Tokyo 2020: Athletes to Watch

A writer’s best practice when it comes to composing a simple, straight-to-the point introduction? Make sure you have no time whatsoever to get cute.

Five years ago, I picked eight athletes to watch, and my hit rate was quite good (just disregard the top image selection here), so I am back for more. There will be no Katie Ledecky or Simone Biles this time, for obvious reasons, but I have broadened the group to expand coverage in a couple of sports.

So, without further ado, here are eleven athletes to watch at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics:

Ariarne Titmus (Australia, Swimming)

Few enduring Olympic rivalries are as compelling as Australia vs USA in the pool and the pinnacle of that duel in Tokyo promises to be the women’s 400 meters freestyle event. Katie Ledecky, America’s darling, is expected to defend the title on her way to another multiple gold medal haul, yet reigning World Champion Ariarne Titmus would like to have a word on the proceedings and the Tasmanian swimmer hasn’t been afraid to spit fire towards her opponent in the recent months.

Nicknamed the “Terminator”, Titmus not only upset an ailing Ledecky at the 2019 Worlds, but has proven she can go head-to-head against the best version of her rival by posting the second-best time in history at the Australian trials, just 0.44 seconds off the American’s personal best and more than two seconds better than Ledecky’s top result of 2021. On the form of her life, the 20-year-old will shoot for the moon, looking to get out Ledecky’s shadow in the 200m, where the Aussie swimmer currently boasts the 2021 world leading time, and 800m freestyle.

Sander Sagosen (Norway, Handball)

For the first time since 1972, Norway, the most successful team in women’s handball history, will also compete in the Olympic men’s handball competition, and all eyes will rest on their All-Star left back, the man tasked with leading the nation to a maiden tournament victory following silver medals at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships and a third-place finish at the 2020 Euros.

A 25-year-old bomber on course to shatter all goalscoring records in team history, Sagosen’s contributions and talent are undeniable, yet the overwhelming performance that would put team and individual over the top is still to arrive. A Champions League winner in 2020 with THW Kiel following a surprise move from the star-studded ensemble at Paris St. German, Sagosen has been a top scorer and All-Star member in several international competitions, but so far has been unable to land the coveted IHF World Player of the Year crown that many believe is within his grasp. Breaking through in Tokyo against the likes of Denmark, defending World and Olympic Champions, or France, finalists in Rio 2016, would go a long way towards correcting that gap.

Sagosen in action for Norway at the 2020 European Championship (Foto: VEGARD WIVESTAD GRØTT / BILDBYRÅN NORWAY)

Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela, Athletics)

An Olympic silver medallist in 2016, trailing Colombia’s Catherine Ibarguen, with whom she has fought some epic duels, Rojas finds herself on the edge of history in Tokyo, the women’s triple jump world record, one of the longest standing in women’s athletics, looming large in the horizon.

The reigning Women’s World Athlete of the Year, Rojas has held the indoor world mark since last year, and she recently equalled her personal best of 15.43m at an outdoor meeting in Spain to bring the discussion to the fore. Just 7cm short of the impression set by Ukrainian Inessa Kravets at the 1995 World Championship, soaring past it would be the ultimate achievement for the 25-year-old, a two-time World Champion who is also looking to become the first female Olympic Champion in Venezuela’s history.

Wout van Aert (Belgium, Road cycling)

A triple stage winner at the recent Tour de France, van Aert is one of the men vying for an historical double victory in Tokyo, with his name figuring atop the oddsmakers lists for both the road race event, contested on the 24th, and the time trial, scheduled for four days later.

An outstanding bike talent whose successful cyclo-cross career merited three consecutive World Championship titles (2016-2018), the 26-year-old has gone from strength to strength since a move to the more financially rewarding road discipline in 2017, turning into, arguably, the most versatile rider in the peloton and a contender in all kinds of races. A threat to elite sprinters in bunch finales, the World Championship silver medallist is also capable of powering up short and steep climbs, dragging groups of climbing specialists to the highest mountain passes or rolling against the clock better than almost everyone.

The 234km-long race should be right up the Belgian’s alley, with a couple of long climbs in Mount Fuji’s area culling the field expected to fight for gold at Fuji Speedway circuit, whereas the time trial, which rans along hilly terrain in the circuit’s vicinity, also suits van Aert, who last weekend bested all rivals at the final Tour de France TT.

Wout van Aert climbing Mont Ventoux at the 2021 Tour de France (Credit: Cor Vos)

Luka Doncic (Slovenia, Basketball)

The Slovenian wonderkid singlehandedly dashed the hopes of three-time Olympic medallists Lithuania in the final Qualification round to stamp his nation’s first appearance on the biggest stage of international basketball, and the best might still be to come for the 2017 Eurobasket winners.  

Fresh of another MVP-caliber campaign for the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic’s one-man show figures to be one of the major attractions on a wide-open tournament that sees the United States ahead of the pack, but not looking as untouchable as anticipated. A savant with otherworldly vision and uncanny ability to pick defences apart, the 22-year-old guard will handle a lot of the ball for a Slovenian team missing his usual partner-in-crime, Miami Heat’s Goran Dragic, yet the single elimination format provides the platform for more heroic performances and upsets. Dragging small Slovenia to a medal would qualify as Doncic’s biggest career achievement to date and that is saying a lot for a player used to rewrite records of precociousness in the NBA.

Janja Garnbret (Slovenia, Sport Climbing)

(Getty Images)

One of the newest attractions in the Olympic program, Sport Climbing’s debut will also introduce the world to extraordinary athletes of the ilk of Janja Garnbret. More than just another Slovenian making the rounds, the 22-year-old has been racking up the accolades since age 17 and is already considered the greatest competitive sports climber ever. Displaying a cat-like agility on the plastic walls, Garnbret composure stands out as she holds to crimps, balances on boulders, and completes audacious jumps to slap the top of the course faster than any other competitor.

An eight-time World Cup discipline winner and six-time World Champion, Garnbret swept all World Cup events in bouldering in 2019 and displays similar credentials in lead climbing to emerge as the prohibitive favourite for the women’s gold medal. Even if the Olympics controversial decision to attribute just one set of medals, in a combined format, clouds her prospects slightly, giving equal importance to the opening speed discipline where she rarely competes.

Shoei Ono (Japan, Judo)

No sport in history has shipped more gold medals to Japan than Judo, a martial art invented in the country, and a few more are about to be added to the total this summer, with Japanese judokas positioned at the top of the world rankings in every weight category. Amongst the group of medal favourites, one clearly stands out, the lightweight Shoei Ono, who is hailed as one of the most dominant athletes in the world.

A three-time World Champion in the -73 kg, Ono has remained undefeated internationally since 2014, claiming Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in the process, and his choke on the competition gives no sign of relaxing. Aged 29, he is at the peak of his abilities after taking some long breaks in the last Olympic cycle, and his usage of the classical osoto-gari (large outer-reap leg throw) and uchimata techniques (inner tight throw) is still working to devastating effect. Renowned for winning matches by the highest score (ippon) with incredible regularity, Ono can save energy throughout the day of competition, and that usually comes in handy in the latter stages.

Sky Brown (Great Britain, Skateboarding)

The third-ranked park skateboarder in the world, Great Britain’s Sky Brown won’t be the youngest athlete competing in Tokyo – that honour belongs to Hend Zaza, a 12-year-old Syrian table-tennis player – but she is, by far, the most precocious medal contender on any sport.

A professional skateboarder since age 10, when she signed a sponsorship agreement with Nike, Brown was born in Japan but competes for the country of her father, in representation of which she collected a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships. Victim .of a horrifying fall in training last year, when she suffered skull fractures and broke her left wrist and hand, the girl who learns new tricks on Youtube and has trained with the legendary Tony Hawk did not let fear get in the way, continuing to spin through the air to complete the multitude of tricks that characterize her debutant Olympic sport. Based on what she has achieved so far, we doubt even the Sky is a limit for Brown.

Caeleb Dressel (USA, Swimming)

A double gold medallist in relay events at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Dressel was cast as the successor to Michael Phelps and all he has done in this Olympic cycle is become the most dominant swimmer in the world, hoarding medals at similar rates to the greatest Olympian of All-Time.

A well-known name for any swimming fan after amassing 15 World Championship medals between 2017 and 2019, Dressel’s coming out party to the masses at home is scheduled for Tokyo, where he is expected to compete for up to seven titles. Hard to miss in the pool due to a striking tattoo on the left arm that features an eagle, a bear and a gator, the Florida-born swimmer will swim several relay events and three individual races, the 50 and 100-free, where a smattering of rivals should make things incredibly tight, plus his signature event, the 100m butterfly, where he holds the world record that used to belong to his famous compatriot. If things go according to plan, no athlete should leave Tokyo with a more decorated suitcase than Dressel and, at age 24, he might have a couple more Olympics on him to aim for a distinct spot in the all-time medal rank.  

Naomi Osaka (Japan, Tennis)

From the moment she elected Japanese citizenship over American in October 2019, Naomi Osaka has been anointed as the face of Tokyo 2020. A fan favourite around the globe for her charming oddball personality, she is young, successful, marketable and the only global superstar of the host nation. And with that comes an insane amount of pressure that Osaka’s recent months have failed to diffuse.

The highest earning female athlete in the world was last seen in early June (UPDATE: Recent reports indicate she was seen playing with fire at the opening ceremony), citing mental health issues when she retired from the French Open after a public dispute over mandatory media assignments, and it is unknown what version of Osaka will show up to compete for a gold medal that would set her up for tennis immortality. Already a four-time Grand Slam Champion at age 23, she is the tour’s dominant figure in hard courts, the surface used at the Olympic event, and boasts all the tools to become the heir to Serena Williams’ throne on top of women’s tennis, but we still don’t truly know if her head will get in the way. In Tokyo and for years to come.

Armand Duplantis (Sweden, Athletics)

The 2016 men’s pole vault final, which crowned home favourite Thiago Braz da Silva, went down as one of the most exhilarating events of the Rio Games, and if it is up to the prodigious Duplantis, fireworks is something we can expect from the Tokyo Final on August 3rd.

The American-born pole vaulter was catapulted to the top of the list of gold medal contenders last year when he set the all-time best marks both indoors (6.18m) and outdoors (6.14m), but he has yet to win a major global meet, taking second place at the 2019 World Championships. Outlasted by American Sam Kendricks on that occasion, the 21-year-old will be determined to not allow it to happen again and raising the bar to unreachable heights is the way to do it. Should he tag a few more centimetres to his world record, it would just be the confirmation that Duplantis is one to appreciate for years to come.  

The Greatest Athletes in Europe – Global Icons (Part V)

And we finally reach the magical 11, the ultimate flag bearers whose talents are appreciated and recognized by a significant part of the global population. Footballers, NBA players and tennis legends populate this final entrance.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece 🇬🇷, Basketball)

From hawking watches and sunglasses in the streets of Athens to NBA superstardom, Antetokoumpo’s journey is a true tale of rags to riches that has been spurred by his parents’ decision to leave Nigeria and emigrate to Greece.

The son of two former athletes, Giannis was playing for lower-division side Filathlitikos when grainy images of his performances started making the rounds in NBA circles, eventually convincing the Milwaukee Bucks to select this scrawny kid with the 15^th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

That turned out to be the best decision in the franchise’s history, as the raw teenager that would later earn the monitor “Greek Freak” soon displayed exceptional size, speed and ball handling skills.  Developing into an All-star calibre player by 2016, and one of the world’s finest basketballers soon after, he captured back-to-back Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, emerging as the NBA’s embodiment of the next age player, capable of playing across all five positions and impacting games on defence and offense.

A Greek citizen since 2013, the 26-year-old carries sky-high expectations on his broad shoulders as unprecedented feats are expected of both his national team and NBA ensemble in the near future, however nothing in his story suggests he will not be up to the task in hand.

Conor McGregor (Ireland 🇮🇪, Mixed Martial Arts)

One of the most notorious personalities in the world of Mixed Martial Arts and the world’s highest paid athlete according to Forbes’s 2021 list, Connor McGregor has come a long way since his discreet beginnings in the gyms of his native Dublin.

Signed up in 2013 by the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the sport’s premier promotion company, he soon turned into one of its main draws, snatching the Featherweight Championship title after a stunning 13-second bout in 2015 before becoming the first man to simultaneously hold titles in two weight divisions (Featherweight and Lightweight) the following year.

Renowned for pulling no punches on and off the arena, McGregor was named Ireland’s Sports Person of the Year and the World’s Best Fighter on the back of these achievements, and his profile exploded amongst combat sports enthusiasts to such degree that his name is attached to two of the most lucrative fights in history: his duel with Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, the most lucrative MMA event in history, and his only professional boxing appearance, against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017, which drew more than 5 million pay-per-view buys. 

