming achievement goes to Tunisia's 18-year old Ahmed Hafnaoui who qualified the slowest for the 400m freestyle and was therefore on the outside lane. Hafnaoui overcame Australia's Jack McLoughlin with a stunning pace to claim the gold.
Staying in the pool and on this occasion it was South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmaker in the women's 200m breaststroke who broke the Olympic record three times during the week. History was also made for South Africa when Tatjana and her sister Kaylene both made it to the final. The previous occasion two women from the nation made it to a swimming final, was in 2000. For Japan history was made by 13-year old Momiji Nishiya when she became the nation's first women's Olympic street skateboarding champion. This was a day after Yuto Horigome won the men's competition for the host nation. Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines used water bottles to train for weightlifting when she became stuck in Malaysia as a result of travel restrictions. This did not stop her from becoming her nation's first ever gold medalist. The Fiji men's sevens rugby team made history when they successfully defended their Olympic title.
Stepping away from the Games, we look at the Superbike World Championship where Britain's Jonathan Rea became the first rider in the history of the championship to win at one track on thirteen occasions. The track is the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands. Other news is that it appears New Zealand and Australia have pulled out of the the Rugby League World Cup later this year. The tournament is meant to be held in the United Kingdom and with the current travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, it would mean that players would join the National Rugby League, Australia's main domestic competition for rugby league, after the start of the new season. We hope they change their minds or that the organisers do not postpone the event
Until next time, have a great sporting week.
Air Sports
28th July to 6th August - 23rd FAI World Glider and Advanced Glider Aerobatic Championships - Leszno, Poland
29th July to 7th August - 14th FAI World Advanced Aerobatic Championships - Torun, Poland
7th to 18th August - PWA 11th World Cup Super Final - Disentis, Switzerland
7th to 21st August - 36th FAI World Gliding Championships - Montluçon-Guéret, France
Basketball
6th to 16th August - FIBA U16 Men's and Women's African Championships - Bamako, Mali
7th to 15th August - FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup - Debrecen, Hungary
Beach Volleyball
5th to 8th August - FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1 Star - Sofia, Bulgaria
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
7th August - Kansas City International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu and Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championships 2021 - Liberty, MO, USA
Chess
10th July to 3rd August - FIDE Women's World Cup 2021 - Sochi, Russia
10th July to 6th August - FIDE World Cup 2021 - Sochi, Russia
1st to 31st August - FIDE Online Cadets & Youth Rapid World Cup - Online
Cricket
3rd August - Bangladesh v Australia (1st T20I) - Mirpur, Bangladesh; West Indies v Pakistan (4th T20I) - Providence, Guyana
4th August - Bangladesh v Australia (2nd T20I) - Mirpur, Bangladesh
4th to 8th August - England v India (1st Test) - Nottingham, England
6th August - Bangladesh v Australia (3rd T20I) - Mirpur, Bangladesh; Ireland v Zimbabwe (1st ODI) - Belfast, Northern Ireland
7th August - Bangladesh v Australia (4th T20I) - Mirpur, Bangladesh
8th August - Ireland v Zimbabwe (2nd ODI) - Belfast, Northern Ireland
Cycling
7th August - 2021 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup - Round II - Lemgo, Germany
8th August - UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup powered by Citymountainbike.com - Leuven, Belgium
Equestrian
28th July to 8th August - International Bromont - Bromont, France
3rd August - Group 1 Racing - Prix Rothschild - Deauville, France
7th August - Group 1 Racing - Whitney Stakes; Saratoga Derby Invitation; Longines Test Stakes - Saratoga, NY, USA
8th August - 131st Longines Grosser Preis Von Berlin - Hoppegarten, Germany; Larc Prix Maurice De Gheest - Deauville, France; Keeneland Phoenix Stakes - Curragh, Ireland
Footbag
1st to 25th August - 2021 IFPA Online World Footbag Freestyle Championships
Football - Concacaf Gold Cup
2nd August - USA v Mexico - Las Vegas, NV, USA
Footgolf
7th August - FIFG World Tour - HUN 100 - FOB 2021 7th Stage - Balaton GC, Balatonudvari, Hungary; FIFG World Tour - AFGL New Jersey 100 - Minerals - Vernon, NJ, USA
8th August - FIFG World Tour - AFGL New Jersey 100 - Cascades - Hamburg, NJ, USA
Games
23rd July to 8th August - Olympic Games - Tokyo 2020
Golf
5th to 8th August - Aramco Team Series - Sotogrande, Spain; Hero Open - Fife, Scotland; World Golf Championship - FedEx St Jude Invitational - Memphis, TN, USA
Mixed Martial Arts
8th August - UFC Main Card - Derrick Lewis v Ciryl Gane; Amanda Nunes v Julianna Peña; Jose Aldo v Pedro Munhoz; Michael Chiesa v Vicente Luque; Song Yadong v Casey Kenney
Motorcycling
