Monday, 7th November
A World Cup Update
In October we reported on the many World Cup events within the same month, with four postponed from last year. We have now reached the semi-final and final stages for most of these. Starting with the women's 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, the hosts will take on the favourites England on Saturday in Auckland for the trophy. Canada and France will play for the bronze medal. In the Men's Rugby League World Cup in England, we have reached the semi-finals. Australia play New Zealand on Friday, while England host Samoa on Saturday. The semi-finals of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup also feature on Sunday, but there are still group matches to be decided. This week the Women's Rugby League World Cup is still in the group phase. Over to the Men's T20 World Cup in Australia, New Zealand play Pakistan on Wednesday in the first semi-final, with the second on Thursday between India and England. The final is on Sunday.
Staying with cricket, a new T20 domestic record has been set in a match between South Africa's Titans and Knights. The collective total of 501 beat the previous world record of 497 set in New Zealand. In Australia's Women's Big Bash League, teenager Tess Flintoff smashed the fastest fifty requiring only 16 balls.
In motor sport, the Valencia Grand Prix determined the champion of the FIM MotoGP World Championship. The Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia is the star after beating Fabio Quartararo by only 17 points. Last weekend in Mexico, Red Bull's Max Verstappen 14th win within 2022 took him to the record for the most wins in a season. Joey Logano joins an elite group by winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship for his second title. Logano dominated the final race at the Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.
USA's Alexander Rudnitsky claimed the 2nd FMJD Draughts World Championship for Veterans hosted in Willemstad, Curaçao. Fellow countryman Alexander Mogilianski won both the Rapid and Blitz World titles. India dominated the 2022 Asian Chess Championship with titles going to Rameshbabu Praggnanadhaa and Pallathur Venkatachalam Nandhidhaa. China's Lei Tingjie has secured her place in the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament, one of the most prestigious chess competitions. Monte-Carlo was the host for Pool A, with Pool B still to completed.
In netball, the hosts Australia defeated England 3-0 in a recent test series. Australia also topped the table of the Fast5 Netball World Series in Christchurch. Remaining in Asia, it was again India making the news after securing their first Asian Squash Team Championship title. Tahiti and Cook Islands are the men's and women's FIBA Polynesian Basketball Cup champions. The Houston Astros have won their second Baseball World Series Title after winning the seven-game-series 4-2.
Over to tennis where USA are the Billie Jean King Cup Junior champions, with Brazil claiming the David Cup Junior title. Denmark's 19-year-old Holger Rune has won the Rolex Paris Masters, an ATP 1000 tennis tournament. In a similar racket sport, the International Padel Federation World Padel Championships featured in Dubai last week. The top honours went to Argentina's men and Spain's women.
The FINA Swimming World Cup Finals took place in Indianapolis over the weekend. For the second time USA's Katie Ledecky set a world record as she smashed the 800m freestyle. Beata Nelson (also USA) and Trinidad & Tobago's Dylan Carter claimed the overall titles. At the International Surfing Association World SUP and Paddleboard Championships in San Juan, defending champions France secure the junior team gold. It was the same for the seniors as France successfully defended their relay race title.
Australia created an upset to beat Fiji at the World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Hong Kong Sevens claiming the final 20-17. Austria's Eva Pinkelnig and Poland's Dawid Kubacki have won the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Wisla, Poland. Belgian's Michael Vanthourenhout and the Netherland's Fem van Empel are the UEC European Cyclo-Cross Champions. Canada have dominated both the men's and women's Broomball World Championships played in Kingston, Canada. Over to ringette where hosts Finland have beaten Canada to claim gold in the World Ringette Championships played in Espoo. Finland also claimed the junior title.
Iran defeated Brazil 2-1 in the final of the men's Emirates Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup hosted in Dubai. Spain are the newest and last FINA World League Women's Water Polo World League Champions, as the governing body is changing the competition format.
England's Liverpool hosted the recent FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. USA have won the Women's Team Title, while the Men's Team Title was claimed by China. Brazil's Rebeca Andrade took gold in the Women's All-Around, while Ireland's Rhys McClenaghan is the Pommel Horse Champion. USA's Jade Carey claimed gold in the Women's Vault, Britain's Giarnni Regini-Moran is the Men's Floor Exercise champion, while Japan's Hashimoto Daiki won the Men's All-Around title. Watanabe Hazuki (also Japan) is the Balance Beam champion, while the Men's Vault was won by Armenia's Artur Davtyan. The Still Rings title has gone to Turkey's Adem Asil, while the gold in the Parallel Bars was claimed by China's Zou Jingjyuan. USA's Brody Malon won the Horizontal Bar gold, with Britain's Jessica Gadirova claiming the Women's Floor Exercise title.
Chiang Mai is a city in the mountainous northern Thailand, and was the perfect setting for the World Mountain Trail Running Championships. Italy and USA won the men's and women's Team Gold respectively. USA's Allie McLaughlin is the Women's Uphill Champion, with Kenya's Patrick Kipngeno claiming the Men's Uphill title. The Short Trail titles have gone to Romania's Dragomir Denisad and Norway's Stian Angermund. Uganda's Rebecca Cheptegei and Samuel Kibet won the Classic Up and Down. France's Blandine L'Hirondel and USA's Adam Peterman are the Long Trail Champions. A special mention goes to Austria's Andrea Mayer who won her tenth individual World Championship medal over the weekend.
The World Snooker Tour had a major tournament over the weekend. The WST Champion of Champions was claimed by Ronnie O'Sullivan beating Judd Trump 10-6 in the final. The first Pan Continental Curling Championships were hosted in Calgary. The titles have gone to Canada's men and Japan's women. Local star Flora Duffy delivered her second World Triathlon Championship Series gold in Bermuda on Sunday to set up a tense final race in Abu Dhabi for the world title. France's Vincent Luis won the men's race.
The LIV Golf Season has come to close with 4 Aces GC, made up of Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Taylor Gooch, and Pat Perez taking the championship. Slovakia have won the Futnet World Championships for men hosted in Prague. In powerboating, USA's Tony Snyder has won the P1 Aquacross World Championship held in Nassau, Bahamas, over the weekend.
Finally, for fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady, the 45-year-old NFL legend became the first quarterback to pass for 100,000 yards. Brady achieved the mark in his team's victory over Los Angeles Rams over the weekend.
Until next time, have a great week in sport.