Robert Lewandowski (Poland 🇵🇱, Football)

Recognized as the world’s best footballer for the first time after firing Bayern Munich into an extraordinary six-trophy haul, Robert Lewandowski might be one of the few persons who will regard 2020 as one of the best years of his life. However, reaching the pinnacle of his sport had been a long time coming for Poland’s national icon.

For instance, we could look back to an unforgettable night eight years ago when he hanged four goals on Real Madrid to become the first man to accomplish such feat in a Champions League semi-final, and assert himself in front of world audiences, who would soon see him as one of the most outstanding strikers’ of the 2010’s. A Polish Champion with Lech Poznan, two-time German Champion with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich’s spearhead since a controversial free transfer in 2014, ”Lewa” has always let the goals do the talking for him, bagging the most ever by a foreign player in Bundesliga history and a record-tally for his country.

Even if, at age 32, the Warsaw-native is running out of time to captain his national team to an international breakthrough, Lewandowski’s face – sometimes alongside his hugely successful wife Anna  – appears everywhere you look in Poland, from massive billboards to TV commercials, inspiring  him to write a bachelor’s thesis, titled  ‘RL 9, path to glory’, on himself and a career arch towards immortality.

Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring a goal during the 2020 UEFA European Championships group G qualifying match between Poland and Latvia in Warsaw, Poland (Marcin Karczewski/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal 🇵🇹, Football)

Arguably the most famous athlete in the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo, born in Madeira Island, baptized after a former American President and a name that has become synonymous with a nation, is admired, followed and worshipped around the world like few men before him.

A testament to his ability to promote an iconic brand that crosses all divides and borders, but also to an unmatched work ethic that has delivered individual and team success in almost unprecedented levels. One of the most decorated football players of all time, including domestic titles in England (Manchester United), Spain (Real Madrid) and Italy (Juventus), Ronaldo has always delivered when it counts the most, being named the best player in the world in five occasions as he led his teams to five UEFA Champions League triumphs and Portugal to its first ever international honours, the Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League.

About to go down as the greatest goal scorer of all-time, the 36-year-old is one of sports all-time greats, full stop, even if he will forever be linked (and maybe superseded) by Argentinian rival Lionel Messi, with whom he shared one the greatest eras football has ever seen.

Novak Djokovic (Serbia 🇷🇸, Tennis)

Growing up in a blasted Belgrade during the years of the Balkan War, Novak Djokovic had ample reasons to develop the resiliency and thick skin that has served him so well during his years on top of the ATP Tour and as the most divisive member of men’s tennis Big Three.

Forever disliked by many as the guy that blew apart the Federer – Nadal duopoly, the Serbian broke through by winning the first of his nine Australian Open titles in 2008 and catapulted himself into All-Time Great status in 2011, channelling the momentum from leading his country to a first ever Davis Cup victory (2010) into a career-defining season that included three Grand Slam titles.

Repeating the feat in 2015 on his way to becoming the first man in the Open Era to hold all four Majors at once, following his 2016 Roland Garros victory, the 34-year-old’s credentials in the GOAT debate include a positive head-to-head record against his main rivals, 20 Grand Slam singles titles, just one off the outright record, and the distinction as the man who has spent the most weeks as World No.1.

Time will tell whether his late career push will prove enough, especially for his detractors, and if Djokovic can ever claim Olympic Gold for Serbia, the only significant hole in his resume, however his status as one of the greatest athletes ever is unimpeachable.

Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB) plays Taylor FRITZ (USA) on Rod Laver Arena during Day 5 of the 2021 Australian Open (Tennis Australia/ ROB PREZIOSO)

Peter Sagan (Slovakia 🇸🇰, Cycling)

One of cycling’s boisterous personalities, Peter Sagan has singlehandedly put Slovakia on the sport’s map after a decade punctuated by memorable performances in the calendar’s most prestigious races.

Combining an unmatched ability to manoeuvre a bike out of danger, elite finishing speed and powerful acceleration in short, steep climbs, Sagan has amassed more than 100 victories at the World Tour level and in all kinds of races. A stage winner in all three Grand Tours and record seven-time conqueror of the points classification at the Tour de France, the 31-year-old has also etched his name in the history of two Monuments, triumphing at the Tour de Flanders (2016) and Paris-Roubaix (2018) while sporting the iconic rainbow jersey reserved for the reigning Road Race World Champion.

The only man to win three straight world titles (2015-17), the Slovak showman has not only cultivated a large following amongst cycling fans but has also made more for Slovakia’s international recognition than any other fellow sportsman.

Luka Dončić (Slovenia 🇸🇮, Basketball)

The Wonder Boy from Ljubliana who moved across Europe to join Real Madrid’s academy at age 13 and led them to the EuroLeague title as an 18-year-old, Doncic has been tipped as one of the greatest basketball talents to ever emerge in the continent and he is still to do anything that could dispel that notion.

The youngest player ever to be named the EuroLeague MVP (2018), and a crucial part of Slovenia’s maiden international success at the 2017 Eurobasket, the Slovenian star was already the most accomplished prospect in history when he finally entered the NBA in 2018, joining the Dallas Mavericks of German Dirk Nowitzki, arguably the greatest NBA player born this side of the pond.

Unanimously voted as the league’s Rookie of the Year after his first season, Doncic’s versatility, court vision and unusual blend of size and strength for a point guard are expressed both on his gaudy box score totals – he consistently posts a triple double (10+ points, rebounds and assists in a game) – as well as in the way he controls the flow of games and produces highlight-reel plays that leave spectators astonished. Seen as a perennial NBA MVP candidate for the next decade, the 22-year-old is leading Slovenia to a maiden Olympic participation, and Tokyo will provide another opportunity to have the basketball world at his feet.

Slovenia’s Luka Doncic celebrates the team’s win after the FIBA Eurobasket 2017 men’s semi-final basketball match (BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal (Spain 🇪🇸, Tennis)

The history of Spanish sports in the XXI century is littered with success at the team and individual level. However, as the likes of Pau Gasol (Basketball), Alberto Contador (Cycling) or Fernando Alonso (Formula One) have slowly ridden into the sunset, the list of transcendental Spanish athletes has dimed to the point where Nadal’s appointment is as straightforward as it comes. Which is far from an indictment, as the heavy-topspinning teenager that broke into the scene 15 years ago has barely missed a beat into his thirties, further solidifying his case as not only the best to ever grace a tennis court, but also one of the greatest sportsman in history.

Because, beyond the weight of all the titles, medals, and accolades, from the 88 singles titles and record-equalling tally of 20 Majors to the two Olympic Gold Medals and five Davis Cups won in representation of his nation, seldom has there been an athlete so dominant, so terrifying to face, so inextricably connected with a specific place and tournament as Rafa, the thirteen-time conqueror, and Roland Garros, his nirvana. Many believe that defeating the King of Clay at Court Phillippe Chartrier is the ultimate sporting challenge and since he is a preposterous 105-3 (W-L) all-time at the French Open, can you really oppose that?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden 🇸🇪, Football)

Few athletes manage to make their given name as famous and recognizable as the patronymic that adorns their shirts, but Zlatan isn’t and has never been like the rest of mortals. About to turn 40, he is still among the most charismatic and entertaining figures in world sport, still producing startling moments of magic on the pitch and delighting fans and media alike with his regular “Zlatanisms”.

Born in the poor, immigrant-heavy neighbourhood of Rosengard in Malmo to a Muslim Bosniak father and a Catholic Croat mother, the odds were stacked against Ibrahimovic. Yet, the strong-willed youngster with a brash personality would become the ultimate symbol of Sweden’s multicultural society as one of the country’s greatest sportsperson of all-time.

A former national team captain and the nation’s record goalscorer, he is also one of the most decorated footballers ever, using his large stature, agility, and exquisite technique to become a leader and inspirational figure in many league-winning sides. Having scored close to 600 professional goals and amassed over 30 trophies, Zlatan’s career path includes a who’s who of Europe’s leading clubs, from Italy’s Milan, Inter and Juventus to Ajax, Manchester United, Barcelona and Paris St. German. Although he never consistently delivered at the level necessary to supplant his contemporaries as the best player in the world, Ibracadabra’s legacy to football history is as unique as they come.

Roger Federer (Switzerland 🇨🇭, Tennis)

A few months away from his 40^th anniversary, Roger Federer is still widely regarded as the utmost representation of grace in the world of sport for his demeanour on and off the court, enjoying popularity that stretches beyond the realms of tennis and across borders and generations.

Roger Federer plays a point at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships (Gareth Fuller/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

The perfect ambassador for a country that prides itself on its neutrality, the Swiss Maestro rose to the top of the world in 2003, winning at Wimbledon the first of his record eight Majors in grass courts, and has been bewitching audiences with his effortless movement and exquisite strokes throughout the so-called Golden Era of tennis, a period of unprecedented prestige for the sport dawned out of the dominance exerted by Federer.

A 2008 Olympic gold medallist in the men’s doubles competition and vital to deliver Switzerland its first Davis Cup triumph in 2014, the man many consider the greatest tennis player to ever live was the first to reach 20 singles Grand Slam titles back in 2018 and is still in the hunt for more despite nagging knee injuries in recent years. The strength of Federer’s case in the debate that splinters tennis fandom will depend on what happens in the twilight of the Big Three’s career, yet his standing as a saint-like symbol of veneration and respect will reverberate through time.

Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom 🇬🇧, Formula One Racing)

The most successful Formula 1 driver in history, Sir Lewis Hamilton has shaped the white-dominated sport on and off the track since he became the first – and still the only – black man to drive in the highest class of auto-racing.

A World Champion for McLaren in just his second Formula 1 season, authoring a dramatic last corner overtake in the last race of the calendar to clinch the title, Hamilton’s career took off when he joined Mercedes in 2013, vaulting the constructor to a dominant position and allowing the Brit to claim the driver’s classification six more times and equal the record of German Michael Schumacher.

Mercedes Driver Lewis Hamilton gets out of his car (HOCH ZWEI/Pool/REUTERS)

Holder of the most wins, pole positions and podium finishes in history, the 36-year-old’s outspoken nature and activism are as much part of his unparalleled legacy as his sporting achievements. A prominent voice against racism and for increased diversity in motorsport, and an advocate on environmental issues and animal rights, Hamilton has never shied away from using his status as one of the most influential sportsmen in the world to drive important conversations, even in a conservative and secluded environment such as Formula 1.

Part I – Introduction

Part II – Women

Part III – Domestic heroes

Part IV – International Stars

Part V – Global Icons

The Greatest Athletes in Europe – Domestic Heroes (Part III)

The first batch of men’s athletes and, as described in our introduction, a group of 12 featuring names that have probably failed to enter your radar unless you happen to follow their sports:

Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia 🇦🇲, Greco-Roman Wrestling)

The most decorated Olympian of Independent Armenia, Aleksanyan upstages football star Henrik Mkhitaryan by virtue of his dominance on a sport where his nation is a powerhouse.

The Greco-Roman wrestler is a three-time World Champion (2014, 2015, 2017), and has captured five European titles to date (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020), but his best known for being the reigning Olympic Champion since 2016, when he climbed two steps from the third place obtained in London 2012.

Nicknamed the White Bear by his compatriots, the 29-year-old truly sets the standard of excellence in Armenia, having been named the country’s top athlete multiple times and flag bearer on the closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. The oddsmakers’ favourite for Tokyo, his legend will only continue to grow should he add more gold to his resume.

Rafael Aghayev (Azerbaijan 🇦🇿, Karate)

Once nicknamed the Diamond of the Karate World, Aghayev is considered by many the greatest karateka in history and a trailblazer in a sport that will make its long-awaited Olympic debut in Tokyo.

Rafael Aghayev looks on after the Men’s Kumite -75kg gold medal match of the Baku 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Paul Gilham/Getty Images Europe)

A five-time World Champion and eleven-time European Champion in Kumite, Aghayev has always counterbalanced his average height and lesser reach with an explosiveness and tactical acumen that are still major assets at age 36 and against years of data and video his rivals can use to prepare for their clashes.

A showman on the mat, provoking, teasing, and flashing a smile at opponents as he piles up the points, the Azeri punches, kicks and sweeps with a speed that electrifies martials arts crowds. And none are more knowledgeable and appreciative of it as the Japanese fans in front of which Aghayev will look to put the cherry on top of its glittering career with Olympic gold.

Pavlos Kontides (Cyprus 🇨🇾, Sailing)

Named as Cyprus’ finest athlete in seven of the last eight years, sailor Kontides cruises several miles ahead of any other athlete hailing from the Mediterranean nation, especially since the retirement in late 2019 of tennis player – and former Grand Slam Finalist – Marcos Baghdatis.