6th to 8th August - FIM Superbike World Championship - Czech Round - Autodrom Most, Czech Republic; FIM MotoGP World Championship - Grand Prix of Styria - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria
8th August - FIM Motocross World Championship - MXGP of Latvia - Kegums, Latvia
Motor Racing
6th to 8th August - NTT IndyCar Series - Music City Grand Prix - Nashville, TN, USA
7th to 8th August - Formula Drift Japan - Round 3 - Sportsland Sugo, Miyagi, Japan
8th August - 2021 NASCAR Cup Series - Go Bowling at the Glen - Watkins Glen International, NY, USA
Mountaineering
7th August - Skyrunner World Series - Tromsø, Norway
Mountain Running
7th August - WMRA World Cup Stage 5: Sierre - Zinal (Category: Long Mountain) - Zinal, Switzerland
Mounted Games
3rd to 7th August - World Team Championship - Saint-Denis-le-Ferment, France
Padel
1st to 8th August - World Padel Tour - Cervezas Victoria Málaga, Spain
4th to 8h August - FIP World Tour 2021 - Asunción, Paraguay
Pickleball
5th to 8th August - The Professional Tour of Pickleball - Takeya Showcase - Newport Beach, CA, USA
Polo
6th to 16th August - Richard Mille Cup - France
Pool-Billiards
1st to 8th August - EPBF/Dynamic Billiards European Championships Youth 2021 - Laszko, Poland
Powerboating
5th to 8th August - P1 Offshore Series 2021 - Michigan, City, IN, USA
7th to 8th August - P1 Aqua Cross World Series - Michigan City, IN, USA
Powerlifting
1st to 5th August - Asia-Oceania University Cup Powerlifting Championship - Sharjah, UAE
3rd to 8th August - European Open, Sub-Junior & Junior Equipped Powerlifting Championships - Pilsen, Czech Republic
Rodeo (Pro)
3rd August - Lea County PRCA Rodeo Xtreme Bulls - Lovington, NM, USA
3rd to 4th August - Northeast Montana Fair & Rodeo - Glasgow, MT, USA
3rd to 8th August - Iowa's Championship Rodeo - Sidney, IA, USA
4th to 7th August - Lea County PRCA Rodeo - Lovington, NM, USA; Big Sky Pro Rodeo - Great Falls, MT, USA; Gerry Volunteer Firemen's Rodeo - Gerry, NY, USA; Big Sky Pro Rodeo Permit Section - Great Falls, MT, USA
4th to 8th August - Dodge City Roundup Rodeo - Dodge City, KS, USA
5th to 6th August - Richland County Fair & Rodeo - Sidney, MT, USA
5th to 7th August - The War Bonnet Round Up - Idaho Falls, ID, USA; Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo - Abilene, KS, USA; XIT Rodeo & Reunion - Dalhart, TX, USA; Kansas' Biggest Rodeo - Phillipsburg, KS, USA; Bozeman Stampede - Bozeman, MT, USA
6th to 7th August - Bonner County Rodeo - Sandpoint, ID, USA; Mountain Valley Stampede - Heber City, UT, USA
6th to 8th August - Douglas County Fair and Rodeo - Castle Rock, CO, USA; Sundre Pro Rodeo - Sundre, AB, USA
7th August - Home On The Range Champions Ride - Sentinel Butte, ND, USA
8th to 10th August - Larimer County Fair & Rodeo - Loveland, CO, USA
* all with payouts of $20,000 and above
Roller Sports
4th to 8th August - 2nd African Inline Freestyle Championship; 4th African Inline Speed Skating Championship - Cotonou, Benin
Roundnet
7th August - 2021 Spikeball Tournament Series - Weymouth, MA, USA
Rugby Union
7th August - New Zealand v Australia - Auckland, New Zealand; South Africa v B&I Lions - Cape Town, South Africa
Sled Dog Racing
7th to 8th August - IFSS World Cup - Wilddog Derby - Mount Crawford, SA, Australia
Sailing
28th July to 5th August - International Cadet Class World Championship - Fraglia della Vela Riva, Italy
31st July to 6th August - RS Aero European Championship - Lake Garda, Italy
31st July to 7th August - Optimist African American Championship - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
2nd to 6th August - RS500 World Championship - Lake Como, Italy
2nd to 14th August - Europe Class - Youth and Masters European Championships - CN El Masnou, Spain
6th to 14th August - Alexela ORC World Championships - Tallinn, Estonia
7th to 14th August - ILCA 4 Youth World Championships - Dun Laoghaire, Ireland
7th to 15th August - 2021 J/70 World Championship - Marina del Rey, CA, USA
Snooker
18th July to 6th August - 2021 Championship League Stage One - Leicester, England
7th to 8th August - WWS English Women's Open 2021 - Leeds, England
Squash
3rd to 6th August - PAS World Tour - British National Championships 2021 - Manchester, England
Strongman
7th August - MLO Strongman Champions League - SCL Portugal - Eposende, Portugal
Table Soccer
6th to 8th August - ITSF Masters Tour - Varna Foosball Masters 2021 - Varna, Bulgaria
7th to 8th August - ITSF Masters Tour 2021 - Liestal, Switzerland
Tennis
2nd to 8th August - Winners Open 2021 (WTA) - Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Thoreau Tennis Open 125 (WTA) - Concord, MA, USA; Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic (WTA) - San Jose, CA, USA; Citi Open (ATP) - Washington, DC, USA
Triathlon
7th August - IRONMAN Tallinn - Tallinn, Estonia
8th August - IRONMAN Gdynia - Gdynia, Poland
Waterski & Wakeboarding
3rd to 5th August - 2020 & 2021 IWWF E&A U17 Youth Championships - Seseña, Toledo, Spain
6th to 8th August - 2020 & 2021 IWWF E&A U21 Championships - Seseña, Toledo, Spain
Weightlifting
5th to 8th August - Pan-American Masters Championships - Orlando, FL, USA
* We have listed the above events based on the best information we can obtain. Some of these may be postponed or cancelled.