The first and only Olympic medallist in the country’s history, snatching silver in the Men’s Laser Class at the 2012 Olympics, the 30-year-old boasted his credentials with a couple of sensational seasons in 2017 and 2018, accumulating two consecutive World titles and a European crown (2018) on his way to the distinction as the 2018 World Sailor of the Year.

Pavlos Kontides in action at the Laser Class 2018 World Championships in Aarhus (Pedro Martínez – Sailing Energy)

Naturally tipped as one of the favourites ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games, Kontides and his compatriots hold justified dreams of gold in Japan, an achievement that would echo Cyprus’ anthem on the Olympic stage for the first time.

Ott Tanak (Estonia 🇪🇪, Rally Racing)

The man who once earned viral status for a dramatic escape after submerging his car in a lake during the 2015 Mexican Grand Prix has managed to change the conversation over the years, landing headlines for his achievements on the roads and driving such public interest in his homeland that he was the subject of a box-office hit in 2019.

“Ott Tanak, the Movie” documented his unsuccessful attempt to become the 2018 World Champion, but both driver and fanbase would eventually get their due, with the 33-year-old completing his decade-long ascension the following season by grabbing six victories out of 13 races and finally hoisting the Championship trophy. The maiden Rally World Champion from Estonia interrupted the French monopoly on the WRC, which had been divvied up between Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier since 2004, and then stunned everyone with a move from Toyota to rivals Hyundai, a sign that Tanak’s appetite is still to be satisfied.  

Iivo Niskanen (Finland 🇫🇮, Cross-country Skiing)

Iivo Niskanen celebrates following his victory in the Men’s 15KM Cross Country during the 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe)

Hardened by dark wintery runs in the forests of Oulu in Northern Finland, Double Olympic Champion Iivo Niskanen has never hidden his fondness for going past the limits of pain, clocking over 900 hours of gruelling preparation every year to excel in the most pressure-heavy environments.

Yet to win a World Cup crystal globe in his career, the 29-year-old possesses a flair for the dramatic, having been voted as the Finnish Sports Personality of the Year in three occasions on the strength of his outstanding performances in selected moments. The first of those was the sprint event of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where he claimed gold in surprising fashion, and another happened in Pyeongchang four years later, with Niskanen snatching the 50km mass start after a tense sprint finale.

For many skiers, Olympic glory would be the pinnacle, however Niskanen’s signature victory dates back to the 2017 World Championships contested in home soil. With all eyes on him, he lasered the energy of his favourite pump-up tune, Gonna Fly Now from the Rocky movies, to smash the field in the 15 km individual race, becoming the national star that Finland’s rich winter sports tradition requires.

Lasha Talakhadze (Georgia 🇬🇪, Weightlifting)

Only 27 years old, the Georgian star is well on the way to match his own weight in gold, courtesy of all the medals and world records he has amassed recently and that have spurred forward a sport plagued by doping scandals.

The 2016 Olympic Champion in the +105 kg (since 2018 reclassed for +109kg), superheavyweight weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze can stake a claim as the strongest athlete ever, having hit a 222kg snatch and clean & jerked 263 kg for a mind-blowing 485 kg total load at the 2021 European Championships. Owner of the four heaviest total lifts of all time across weight classes, Talakhadze has already set and improved two dozen world records, establishing himself as an athlete truly on a class of its own.

Named the IWF Men’s World Weightlifter of the Year after the last three seasons (2017-2019), Talakhadze already has four World Championship wins and five European titles to his name but, more than honours, what the Georgian is really chasing are new milestones for the sport. Including the mythical and long dreamed 500kg total load.

Francesco Friedrich (Germany 🇩🇪, Bobsleigh)

The world’s powerhouse when it comes to sliding sports, Germany has always produced its fair share of dominant figures, especially in luge and bobsleigh, yet Francesco Friedrich isn’t just another pick from the assembly line. He has always dreamed of usurping compatriot Andre Lange as the greatest bobsledder of all-time and, at age 31, he might already be just that.

The most successful slider in World Cup and World Championships history, “King Franz” was also the youngest pilot in history to conquer World Championship glory when he piloted the victorious two-man sled at the 2013 edition. Stunningly, both Germany and Friedrich would go bust at the 2014 Olympics, but that was the last time he left a major competition emptyhanded.

Also the captain of Germany’s leading four-man unit, Friedrich has swept each of the eight World titles awarded since 2017, giving him a record total of ten, and became a double gold medallist at the 2018 Winter Olympics when he drove his two-man sled (alongside breakman Thorsten Margis) to a dramatic last run tie with the Canadians. Dedicated and meticulous, Friedrich’s next challenge is extending his run of success until Beijing 2022, where he hopes to level Lange’s tally of four Olympic titles.

German bobsledder Francesco Friedrich exultes after another of his many victories in German colours (DPA)

Bob Jungels (Luxembourg 🇱🇺, Road Cycling)

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg might not incorporate enough land or population to ever be considered a sporting powerhouse, but it has managed to punch well above its weight on occasion, especially when it relates to cycling. The fifth nation in history with the most Tour de France winners (4), Luxembourg continues to churn out quality riders and the 28-year-old Jungels has been the standout in recent years, regularly bearing the country’s colours in the biggest races as a 12-time National Champion (6x Road Race, 6x Time Trial).

A Grand Tour stage winner, former pink jersey holder and two-time top ten finisher at the Giro d’Italia (2016, 2017), Jungels’ signature triumph to date came in 2018 at the prestigious Liège-Bastogne-Liège, leading to his selection as Luxembourgish Sportsman of the Year. Contrary to some of his most famous compatriots, a major result at the iconic French stage race has eluded him so far, yet he still has time to achieve something that would truly etch his name in Luxembourg’s sports lore.

Denis Vieru (Moldova 🇲🇩, Judo)

With a single Olympic medal secured during the XXI Century, the bronze of boxer Veaceslav Gojan in Beijing 2008, Moldova’s recent success at the international scale, even in popular sports such as weightlifting, wrestling and taekwondo has been sporadic at best.

Moldovan Judoka Denis Vieru (IJF Emanuele Di Feliciantonio / International Judo Federation)

Enter judoka Denis Vieru, who might on course to change that on the strength of a sustained rise in the -66 Kg category. The Under-23 European Champion in 2016 at the age of 20, Vieru’s breakout season came in 2019, with several triumphs in Grand Prix events, a bronze medal at the World Championships, gold in the Summer Universiade and a stunning triumph on the illustrious Paris Grand Slam, one of the landmark events in the judo calendar.  

Third-best at the 2020 European Championships, the 25-year-old’s growing resumé puts him in the conversation for a podium appearance in Tokyo 2020 and maybe even at the highest step, something never achieved before by a Moldovan athlete.

Aleksandar Ivović (Montenegro 🇲🇪, Water Polo)

Arguably one of the best Water Polo players of the last decade, Aleksandar Ivovic’s resumé in Montenegro’s national sport is as decorated as it comes in terms of trophies, medals, and individual distinctions. Named the Best Player in the World in 2018, he is a two-time (2013, 2019) World Championships top scorer, a three-time LEN Champions League winner at club level with legendary Italian outfit Pro Recco, and an idol in Montenegro after leading the national team to a European title in 2008 and two World League victories (2009, 2018).

However, what the 35-year-old cannot call himself is an Olympic medallist, and both athlete and country would love for that to change before the 2015 and 2016 Montenegro Athlete of the Year rides into the sunset. After dramatic fourth place finishes in 2008, 2012 and 2016, the center-back will look to cap an extraordinary career with success in Tokyo 2020, potentially delivering what would be just the second medal in Montenegro’s Olympic history.

Aleksandar Ivovic of Montenegro celebrates a penalty goal during the Men’s Bronze Medal Match of the London 2012 Olympic Games (Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

Taha Akgul (Turkey 🇹🇷, Freestyle Wrestling)

The reigning Olympic Champion in the 125kg category, Taha Akgul hails from Sivas, one of Turkey’s hotbeds when it comes to world class wrestlers. Educated at home in the fundamentals of the sport since early age, Akgul followed on the footsteps of former Olympic and World Champions such as Hamza Yerlikaya and Ahmet Ayik, and as the two-time World Champion confirmed his favouritism in Rio 2016 to collect his nation’s only gold medal in the final days of the Games, his place as a leading sports figure amongst the Turks was sealed.

Famed for his feverish dedication to his craft, refusal to take any vacation time over the last decade,  and for maintaining the same modest lifestyle as before all the accolades, the seven-time European Champion feels he cannot afford to let his guard down ahead of his much-awaited title defence in Tokyo and for good reason. He will once again shoulder the hopes of a massive nation and there is also danger laying in the challenge posed by Georgian rival Geno Petriashvilli, who has shared top honours with Akgul in recent years.

Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine 🇺🇦, Boxing)

A former European, World and Olympic heavyweight Champion (2012) as an amateur boxer, amassing a stellar record of 335 wins and just 15 losses in the process, Oleksander Usyk’s profile has grown significantly since he turned professional in 2013, and emerged as one of the most successful pound-for-pound boxers in the World and a star in his native Ukraine.

Walking the trail blazed by, among others, the Klitchko brothers, the 34-year-old has gone undefeated in his first 18 professional bouts, winning the undisputed cruiserweight championship in 2018 to become just the fourth boxer in history to simultaneously hold the titles attributed by the four major boxing organizations, the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO. Named the Best Boxer of 2018 by most dedicated publications, Usyk, who shares a birthday with the great Muhammad Ali, decided to vacate his titles to move up to heavyweight status, where he is beefing up for the biggest paid duel of his career, a mandatory fight with the WBO Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua.

Part I – Introduction

Part II – Women

Part III – Domestic heroes

Part IV – International Stars

Part V – Global Icons

The Greatest Athletes in Europe – Introduction (Part I)

Europe, the cradle of Western Civilization and springboard for all the major economic, cultural and social leaps that have shaped the world we live in today, has also been at the forefront of the evolution of what we call sport throughout the centuries. The Romans and Greek were already involved in rudimentary forms of entertaining and exercise that with time spawn into organized sports and all the world’s most popular sports have emerged in the old Continent.

This historical background has contributed to the rich tapestry of sports practiced at all levels across the continent, to the amazing diversity, popularity and traditions that have cropped up from it and to the role sports and elite athletes play as ambassadors of their nations around the world. With their success, influence, and prestige, they not only bring fame and recognition to the lands they hail from but are also a major source of pride and inspiration to the people they represent, a piece of national identity that can reach far-flung places faster and more effectively than any well-funded PR campaign.

Still, as much as Europe is the continent of Cristiano Ronaldo or Roger Federer, whose names have grown to almost eclipse their countries the world over, it is inconceivable to think every territory will have the fortune to produce a sport megastar of such magnitude. There are simply too many variables and discrepancies at play to expect any kind of fair and equitable distribution of talent and physical greatness, but there are no such limitations when it comes to assigning a spotlight. And that is what these series is about.

The Greatest Athletes in Europe is not meant to be a simple list of the most famous athletes born in the continent. Or the wealthiest. Or even the most decorated. In truth, you will find most of the names you are expecting here, as those factors were taken into account, but we added an important caveat to the proceedings. We want the best and the greatest, yes, yet we also want to band the continent together, and therefore each country gets its own representative on this celebration of the outstanding medley that is Sport in Europe.

It sounds easy enough, no? 1 athlete per country, selected according to a series of factors we will highlight in a bit. But first, a more pressing question. What are the limits of the continent and how many countries are part of Europe?

Should we consider the transcontinental nations that straddle Europe and Asia like Turkey or Russia? Definitely. The Caucasus region? Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia share strong historical and cultural ties with Europe, so they are in. The Microstates, such as Vatican City, San Marino or Monaco? As long as they have a National Olympic Committee…which Vatican does not, so it’s out.

And that leaves only two more on the brink, Kazakhstan, and Israel. Two countries that have been accepted and integrated by many of the continent’s sports federations, but culturally and geographically are clearly a part of Asia. I went back and forth here, but eventually decided to exclude them. Call me lazy if you want, however dropping two still makes it 49 countries and athletes to profile. After further weighing the merits of contending athletes, I trimmed it to a final number of 46, excluding Andorra, Liechtenstein and Malta, who are currently lacking deserving nominees.

Geographical boundaries defined, on to a few more ground rules.

Regarding eligibility, it is quite straightforward: to be considered, athletes need to be active – sorry, Liechtenstein 😦 – competing at an international level and representing one of the European countries. They do not need to be born in said nation though, so naturalized citizens were contemplated. Stay tuned to see if any got picked.

As for the selection criteria, well, it is mightily complicated. Arguably there is not an objective way to compare across multiple sports, so I had to tap into my own knowledge of the wider sports landscape and dive headfirst into research to reach a decision on the many close calls you might recognize as you make your way through the series.

However, I will do my best to explain some of the factors that were considered:

Vasil Kiryienka carries the flag of Belarus during the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

International Success: Obvious, but still open to different judgements. What is more important, a World Championship triumph or three European titles? A medal at the Olympics or several years of international relevance without the Olympic cherry on top? What about athletes from non-Olympic sports or that have never participated because of injuries or other commitments?

In the end, the Olympics are the rarer event, the pinnacle in terms of media attention and the platform where heroes are instantaneously forged, so triumphs at such stage are crucial even if not required.

Worldwide Sports Relevancy: By virtue of the sport they play, football players are amongst the most prominent people in every European country, and that helps them stand out when such exercise is made. Still, let us not forget that there is also more competition to reach the highest levels as more people get involved. The same applies, albeit in a lower scale, to tennis or basketball so athletes from higher profile sports get a boost here.

Nevertheless, this is not meant to imply Montenegro’s leading football star is guaranteed a spot. Or that the 100^th best basketball player in the world is supplanting a World Champion in rowing or a ten-time European Champion in Karate.

Sports tradition in the country: Some sports are more popular than others in different geographies. A wrestler snatching Olympic gold for Germany will never achieve the same status as a rival from wrestling-mad Turkey or Azerbaijan who reaches the same heights. Ice hockey players are rock stars in Finland, basketball players the idols of kids in Greece and speed skaters more respected in the Netherlands than anywhere else. Athlete’s achievements can lift a specific sports’ profile out of the shadow in a territory, but tradition is a factor to consider.

Individual placement in the world rankings: Being a highly-ranked athlete in the world is important, and can propel a name above a more famous personality from another sport that is rated significantly lower on the established order (even if such order isn’t scientifical, but purely fanciful as happens in team sports)

Recent success: If athlete A was a world beater ten years ago and boasts a decorated resume yet is clearly over the hill, whereas athlete B is younger but already the reigning Olympic Champion, we might take athlete B.

Legacy: Yes, recent success is weighed more heavily, but dominance, world records, piles of silverware, all the good stuff that creates legends is important. Old guys or veterans going through slumps will not be discarded simply because they are not at their peak performance level.

Fame: We need to account for the marketability of athletes provided it is tied to elite performance. Fairly or not, an NBA superstar is a bigger draw than a two-time Olympic Champion in Shooting.

Genre distribution: When all the rest proves too close to call, I am taking a woman over a man. Not just to balance out the group a little bit, but also because women’s sports are underfunded and underpromoted, knocking ladies down a few rungs in some of the other categories (fame, for instance, but not only).

A whole lot to deliberate on, eventually leading to the distribution by sport that is presented below:

Sport	Number of Athletes
Tennis	7
Football	5
Judo	4
Basketball	3
Athletics (Track and Field)	3
Cycling	2
Swimming	2
Handball	2
Wrestling	2
Formula 1	2
Boxing	1
Weightlifting	1
Karate	1
Rally Racing	1
Sailing	1
Bobsleigh	1
Mixed Martial Arts	1
Modern Pentathlon	1
Water Polo	1
Gymnastics	1
Chess	1
Ice Hockey	1
Shooting	1
Cross Country Skiing	1
Total	46

A few quick takeaways from this exercise:

• 23 different sports manage to sneak into the list, which more than an indictment of my superior and comprehensive sports expertise, is a testament to the breadth of talent and diversity Europe can offer. Additionally, this is a number I am confident could not be matched by any other continent were this exercise replicated.
• Fair to say no one was shocked by the top 2, even if most would expect the positions to be flipped. Football is massive everywhere, but if you think about it, there are not that many European players that distinguish themselves enough from the pack to be no-brainers.
• On the other hand, the epicentre of men’s tennis has shifted to Europe over the last two decades, and the fallout is felt beyond the obvious inclusions of the Big Three. Meanwhile, the female game has been at the forefront of equality calls for a long time, with women players achieving levels of notoriety their peers from other sports can only dream of.
• Judo closing out the podium above Basketball and Athletics might raise eyebrows, especially if we remember it is a sport whose origins lay in Japan. However, it is the most widely practiced combat sport with elite athletes spread across the continent that were bound to come up for discussion in many locations.

Telma Monteiro (Portugal) and Hedvig Karakas (Hungary) battle in the women’s -57 kg final of the 2020 Judo European Championships

• There was leeway for a push here and there, but I was surprised that more swimmers or cyclists didn’t force their way onto the list.
• The number of non-Olympic sports represented is three: chess and the two motorsports, Rally Racing and Formula 1. Karate would make it four, but it is an addition to the program of Tokyo 2020.

As for the distribution by gender, it is as follows:

Genre	Number of Athletes
Men	35
Women	11

So, just short of 25% of female representation or half of what you would expect in a world of identical opportunities. Hopefully, these numbers trend in the right direction in the coming years. Athletics (3), Tennis (2) and Swimming (2), not incidentally all sports where men and women regularly share venues, appointments and attention, factor more than once.

A couple of final notes before we get to know the chosen ones. This is an Olympic Year, many of these professionals will compete in Tokyo – a few will even carry their countries’ flags in the Opening Ceremony – and the results they obtain there will shape their legacy and reputation. That is why you will find multiple references to what is at stake at the coming Olympics for these individuals and why a natural change of the guard will occur when this Olympic cycle is completed.

For matters of simplicity and ease of access, the unveiling of the names will occur in four parts (II to V), with the 11 women coming up first and the men divided into three groups whose composition, it should be stressed, has less to do with their relative merits and more with what I assume would be the overall recognition levels amongst the masses. On the first group, we will discover more under-the-radar athletes who even this writer might have been unaware off, and we will make our way up to the heavyweight division, which comprises worldwide stars most non-sports folk should be able to recognize.

Finally, the VI and concluding part will provide a bit of clarity on some of the closest verdicts I endured, pointing out names that missed the cut for some reason, discussing the countries that shone for the range of notable options available and those that disappointed for the lack of a clear choice.

Ok, roll the red carpet, turn on the floodlights and welcome the Greatest Athletes of Europe*

*As of June 2021

Quick Links:

Part I – Introduction

Part II – Women

Part III – Domestic heroes

Part IV – International Stars

Part V – Global Icons

Uncovering trends at the Laureus World Sport Awards

Established in 1999 by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, an organization that aims to use “the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage, and prove that sport has the power to change the world”, the Laureus World Sport Awards are the most renowned annual global recognition of the work of people and teams competing in the multitude of existing sporting disciplines.

Tackling on an undertaking that is both tricky and subjective, as comparing efforts and achievements between athletes that perform such different activities is bound to be, these awards are, nonetheless, an interesting proposition whose function has been successively dwarfed by fundamental biases and incongruences. And since I take this way too seriously, I sought to identify and analyse these tendencies after perusing through the bewildering lineup of contenders for the 2018 awards.

To carry this out, though, we first need to get to know the Laureus’ selection process, which in short, goes like this: first a Nomination Panel “consisting of leading sportswriters, editors and broadcasters from more than 100 countries” is polled, resulting in the group of six nominees in a variety of categories, and then another group of “experts”, the Laureus World Sports Academy, an association of 60+ retired sportspeople who volunteer their time to support the work of the Laureus Foundation, votes to decide the winners who are announced in a glitzy ceremony every February.

The Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony is always held in glamorous settings

This year’s show is scheduled for the 27^th of February at the Sporting Club Monte Carlo (Monaco), but the main point to take away is that a lot of important questions about the voting process are left unanswered. For instance, who are, from where and which sports cover the members of the nomination panel? Are votes tallied one per head or do they rank athletes to allocate points and, if yes, how many? Are they allowed to select countryman/woman? Answers to these questions would provide clarity to many of the puzzling nominations and victories we’ve seen over the years, and while we do know the identity of the Academy’s membership, the voting process is similarly unknown and the results kept under wraps.

It’s quite obvious that in any award granted as a result of the opinion of a few dozens of experts, inherent preferences are accentuated by anonymity, and thus we’re left to speculate based on the information available. In this case, that would be a breakdown of the Laureus Academy current membership (list here), a decent jumping off point to shed light on the clear patterns emerging year after year.

While acknowledging that expecting a perfectly balanced group that respects the wide spectrum of sports disciplines contested around the world would be absurd, we can’t help to notice that the Laureus Foundation would be foolish to forecast some semblance of representability, diversity and, above all, sense of appreciation for the achievements in less acclaimed (pretty different from less competitive) sports when 19 of the 64 distinguished constituents are either former track and field athletes (10) or football players (9), almost 10% (6) played a “niche sport” such as cricket (!!), only 5 contended in Winter disciplines (3 in alpine skiiing), more than half (34) were born in Europe and just 14 are women.

Retired cyclists Chris Hoy and Fabian Cancellara as well as former footballer Ruud Gullit were inducted into the Laureus World Sports Academy last year [Photo/VCG]

Consequently, the history of the Laureus Sports Awards is permeated with odd selections and small idiosyncrasies, which I’ll try to underline as we preview the ceremony to come and look into the 2018 nominees in five preeminent categories: Sportsman, Sportswoman, Team, Breakthrough and Comeback of the Year.

Herewith, let’s explore the history of each award, get to know the nominees, identify relevant snubs and anticipate the winners based on past experience.

 

World Sportsman of the Year

“Awarded to the sportsman who best demonstrates supreme athletic performance and achievement – such as consecutive or multiple world, continental, international or national and major championship titles or the establishment of world records or best performances”

History

In the 18 previous editions, a total of 13 sports have found their way into the nominations but only 7 different men from 4 sports (tennis, golf, formula one and athletics) have hosted the trophy.

Since 2004, being the ATP World No.1 has merited an automatic spot –  the exception is 2012/13 – and between Roger Federer, who shares the record for most statuettes (4) with Usain Bolt,  Rafael Nadal (1) and Novak Djokovic (3), tennis players have won 8 of last 13 years, with the Jamaican sprinter and German driver Sebastian Vettel (2014) squeezed in between. Unsurprisingly, one track and field star is usually on the ballot (every edition but 2007) and the Formula One Champion is also a fixture (12 of the last 16 years), with the same destiny reserved to football’s FIFA World Player of the Year/Ballon D’Or Winner in every instance since Ronaldinho cracked the field in 2006.

Roger Federer and Usain Bolt (pictured) share the record for most Sportsman of the year awards with 4.

Furthermore, if you’re an NBA Champion (contenders in five of the last seven years) or Major Championship-winning golfer (Tiger Woods lifted the trophy in 2000 and 2001), you have a great chance of standing out from the pack and barge into the limelight, which, in turn, allows limited space for turnover on the six-man unit.

The 2018 nominees:

Mo Farah (United Kingdom, Athletics)
Roger Federer (Switzerland, Tennis)
Chris Froome (United Kingdom, Cycling)
Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom, Motor Racing)
Rafael Nadal (Spain, Tennis)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Football)

Track and Field Star? Check. Ballon D’Or Winner? Check. Formula One Champion? Check. The two men who split the major tennis competitions in 2017? Check and check. Mo Farah, Rafael Nadal and Lewis Hamilton got summoned to attend the ceremony for a fourth time, Ronaldo for a fifth and Roger Federer for a record-tying seventh, joining Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods. It’s almost like this category is an exclusive country club that decides to admit a new member here and there. In 2018, the honour fell on Chris Froome and the four-time Tour de France winner had to pick up a second Grand Tour (Vuelta a España) on the season just to merit consideration for the first time.

Snubs:

Do the Laureus decision makers care about any team sport other than football and basketball?

If they’re giving away career shoot outs to the likes of Mo Farah, can someone introduce them to three-time World Handball Player of the Year Nikola Karabatić? The man’s incredible résumé includes, among many others, 9 major titles and 13 international medals as a leading man for the French National Team and, at age 33, he carried them to another World title in 2017 on the back of an MVP-worthy performance. Not too shabby, right?

Voted in three occasions as the best handball player in the World, France’s Nikola Karabatić has never been nominated for a Laureus award (Alex Grimm/Bongarts)

Moreover, are Formula One cars so incredibly difficult to drive that pilots from other disciplines, for instance the World Rally Championships, deserve no respect whatsoever? Sébastien Loeb, the nine-time WRC World Champion, was never elected to the Laureus and his heir, Sébastien Ogier, counting five titles already, suffers from the same stigma. In two wheels, Valentino Rossi got the call after his last five Moto GP titles (coinciding with the field’s expansion from five to six slots) but Marc Márquez can’t even secure a second after four Championships?

Alpine Skier Marcel Hirscher racked up his unprecedented sixth consecutive overall World Cup title and added two gold medals at the World Championships, yet he’s still waiting for some global recognition. Ditto for French Martin Fourcade, who upped his stratospheric credentials even more by setting a record of points (1322) and individual victories (14) in the biathlon World Cup, sweeping all five crystal globes to secure a sixth consecutive Total Score victory and seize complete domination of his sport. Still, what’s that compared with the British fella who won a 10,000 meters race in front of his compatriots, right?

Who will win the Laureus: Roger Federer (Tennis)

I reckon Federer and Nadal may split some of the tennis-inclined voters, but the Swiss is an Academy-favourite, boasts a global following that would exult with the news (gotta work those tv ratings!) and his 2017 season at the sprightly age of 35 is one for history books. Bank on Roger getting the trophy for a fifth time and a full decade (2008) after his last.

Darkhorse: Cristiano Ronaldo (Football)

Incredibly, a football player has never won this award and despite the fact that the Portuguese’s individual figures have looked far better in previous instances, he can benefit from a radical dispersal of votes to edge in front by virtue of Real Madrid’s bucket load of silverware in 2017.

Who should win: Martin Fourcade Chris Froome (Cycling)

Chris Froome races during a stage of the 2017 Vuelta a España (ALAMY LIVE NEWS)

Connect recent news with Lance Armstrong’s cautionary tale (the American won in 2003 but was stripped of the trophy years later) and it’s highly unlikely Froome climbs to the stage in Monaco. Nevertheless, for my money – and based on what has transpired, so far, about his positive doping analysis – he should, chiefly because it had been four decades since someone won the Tour and Vuelta in the same season, and many had tried and failed to complete the task since the Spanish Grand Tour moved to the current position in the calendar. Clinching victories in two Grant Tours separated by a handful of weeks is an incredible feat and I don’t see how the others top that (If you’re shouting Roger Federer’s name, please take a look at his calendar from April to June…).

 

World Sportswoman of the Year

“Awarded to the sportswoman who best demonstrates supreme athletic performance and achievement – such as consecutive or multiple world, continental, international or national and major championship titles or the establishment of world records or best performances.”

History: 

If the men have formed a secluded society, what can we say about the women’s distinction? In the same 18 years, only 9 different sports have offered candidates and two thirds of the statuettes were collected either by tennis players (5) or track and field athletes (7). Sensing a theme here?

Last year, gymnast Simone Biles went home with the Laureus figurine, capitalizing on her sport’s first ever nomination, but chances are we’ll be back to square one 12 months later based on the group announced this time, which includes two track athletes for the 13th (!!!!) consecutive year plus a pair of tennis players, notably three-time winner (and child-bearer) Serena Williams.

Serena Williams, the 2017 Australian Open Champion, has won the World Sportswoman of the Year award more times than anyone else (Source: Reuters)

The 2018 nominees:

Allyson Felix (USA, Athletics)
Katie Ledecky (USA, Swimming)
Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain, Tennis)
Caster Semenya (South Africa, Athletics)
Mikaela Shiffrin (USA, Alpine Skiing)
Serena Williams (USA, Tennis)

When you have an athletics quota to fill no matter what, stupid appointments are bound to happen, and for all Allyson Felix has done throughout her extraordinary career (including her previous Laureus citations in 2013 and 2017), she has no business being on this list. If you fail to collect individual gold medals at your sport’s World Championships, how on Earth are you a top-six World Sportswoman in any given year?

It’s a dismal choice, but it’s not unique in a list born out of the need to invite the same faces and deputies. I love tennis, but c’mon….Serena Williams played two tournaments in 2017, one of those in the early stages of a pregnancy, and somehow got a record fifth nomination, while Garbiñe Muguruza erupted in the summer, claiming Wimbledon and Cincinnati, yet she then failed to hold onto a WTA World No.1 that was there for the taking. None of these women deserve to be here, pure and simple.

Still, the Spaniard, at least, is a newcomer that may return in the future whereas another neophyte, Caster Semenya, gets a pass for conforming to the minimum requirements (the 800m World title), in opposition to Allyson Felix. Katie Ledecky, nominated for a third consecutive year, will someday become the second swimmer to win this award, succeeding Missy Franklin (2014), and I would wager big money that Mikaela Shiffrin, the fifth nomination in six years for a female alpine skier – the men have 0..ever – will write her name alongside Janica Kostelić (2006) and Lindsey Vonn (2011) sooner than later.

Snubs:

Scroll down this page, pick any woman that conquered gold in London and paste her name over Allyson Felix’s. Feeling helpless? I’ll pull four names that added the World title in London to the 2016 Olympic gold and boast both the pedigree and clout for such honour: 2017 IAAF World Athlete of the Year Nafissatou Thiam (Belgium, heptathlon), 2016 IAAF World Athlete of the Year Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia, 10,000 m), World Record holder Anita Włodarczyk (Poland, hammer throw) and two-time Olympic Champion Sandra Perković (Croatia, discus throw). Any of these ladies would be an infinitely better choice than Felix.

Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam added the 2017 World title to her heptathlon Olympic Gold (Getty Images)

Since athletics and tennis have acquired multiple selections in recent times, why not swimming? Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden), who collected 3 gold medals and one silver at the FINA World Championships, and American Lilly King (4 titles, 2 of them individual) approximated Ledecky’s tally (5 golds + 1 silver) and managed to break a couple of world records each along the way…

In the winter disciplines, biathlete Laura Dahlmeier got doled out the Fourcade-treatment. Her first World Cup overall title, 2 small globes, 10 individual wins and an outstanding 4 gold medals and one silver from five events at the World Championships are laudable accomplishments that behoved full attention.

Who will win: Katie Ledecky (Swimming)

I mean…Serena won’t pluck a shiny new toy for her baby girl..right, RIGHT?

The 22-year-old Ledecky was pipped by tennis’ GOAT in 2016, and surrendered the stage to the captivating acrobatics of Simone Biles last year, but her path to victory looks unimpeded this time. That surprising defeat to Italy’s Federica Pellegrini in the 200m freestyle – her first in an individual event internationally – and the lack of new world records are small knocks on her application, yet she put her own marks and expectations at such a preposterous level that it might not really matter. Adding the five golds and one silver amassed in Budapest, the 20-year-old has already broken the World Aquatics Championships’ all-time female gold medal (14) and that really says it all.

All Katie Ledecky does is collect medals at the major swimming meetings. In Budapest, at the 2017 World Championships, she added 6 more to her mantle (SIPA USA)

Underdog: Mikaela Shiffrin (Alpine Skiing)

Compatriot Lindsey Vonn had to endure two disappointments before earning the award, and Shiffrin might follow a similar path after securing a maiden nomination for her first overall World Cup title in 2016-17. The main difference lies in the fact that, if everything goes according to plan, the Slalom Queen will crush the PyeongChang Olympics next month, bag a whole lot of gold, and stake an early pole-position for the 2019 Laureus.

Who should win: Katie Ledecky (Swimming)

She’s due. And if it goes any other way – except for a Shiffrin upset -, it’s a joke.

 

World Team of the Year

“Awarded to the team that best demonstrates supreme performance and achievements – such as world, continental, international or national and major championship title.”

History:

Awarded for the first time in 2000 to English football club Manchester United, treble winners (Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup) in 1998-1999, this distinction has been dominated by football teams as both domestic and international sides have collected the award nine of 18 times. As such, the UEFA Champions League winner has been nominated in every occasion since 2001 – except for the 2011-12 Chelsea FC – and the national teams that conquer the UEFA European Championships or the (Men/Women’s) FIFA World Cup are also pencilled in.

With 15 appearances in 17 years since the category was expanded from 3 to 5 (later 6) spots, the F1 Constructors World Champions are also virtual locks every season and possible winners (2x) when their hopes don’t clash with sure-fire victors coming from the Men’s FIFA World Cup (5 wins in 5 opportunities) and Rugby World Cup (3 of 4). With no Championship side spurned since 2008 (the 2007 San Antonio Spurs), NBA representatives are also on a long run of appearances but have yet to collect the statuette.

New Zealand’s All Blacks won the World Team of the Year award in 2016 (Getty Images)

The 2018 nominees:

France Davis Cup Team (France, Tennis)
Golden State Warriors (USA, Basketball)
Mercedes-AMG Petronas (Germany, Motor Racing)
New England Patriots (USA, American Football)
New Zealand America’s Cup (New Zealand, Sailing)
Real Madrid CF (Spain, Football)

NBA Champions Golden State Warriors, Formula One Champions Mercedes and Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, who added the La Liga title to a second consecutive Champions League badge, were the obvious choices, and the rest benefitted from 2017 being neither an Olympic year nor host to a major football or rugby competition.

Therefore, the French tennis team is the fifth Davis Cup-winning squad to merit a call, sailing is represented by the America’s Cup holder for a first time since the Team Alinghy in 2004, and the only true stunner are the Super Bowl winners New England Patriots, the first NFL team to earn a nomination.

Emirates Team New Zealand and helmsman Peter Burling conquered the 35th America’s Cup (ACEA 2017 / Photo Ricardo Pinto)

Snubs:

Since 2006, the Men’s French National handball team has collected three European Championships, two Olympic titles and four World Championships. In 2017, despite being mired in the middle of a generational transition, they cruised to another World title by defeating all their opponents. Evidently, the Laureus Academy thinks winning the Davis Cup, a discredited competition ignored by many of the World’s elite, is a more impressive feat…

With the Patriots inclusion coming one year after the MLB’s Chicago Cubs became the first team from a North American professional league to win a Laureus, time was right to recognize the forgotten NHL (0 nominations), but ice hockey was once again shut out of the awards. Tough break for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the first back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions in 19 years.

Who will win: Real Madrid (Football)

Barring a triumph for the Davis Cup winners, any other result would fall short of the “upset” moniker, nonetheless I would say Real Madrid’s time has come.

Spanish side Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League for the second consecutive year in 2016-17 (AFP)

European Champions on five occasions in the XXI century, they’ve always taken a step back to others at the Laureus, but I have a hard time believing their 5-spot combo (Champions League, La Liga, European SuperCup, Spanish SuperCup, FIFA Club World Cup) won’t do the job in similar fashion to FC Barcelona’s haul in 2011. Although Barça’s perfect 2009, six trophies out of six, went unrewarded….

Darkhorse: Golden State Warriors (Basketball)

Thwarted by New Zealand’s All-Blacks in 2016, the Warriors return two years later with an even more robust body of work. A similar regular season record (67-15) amassed in casual fashion, a fabulous playoff term (16-1) culminated with a dominant performance (4-1) against the team (Cleveland Cavaliers) that spoiled their back-to-back challenge the previous season, and a cadre of pundits pondering whether they had just witnessed the greatest NBA team ever.

If a basketball team is going to steal the show, better be this one.

Who should win: Golden State Warriors (Basketball)

Going 16-1 in a salary-capped league postseason is ridiculous, though I wouldn’t exactly oppose appreciation for New Zealand America’s Cup team’s history. Exacting revenge in commanding fashion (7-1) from the same US Oracle Team against whom they blew a 8-1 lead four years earlier must have made for a riveting spectacle.

 

World Breakthrough of the Year

“Awarded to the sportsperson or team whose performance as a newcomer suggests the greatest potential for an outstanding career or to an established sportsman or sportswoman who produces a significant step-up in class to a considerably higher level of sporting achievement.”

Handed out until 2007 to the newcomer of the year, this distinction features the most distinct range of potential candidates, and that is expressed on both the diversity of origins from the nominees (18 different sports since 2000) and the notion that no one has repeated victory (though some have broken through more than once…).

Fifteen men and only three women have been rewarded for substantial improvements in their performances over the previous 12 months, however a few teams have also made appearances amongst the nominees, for example Leicester City for their English Premier League triumph in 2016-17. Still, in 14 of 18 instances, the winner was a golfer (5), a Formula One driver (5) or a tennis player (4) and those three sports, alongside football (0 wins of 14 nominations!), also monopolize the history of this award, hence we can’t really say it is divorced from the palpable biases of the Academy.

German Formula One driver Nico Rosberg received the Breakthrough of the Year award in 2017 (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)

The 2018 nominees:

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece, Basketball)
Caeleb Dressel (USA, Swimming)
Sergio Garcia (Spain, Golf)
Anthony Joshua (United Kingdom, Boxing)
Kylian Mbappé (France, Soccer)
Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia, Tennis)

The very inaugural winner of the award, back in 2000, Sergio García can become the first man to repeat if his much-anticipated, maiden Major Championship victory at The Masters of Augusta is enough to sway the jury. Moreover, the 37-year-old is also the old soul on this group, with Anthony Joshua counting 28 years of age, and the rest hovering in the late teens/early 20’s.

The world heavyweight champion is the third boxer to warrant consideration, following on the footsteps of fellow Brits Amir Khan (2005) and Tyson Fury (2016), while Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jelena Ostapenko are the first Greek and Latvian sports people to be nominated for this Laureus award. American Caeleb Dressel, the new face of men’s swimming, can achieve something Michael Phelps never did – Brit Rebecca Adlington is the only swimmer to have won the award – while football’s teenage sensation Kylian Mbappé will try to avoid the same fate of Lionel Messi (2006) and Neymar (2013), both bested by tennis players (Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, respectively).

Jelena Ostapenko’s triumph on the clay of Roland Garros earned her a Laureus nomination (Reuters)

Snubs:

A first-time Grand Tour winner in 2017, Dutch cyclist Tom Dumoulin wouldn’t look out of place in this category. Particularly because the Giro d’Italia triumph (and the victory at the Worlds individual Time Trial race) may well be a glimpse of more to come from the man many believe to be uniquely qualified to end Chris Froome’s reign in the Tour de France.

As with the other individual classes, it’s quite unusual that the nominations in this category are stripped of a track and field star in the making. We’re not complaining about it, however the World Championships in London could have sanctioned the likes of 21-year-old Karsten Warholm, the Norwegian who stunned the field to take the 400m hurdles title in convincing fashion, or Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, the talented 22-year-old who outlasted reigning Olympic Champion Catherine Ibargüen in an epic South-American duel.

As far as up-and-coming teams, the Dutch Women’s National Football Team, European Champions for the first time to put an end to Germany’s 22-year hegemony, and the NHL’s Nashville Predators, maiden Stanley Cup Finalists in a campaign that showcased their players, city and fans like never before, would have been worthy contenders.

Who will win: Kylian Mbappé (Football)

There’s not a lot on the history of this award that helps underscore many tendencies, but we know Ostapenko, as a woman – albeit a tennis player – may be at a disadvantage, and no Formula One driver made the cut this time, so let’s simply push the cards into Kylian Mbappé’s corner and cross fingers.

Those ten ex-footballers on the Academy board have to be worth for something, and I believe they can rally around the exciting French striker, an 18-year-old superstar that will set football fields ablaze for the next 15 years.

Paris St. Germain forward Kylian Mbappé is recognized for his breakout season in 2017.

Darkhorse: Sergio García (Golf)

I may be terribly wrong, but I struggle to contemplate enough support for a Greek player that hasn’t won a playoff round in the NBA – no matter how freakishly athletic he looks -, a bubbly teenager from a small Baltic nation, a boxer (no disrespect intended) or even a (still) under-the-radar American swimmer (maybe at the ESPY’s, kid). Which leaves us with Sergio García, one of the most beloved golfers of all-time, a veteran primed for a late career accolade after a revered milestone, and a man who will, definitely, earn an invitation to join the Laureus Academy as soon as his playing days are over.

Who should win: Caeleb Dressel (Swimming)

When you thought it would take an entire lifetime to spawn someone that could draw comparisons to Michael Phelps, out of nowhere materializes another arresting combination of slender frame/fulminant turns/amazing underwater shifts that hoards medals at the World Championships to leave swimming fans agape.

Three gold medals in the same session (actually, in a 98-min spam), something never accomplished before, a total of seven World titles in the same meeting (even if 4 of them courtesy of the relay events), tying the World Championships record of Phelps and the merits of another swimming legend, Mark Spitz. This is the breakthrough of 2017.

American swimmer Caeleb Dressel reacts after winning one of his races at the Swimming World Championships in Budapest last July (Patrick B. Kraemer)

 

World Comeback of the Year

“Awarded to the sportsperson or team who has overcome injury, illness, adversity, disappointment or failure and risen back to triumph in the sporting arena. The Award may also mark a historic fightback by an individual or a team in a sporting event or series of sports events.”

A category that allows for multiple premises and motivations, this award has contained nominees from a lot of different disciplines (23) over the years, helping to spread the reach of the Laureus “brand” to sports largely ignored for the other prizes (ice hockey, triathlon, equestrian, rowing…) but, in the end, the same dominate as far as most nominations (athletics, golf) and winners (tennis – 6, athletics – 2). Without two-time victors on the board of honour after 18 editions, the first man to receive this award was former cyclist Lance Armstrong by virtue of his recovery from testicular cancer and eventual triumph at the Tour de France yet, as happened with the rest of his laurels, the American’s name has been expunged following his doping admission.

The 2018 nominees:

FC Barcelona (Spain, Football)
Chapecoense (Brazil, Football)
Roger Federer (Switzerland, Tennis)
Justin Gatlin (USA, Athletics)
Sally Pearson (Australia, Athletics)
Valentino Rossi (Italy, Motor Racing)

Associação Chapecoense de Futebol’s rehabilitation after a tragic plane crash and the return to football of the only three players (Alan Ruschel, Neto and Jakson Follmann) that survived couldn’t have been forgotten, and neither could Roger Federer’s odyssey back to the top of his game, as the Swiss scored, perhaps, the most breath-taking injury comeback in tennis history.

Chapecoense’s Alan Ruschel waves to the crowd at Camp Nou before a friendly match between the Brazilian team and FC Barcelona (Toni Albir, EFE)

Paula Radcliffe (2008) and Felix Sanchez (2013) were the two track and field athletes to win this award, but it’s unlikely Justin Gatlin, who found public redemption on the track by beating Usain Bolt on the legend’s last individual race, or Sally Pearson, once again the 100m hurdles World Champion after three years marred by multiple injury setbacks, add their names to the list. FC Barcelona’s frantic comeback against PSG in the last minutes of their round of 16 Champions League tie is, arguably, one of the most memorable in football history, while Valentino Rossi is up for a second victory (2011) for taking less than a month to make another swift recovery from displaced fractures on his right leg’s tibia and fibula.

Snubs:

It’s harsh to hold a grudge against any of the six nominees, but I might have bumped out Justin Gatlin (who played a major role in his demise) for Petra Kvitová. Assaulted at home in late 2016 by a knife-wielding robber, the Czech’s left hand tendons and nerves were severely damaged, putting her career at risk, but she was still able to return to the WTA Tour in less than 6 months and eventually collect her first title following the recovery at Birmingham last June.

Petra Kvitová triumphed in Birmingham on her second tournament back from a severe hand injury (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images for LTA)

The New England Patriots’ comeback from 28-3 down on Super Bowl LI to claim a fifth title this century could have also featured in this category, but Bil Bellichick and Tom Brady ain’t Roger Federer to get two swings at the piñata in the same year.

Who will win: Chapecoense (Football)

I just can’t anticipate a different scenario.

Darkhorse: Roger Federer (Tennis)

Picks up the record-extending Majors No. 18 (Australian Open) and No. 19 (Wimbledon) to end a four-year Slam drought, and reclaim the throne in his mid-thirties after six months on the shelf for a freak injury? In any other year, this is a slam dunk choice.

Who should win: Chapecoense (Football)

C’mon, what type of person do you think I am?

 

As part of their World Sports Awards, the Laureus Foundation also presents a few discretionary distinctions and three other regular statuettes: for Action Sportsperson of the Year, rewarding who best demonstrates supreme athletic performance and achievement in action sports, Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, for those who best demonstrate excellent athletic achievement and strong leadership qualities in a sport in the Paralympic programme, and Best Sporting Moment, introduced last year and voted by the public.

I’ve grandstanded enough already, so I’m not going to opine on awards I know nothing about, but can’t finish this article without praising the Laureus Foundation for calling “alternative” sports stars and disabled athletes to the limelight, rubbing shoulders with the “mainstream” sporting heroes followed by millions around the world.

Weekend roundup (October, 22nd): Inter Milan slows down Napoli’s scintillating start

It’s been a while since the Serie A inhabited the imagination of football fans around the world, the combination of boundless pockets of money, elite skill and tactical majesty vaulting the Italian League to rarefied air amongst its counterparts throughout the 90s and early 2000’s. Over the last few seasons, Juventus utter dominance has obscured the overall rejuvenation of the Calcio, yet Maurizio Sarri’s exceptional job at SSC Napoli is finally getting bandied across the continent, the Partenopei enjoying deserved recognition for their bustling footballing machine on the wheels of a perfect league start with eight wins in eight matches.

Consequently, it came as no surprise that after a massive mid-week clash with Manchester City, Napoli’s reception to second-place Inter Milan was, arguably, the match of the weekend in European football, a brimming San Paolo expecting another step forward on the long road towards a Championship they’ve craved for 27 years. However, if this Napoli team is perfectly qualified to trade punch for punch with the continent’s elite, it isn’t afforded the same roster depth as others and that may well be their demise as the season rolls on.

Against Inter, Sarri elected nine of the players that started against City last Tuesday, recalling midfielders Alan and Jorginho to fill in for Amadou Diawara and Piotr Zieliński, and despite preserving the foundations of their exquisite passing game and trademarked accelerations, the fatigued hosts failed to bust the rigid block set up by Luciano Spalletti’s side, also undefeated so far on the season.

Buoyed by goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, namely on a miraculous save on José Callejón’s point-blank shot in the 24^th minute, and the last minute stop on Dries Mertens’ flick, the visitors actually could have left victorious had Mario Vecino’s inspired run and chip not been cleared at the goal line by center back Raúl Albiol.

https://twitter.com/VGSports_/status/921919175983095808

Nevertheless, in the end, what will go down is the 0-0, Napoli’s unblemished record coming to an end, and the Serie A table cluttering with Napoli (25 pts) and Inter (23) watching as Juventus and Lazio (both 22) creep up on them.

Overshadowed and looking bewildered in occasion, this hasn’t been Juventus’ best start, yet Il Bianconeri sent a clear message this week, whipping Udinese (2-6) away with a hat-trick from German international Sami Khedira. Peek through the numbers and you’ll notice Juventus was, above all, extremely clinical, notching five times in five shots on goal and profiting from an own-goal, however Massimiliano Allegri’s squad will take it at this time. Meanwhile, in Rome, Lazio banked a fourth consecutive triumph, clocking Cagliari (3-0) as the inevitable Ciro Immobile upped his account to 13 goals with another brace.

Moreover, fifth place AS Roma won at Torino (0-1), a 69^th minute free kick by left back Aleksandar Kolarov proving decisive to reach 18 pts with a game in hand, precisely against Sampdoria, sixth with 17 after routing Crotone on the strength of five unanswered goals at the Luigi Ferraris. As for AC Milan, the crisis is an evidence after a 0-0 home draw with Genoa in a game where prized summer acquisition Leonardo Bonucci was sent off in the 25^th minute. I Rossoneri dropped to the second half of the table, putting Vincenzo Montella’s job in serious jeopardy.

La Liga

In the wake of another round of European matches, all top-four La Liga clubs won their encounters but only one managed to impress in the process. Welcoming Sevilla at the Mestalla Stadium, Valencia dismantled the opposition with four straight goals to secure second place, notch a fifth consecutive triumph and keep the four-point gap on leaders Barcelona (25 points), who got help from a controversial goal in the early moments of their 2-0 triumph over Malaga at the Camp Nou.

After Barcelona and Valencia fulfilled their duties on Saturday, the two Madrid outfits responded positively to their mid-week setbacks the next day. Real Madrid cruised to a no-frills 3-0 victory over Eibar, while Atletico negotiated the complicated visit to the Balaídos with a narrow 1-0 triumph over Celta de Vigo courtesy of Kevin Gameiro’s opportunistic finish. The capital rivals are separated by a point in the standings, and are now followed by the surprising Leganés, who amassed their fifth success in nine rounds after beating Athletic Bilbao (1-0). With their second consecutive league defeat, Sevilla dipped to sixth, their 16 points now equalled by Real Betis (2-0 over Alavés) and Villarreal (4-0 to Las Palmas).

Bundesliga

In a span of two weeks, Borussia Dortmund’s five point advantage vanished as their European hiccups spilled into Bundesliga action. Following the home defeat against Leipzig, the black and yellow allowed hosts Eintracht Frankfurt to roar back from two goals down in their round 9 contest, conceding a draw which restored Bayern Munich to their customary placing at the top of the table.

Traveling North to Hamburg, the Bavarians looked far from brilliant, however Corentin Tolisso’s second half marker expressed on the score (0-1) the numerical advantage the visitors benefitted from after midfielder Gideon Jung was dismissed in 39^th minute.

French midfielder Corentin Tolisso netted the game-winner for Bayern Munich in Hamburg (AP)

Dortmund and Bayern have amassed 20 points from 9 games, and RB Leipzig comes right behind, totalling 19 after Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer scored the lone goal against Stuttgart. In round 10, Leipzig visits Munich in a match that can further muddle things at the top.

Schalke 04, victorious (2-0) against Mainz on Friday, is fourth with 16 points after catching an Hoffenheim team that once again gave away two points (1-1 at Wolfsburg) in the dying moments of their encounter, while Bayer Leverkusen, absent from Europe this season, approached the top five after a devastating second half performance at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Down 1-0 at half time, they pumped five past Swiss goalie Yann Sommer in a 33-minute stretch to sink Die Fohlen, and now get a great opportunity to keep ascending with a reception to rivals – and last place – FC Köln (0-0 vs Werder Bremen) next week.

Ligue 1

In spite of the current resource disparity, every clash between fierce rivals Marseille and Paris Saint Germain is slapped with the “appointment viewing” tag and the round 10 encounter at the Velódrome was no exception. Le Classique was tense and intense, controversial and vicious inside and outside the pitch, marked by the ejection of debutant Neymar, and capped by a spectacular Edinson Cavani free kick in injury time that shattered Marseille’s heart and salvaged a point for PSG.

https://twitter.com/fantastachi/status/922206262426853376

With the 2-2 draw, the Parisians conserve their lead at the top of Ligue 1, holding a 4-point advantage over Monaco, who returned to the winning column after a 4–game dry spell domestically and abroad. Forwards Keita Baldé and Radamel Falcao were on the mark against Caen, and Les Monégasques closest competition is now the surging Nantes, who brushed aside Guingamp (2-1).

In Troyes, a Memphis Depay hat-trick powered Olympique Lyon to a bloated 0-5 away victory and up a few rungs on the standings, surpassing Marseille, Saint Etiénne, surprised at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard by Montpellier (0-1), and Bordeaux, who fell at Amiens (1-0). Down at the bottom, another defeat, this time in Rennes, saw 2010-11 Ligue1 Champions Lille drop into the relegation zone.

English Premier League

One week after being denounced for the conservative game plan in Liverpool, Manchester United bombed spectacularly in the visit to newly promoted Huddersfield Town (2-1), their maiden loss of the campaign speeded up by defensive miscues and remarkable passivity.  José Mourinho’s men are now five points adrift of Manchester City, who glided towards three more points in the reception to Burnley (3-0), and levelled with a Tottenham team getting hot.

Several Huddersfield Town players celebrate with fans after their famous triumph over Manchester United on Saturday (Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes)

In front of a Premier League record crowd (80,827) at Wembley, the Spurs dispatched Liverpool by a conclusive 4-1, with Harry Kane bagging two more goals on their fourth consecutive league win to condemn the visitors to a pedestrian ninth place after nine rounds. Still, the Reds can take some solace on the fact that their city rivals, Everton, are considerably worst, submerged below the red line after another defeat at home to Arsenal, who took full advantage of Idrissa Gueye’s dismissal in the 68^th minute to inflate the score.

The hefty 2-5 defeat cost Ronald Koeman’s job, while another coach under intense scrutiny, Chelsea’s Antonio Conte, found some relief on the Blues late rally against Watford. The visitors stunned Stamford Bridge when they tallied twice around half time in reply to Pedro Rodríguez fantastic opener, yet César Azpilicueta and substitute Michy Batshuayi (x2) found the net in the last twenty minutes to secure a 4-2 victory, which propelled Chelsea past the opponent in the standings and maintained the defending Champions nine points behind Man City.

Pedro's stunning strike against Watford! 😍🔥#PL #GoalOfTheDay #CHEWAT #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/6eoZ1QfnlI

— Footballhub360 (@footballhub360) October 22, 2017

Cycling: Fernando Gavíria feasts in China

We’ve arrived at the end of the road for the 2017 World Tour season, with the first edition of the Gree-Tour of Guangxi taking place in the faraway lands of South China since last Thursday. A six-day race, the event will only finish on Tuesday, but so far it’s been dominated by the two Belgium teams in the peloton.

With the first three stages marked as flat, Colombian Fernando Gavíria looked the man to beat and the Quick-Step Floors sprinter confirmed his favouritism, compiling wins No. 11, 12 and 13 of his 2017 season in imperious fashion. The likes of Max Walscheid (Team Sunweb), Magnus Cort Nielsen (ORICA-Scott) and Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) were left in the dust by Gavíria, and the scenery then changed for stage 4, which concluded with the ascension to the Mashan Nongla Scenic Spot.

Lotto Soudal’s Tim Wellens edged Bauke Molema (Trek Segafredo) at the finish line to claim victory on the Queen stage, and he now leads the Dutch rider in the general classification by four seconds, with Irish Nicholas Roche (BMC) standing nine seconds behind. Since the last two days will tackle the rugged terrain around Guilin, including 6 categorized climbs, it’s early to appoint Wellens as the future winner, but he should like his chances of picking up a fourth WT overall triumph after the Eneco Tour in 2014 and 2015, and Tour of Poland in 2016.

Belgian rider Tim Wellens celebrates his win in stage 4 of the Tour of Guangxi (Tim de Waele / TDWSport.com)

Tennis: Juan Martín Del Potro defends title in Stockholm to enter ATP Finals fray

The ATP Tour year-end Championships are less than a month away and, at this time, just four names have booked their trip to London: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem. Hence, with four spots still up for grabs, this week of action was absolutely pivotal for many of the contenders, who could choose between the final three ATP 250 tournaments (Moscow, Antwerp and Stockholm) of 2017. Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and the idle Marin Čilić inched closer to qualification, yet David Goffin and Pablo Carreño Busta, who hold the last two places, had performances that made them no favours.

Playing at home and with the recent conquests in Shenzhen and Tokyo still fresh, Goffin fell to qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas in the QF of the European Open to complicate his situation and boost the chances of fellow hopefuls Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Diego Schwartzman. The French and Argentine eventually jostled in Antwerp’s Final, with Tsonga keeping his perfect 2017 record in tournament-deciding matches with a 6-3, 7-5 victory. After Rotterdam, Marseille and Lyon, this was a career-best fourth title of the year for the powerful 32-year-old, who’s looking for a fourth ATP Tour Finals appearance, whereas the diminutive Schwartzman lost the Final in Antwerp to a French player (Richard Gasquet) for a second consecutive year.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was the strongest player in the European Open, contested in Antwerp last week (ATP Tour)

Meanwhile, in Moscow, where he defended the 2016 title, Spaniard Carreño Busta, battling a finger injury, was knocked off in the second round by Russian Daniil Medvedev. That meant the Kremlin Cup ended up on the hands of Damir Džumhur, who beat unseeded Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis in three sets (6-2, 1-6, 6-4) to prove his predilection for Russia. Just one month ago, the Bosnian had captured his first ATP Tour title in Saint Petersburg.

Moreover, in Stockholm, as a result of the best draw contested this week – all eight seeds reached the QF – the Swedish crowd was rewarded with a sumptuous Final between World No. 8 Grigor Dimitrov and fourth seed Juan Martin Del Potro, two former winners of the event.

Making good use of a relentless delivery, the lanky Argentine dominated the match to amass a straight sets victory (6-4, 6-2) that secured a 20^th career title and his first of the 2017 season. It was also the second consecutive triumph in the Swedish capital for Del Potro, who moved to 14^th in the Race to London (or 11^th, discounting the injured Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka), just 470 points behind Carreño Busta, while Dimitrov is fifth, having failed to lock his place but well on his way to do so over the next two weeks.

This match is starting to catch 🔥

Title on the line… 📺 https://t.co/kRsZ9udpkC#STHLMOPEN pic.twitter.com/5e1BH1GH5L

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 22, 2017

On the women’s side, with the WTA Finals kicking off in Singapore yesterday, the weekend marked the conclusion of the regular WTA Tour calendar and the final smiles were reserved for two German players.

In the WTA Premier of Moscow, missing defending Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and with Maria Sharapova flopping on her first appearance since 2007, it would emerge 28-year-old Julia Görges to put an end to a personal six-year drought without a WTA Tour title.

Enjoying a bounce back season after several years toiling on the second half of the Top 100, the former World No.15 (2012) had already reached three finals in 2017 (Mallorca, Bucharest, Washington D.C.) but could only capture her third career title on Saturday by crushing (6-1, 6-2) 20-year-old Daria Kasatkina. With the victory, Görges ascends to the top 20, breaking into the WTA Elite Trophy field at the last minute, and leapfrogging Angelique Kerber as the leading German player on the rankings.

Julia Görges (L) and Daria Kasatkina (R) hold their trophies from the Kremlin Cup (Pavel Golovkin, AP )

A week of overwhelming feelings for Görges, but also for her compatriot Carina Witthöft, who conquered her first WTA Tour trophy at the Luxembourg Open. The 22-year-old bested Monica Puig, the Rio 2016 Olympic Champion, in two sets (6-3, 7-5) to close the season ranked just shy of the top 50 (No. 51), and with eyes set on further progression in 2018.

Moment of the weekend

Precision, power and transcendent speed on this magical run and sublime finish from Portuguese winger Gonçalo Guedes, one of the key figures in Valencia’s great start to La Liga in 2017-18. On a season loan from Paris Saint Germain, the 20-year-old’s belter was the inaugural goal of Los Che emphatic 4-0 victory over Sevilla, and he would add another marker plus an assist on a night to remember at the Mestalla.

Weekend Roundup (October, 15th): Roger Federer’s rampant 2017 season continues in Shanghai

More than Federer’s return to the top of his game at age 36, one of the sports stories of 2017 has been the meticulous, unanticipated turnaround we’ve been able to witness on year 13 of “Fedal”, the biggest rivalry in tennis history. Since that sensational fifth set in Melbourne, when Roger Federer came back from a break down to stun Rafael Nadal and collect the Australian Open, the dynamics of the pair’s meetings have shifted significantly, and after comprehensive straight set wins in Indian Wells and Miami, Shanghai hosted yet another magnificent display from the “Swiss Maestro” against his long-time foe.

Playing under a closed roof and in fast conditions that favour his wicked offensive game, Federer jumped on his rival from the onset in Shanghai, breaking serve in the first game of the match, and never looked back on his way to a commanding, 71-minute, 6-4, 6-3 victory. When the one-handed backhand is dissecting the court and the serve firing on all cylinders, the Swiss is virtually unbeatable in hard courts, and those two weapons were once again the main catalysts to a fifth straight victory over Nadal, who fought till the very end but never managed to dent his rival’s delivery, failing to muster a single break point all night and capturing just 17% of the points contested on Federer’s first serve.

The two tennis legends share a moment in Shanghai after another chapter of their rivalry (Reuters)

With the victory over the World No. 1, which guaranteed a 94^th professional trophy – just 14 off Jimmy Connors’ Open era record – Federer is now 10-1 against top-ten players in 2017, the only setback coming in Toronto to youngster Alex Zverev in what was also his only loss in seven finals to date. Moreover, he further diminished his head-to-head deficit with Nadal to 15-23, shaving off the 31-year-old’s lead at the top of the ATP rankings to 1960 points.

Three tournaments are still left on the schedule for both men: the Swiss Indoors in Basel, the Paris Masters and the ATP Tour Finals in London, hence there’s an outside chance the lead changes hands to allow the Swiss a six year-end No.1, an incredible feat that would come eight years after the last. For that to happen, Rafa would have to stumble early somewhere along the way, which is unlikely, yet we’ve seen far stranger things in this tennis season…

In the WTA Tour, the biggest news of the weekend was the return of Maria Sharapova to the titles, more than two years after triumphing in Rome (May 2015), and just on the seventh tournament appearance since the end of her doping suspension. In Tianjin’s WTA International, the Russian star, ranked No. 85 in the World, brushed aside a fearless Aryna Sabalenka in two sets, 7-5, 7-6 (8), with the 19-year-old from Belarus handling her first WTA Tour Final with impressive poise.

Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Maria Sharapova (R) exhibit their trophies after the Final in Tianjin (Reuters)

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, a tournament which lost plenty of star power in one fell swoop with the withdrawals of Elina Svitolina (1^st seed) and Caroline Wozniacki (defending Champion) coupled with defeats for Venus Williams (2) and Agnieszka Radwanska (4) in the same day, was rewarded with a gripping Final between two Russian-born players.  Rallying from a set down, the 26-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (6^th seed) prevailed over Daria Gavrilova (7) by 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (3) to claim the third title of the season (Monterey, Rabat) and 11^th of her career.

Finally, in Linz, Austria, with no top 25 players in the draw after Jelena Ostapenko and defending champion Dominika Cibulkova dropped out, the Final was contested by the first and second favourites, a rarity in the wildly unpredictable female professional Tour. Entering the decider under the weight of an ugly 1-6 record in WTA Finals, Czech Barbora Strýcová was able to rise to the occasion this time, besting Slovak Magdaléna Rybáriková by 6-4, 6-1 to capture her first title since September 2011, when she lifted her maiden singles’ trophy in Québec City.

Football: Juventus startled as Napoli marches on

With the top-six sides in direct confrontation, round 8 of the Serie A promised fireworks and it delivered in spades, beginning with Juventus’ first loss in 41 home league games. The Vecchia Signora, resting the likes of Paulo Dybala or Miralem Pjanic ahead of an important Champions League clash, still managed to get in front when Douglas Costa scored in the 23th minute, yet the raging Ciro Immobile took over in the second half, tallying twice in seven minutes to power Lazio in front.

The in-form Ciro Immobile fired Lazio past Gianluigi Buffon’s Juventus

The burly striker passed Dybala in the goal scoring race, and Massimiliano Allegri was forced to send in his Argentinian joker, with the No.10 coming off the bench to hit the post and then waste a last minute penalty, the second consecutive match where his shot from the 11m mark was parried by the goalkeeper.

The final 1-2 outcome meant Lazio caught Juventus in the table, the two sides square at 19 pts, and now five back of Napoli, who preserved their perfect record with an impressive 1-0 victory at the Stadio Olimpico. It would belong to winger Lorenzo Insigne the role of expressing the Partenopei superiority over AS Roma on yet another show of strength by the well-drilled squad of Maurizio Sarri.

Finally, in a Milan Derby that elicited flashbacks of great battles of the past, Inter ruled in an emotional, back and forth thriller (3-2) decided by striker Mauro Icardi, who converted a penalty in injury time to complete a hat-trick. The Nerazurri collected their seventh win in 8 matches, and are in second place, just two pts behind Napoli, while the revamped AC Milan, despite all the good signs, are tenth, already 12 pts off the top.

Ligue 1

Even with Edinson Cavani safeguarded for the battles to come and a misfiring Kylian Mbappé, Paris St. Germain collected three points in Dijon (1-2) to extend their lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table. A late equalizer by Benjamin Jeannot put a scare on the visitors, yet right back Thomas Meunier emerged in additional time to complete his brace and help PSG capitalise on the stumble by the closest opposition.

Conceding in injury time for the second consecutive round, this time a perfect free kick by Olympique Lyon’s captain Nabil Fékir, defending Champions AS Monaco lost (3-2) for the second time in the league to let the leader out of sight. Now six points adrift, they need to start watching their back as the pack is approaching, with five teams positioned at arms-length.

WATCH: This stunning last minute free-kick from Nabi Fekir helped Lyon win 3-2 over Monaco! #Ligue1 #Lyon #Golazo pic.twitter.com/KDv3iHfOJM

— World Soccer News (@GlobalSoccer365) October 14, 2017

One of them is Lyon, who rose to fifth, catching Bordeaux, who drew at home to Nantes (1-1), allowing the Canaries to secure an important point away to keep pace with Marseille, involved in the round’s best game in Strasbourg (3-3), and Saint Etiénne, who rallied from a goal down to beat Metz (3-1). Further back, reference to the persisting Lille crisis, with the Northerners still looking for a first triumph since the opener after a late penalty allowed Troyes to snatch a point (2-2) at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Bundesliga

In Jupp Heynckes’ first game back in charge, Bayern Munich thrashed SC Freiburg (5-0) at the Allianz Arena and the victory allowed the Bavarians to approach the top after leaders Borussia Dortmund lost for the first time.

In a tumultuous match between Champions League teams, RB Leipzig went 3-1 up in Dortmund, responding in style to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s early tally, but two bookings in succession by midfielder Stefan Ilsanker levelled the number of men on the pitch just nine minutes after Sokratis had been sent showering. Borussia pressed to rescue some dignity, with Aubameyang cutting the deficit from the penalty spot however that was all she wrote, with the defeat shrinking Dortmund’s advantage at the top to just two points.

Forward Yussuf Poulsen scores RB Leipzig’s second goal in Dortmund. (Foto: Lars Baron|Bongarts|Getty Images)

Meanwhile, with the triumph, Leipzig managed to climb to third since Hoffenheim dropped two points at home, an 89th minute own goal by Kevin Vogt cooperating to let Augsburg leave Sinsheim with a 2-2 draw. Borussia Moenchengladbach and Schalke 04, who captured assertive victories at Werder Bremen (0-2) and Hertha Berlin (0-2), respectively, approached European territory, while FC Köln’s agony continues as their 7^th loss in 8 games was settled by a 94^th minute game-winner for Stuttgart.

La Liga

At the eight hurdle, FC Barcelona finally tripped to concede points for the first time on the 2017-18 campaign. Facing a difficult test at Atletico Madrid, the Catalans found themselves chasing following Saúl Ñíguez long-range shot 21 minutes in, and they couldn’t do more than draw level when Luis Suárez found the end of an excellent delivery by Sergi Roberto with 8 minutes to go.

https://twitter.com/NR__Videos/status/919285918888087552

The leaders have amassed 22 pts to date, retaining a six point advantage over Diego Simeone’s team, which got leapfrogged by city rivals Real Madrid this weekend. Cristiano Ronaldo’s first goal of the campaign oddly arrived deep into October, but the Portuguese superstar at least saved it for when it mattered, notching in the 85^th minute to overcome a pesky Getafe side (1-2).

Concurrently, Sevilla, who were second entering round 8, fell in Bilbao (1-0) to an Athletic team that was on a six-match winless streak, while Valencia’s trip to Andalusia turned into an exhilarating experience. The visitors scored four times until the 74^th minute to get a firm handle on the match, yet Real Betis countered with three in a five minute spam to set up a furious finish where Valencia tallied two more to come out victorious by 6 goals to 3. With these three points, Los Che are now in second place, 4 pts behind Barcelona.

Premier League

The calendar of the Premier League is saturated with exceptional clashes year round, but none is quite like the most traditional match in English football, the North-West derby between Liverpool and Manchester United. For their 169^th league encounter, Anfield Road hosted a colorless 0-0 that didn’t really help anyone, even if Liverpool can claim to have carried the better of the play for most of the afternoon only to be deterred by a sublime David de Gea.

https://twitter.com/mufcgif/status/919172768662478849

With the result, the Reds of Jürgen Klopp picked up their 13^th point in 8 games, seven less than Man United, who lost contact with their city rivals after they unsurprisingly pummelled Stoke City (7-2) at the Etihad Stadium. Although it wasn’t as easy for Man City as the score might indicate, the Citizens holding a three-goal advantage inside 27 minutes and the visitors scoring twice around halftime before the game truly got out of hand. Nevertheless, Pepe Guardiola’s side, boasting a staggering 29-4 goal record, are finally clear at the top and few would bet that anyone will reel them back.

Rolling five points behind City, Tottenham Hotspur edged Bournemouth (1-0) with a lone tally from Christian Eriksen securing their maiden Premier League triumph at Wembley, while Chelsea plunged down the table after a shocking defeat (2-1) at Selhurst Park to Crystal Palace. The last-place team was still looking for their first goals and points of the campaign, and César Azpilicueta’s own goal was the kick they needed to clinch a famous victory over a side whose lack of depth was exposed by the absences of N’Golo Kanté and Álvaro Morata.

Wilfried Zaha shoots past Thibaut Courtois to put Crystal Palace 2-1 up on Chelsea (Reuters)

The London Blues are now levelled in points with Liverpool, Burnley and Arsenal, who have yet to win away from home following another disappointing result at Watford, where the hosts earned a come from behind victory (2-1) that vaulted them to fourth.

Cycling: Diego Ulissi presides over the Tour of Turkey during Sam Bennett’s party

At the same time most of the world’s best lay on some paradisiacal holiday destination, the 2017 cycling season slowly trundles to the finish line under a small fraction of the attention destined to the major races in the rear-view.

The (Presidential) Cycling Tour of Turkey may have been elevated to the World Tour this season, yet you would be hardly pressed to believe it simply by looking at the peloton that departed last Tuesday. Comprising a total of 104 riders and 13 formations, including just four from the premier category (Astana, UAE Team Emirates, Trek-Segafredo, BORA-hansgrohe), it’s fair to say the change from late April to October did nothing to increase the profile of the event and, as a consequence, many shrugged the forgettable, uninspiring competition of the six-stage race, concluded in the bustling Istambul on Sunday.

Sam Bennett (BORA-Hansgrohe) celebrates his triumph in stage 5 of the Tour of Turkey (Bettini Photo)

Many but certainly not Sam Bennett, the 27-year-old sprinter from BORA-hansgrohe who did his best Peter Sagan impression to dominate for most of the week, taking four of the first five stages and later missing out on the finale after falling on a corner in the final meters. Opportunity for Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) – twice runner-up to Bennett – who took advantage to bag the stage victory on that last day, and for the race Champion, Italian Diego Ulissi, who snatched the general lead after sweeping the field on the uphill finish in Selçuk on day 4.

Moment of the weekend

The tremendous volley on the run by Dijon forward Benjamin Jeannot, which left goalkeeper Alphonse Aréola rooted to the ground and threatened to halt Paris St. Germain’s triumphant march in Ligue 1. Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, it was worth no points in the standings, but that’s no reason we can’t celebrate it here.

https://twitter.com/Troll__Footbal/status/919250375210921984

Weekend Roundup (October, 8th): Simona Halep’s special day

In sports, just like in life, you’re seldom granted second chances to realize your ultimate dreams. A third or fourth opportunity to hop on the train headed to your divine destination? Forget about it.

Nonetheless, if Simona Halep should thank a whirlwind 2017 WTA Tour season for affording multiple occasions to stand a single triumph from “becoming” the best tennis player in the world, such an achievement can’t, in any way, be called fortuitous.

In fact, it is the deserved recognition for three years of top-notch tennis from the longest active member on the WTA Top-10, the reward for the regular appearances in the latter stages of tournaments this season (11 quarter-finals and 7 semi-finals in the last 13 events she contested), the deserved compensation for the hard work and difficult decisions undertaken to convert into one of the fittest players in the Tour and, above all, the triumph of resilience and determination to overcome successive setbacks as she edged ever closer to her lifelong goal.

The 26-year-old, who pursued the World No.1 incessantly through 2017, could feel it within touching distance in three previous instances this year only to languish when it went away. First, in Paris, when Jelena Ostapenko recovered from a set and a break down to snatch Roland Garros and crush the Romanian’s thoughts in double fashion. Later succumbing in three sets to Johanna Konta on the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, when all she needed to do was capture the second set tie break. Finally, in Cincinnati, when Halep was annihilated by Garbiñe Muguruza in the Final, opening a door the Spaniard walked into after the US Open.

Hopes dashed in heart-breaking fashion over and over again until last Saturday, at the Premier Mandatory of Beijing, the Romanian’s tortuous odyssey coming to its happy end, to a certain extent culminating her steady rise since a breakthrough 2013 season. Poetically, Halep faced the same Ostapenko that had delivered the first and most scathing blow, and she fought  through the nerves to expunge all the demons in a convincing 6-2, 6-4 triumph which showcased the assets that brought her here: consistency, superior speed and agility, the ability to turn defence into offense in a blink, the understated aggressiveness.

Reunited after the 2017 Roland Garros singles final, Jelena Ostapenko was the first to congratulate Simon Halep on her achievement (Getty Images)

In the grand scheme of things, it may have been just a semi-final of a late season tournament, but this match meant the World to Halep, the first Romanian to reach the pinnacle of the female tennis rankings, the 25^th woman to hold the top position since 1975, and the third to do it for the first time this year, after Muguruza and Czech Karolína Plíšková. It was indeed her special day, even if that elusive Grand Slam title still looms large on the career arch she will follow from here on.

Somehow lost in the shuffle of Halep’s milestone was the reality that a Final still had to be played in Beijing the next day, and another woman also craved her share of the spotlight. Fresh of a title in Wuhan the previous weekend, Caroline Garcia scampered to the Chinese capital and proceeded to reel in victory after victory to reach a second consecutive Final, eventually toppling the impending No.1 in a tight decider (6-4, 7-6(3)) to lift her first Premier Mandatory title.

An upset that capped a stunning fortnight and improbable eleven-match winning streak for the soaring 23-year-old, vaulted into the Top-10 (No.9) for the first time, and now firmly enmeshed in the race to Singapore, where the WTA Finals will be contested later this month.

Caroline Garcia compiled an unprecendented Wuhan/Beijing double (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, as a new No.1 emerged on the women’s tour, the ATP’s top dog was strengthening his grip in same venue. The week may have started with a scare for Rafael Nadal, who fended off two match points from Lucas Pouille in round one of the ATP 500 of Beijing, but he quickly got acclimated to the Asian humidity and blossomed into his dominant self for the rest of the event, demolishing 8^th seed Nick Kyrgios by 6-2, 6-1 in the Final to collect his 6^th title of the year and 75^th of his career.

Concurrently, in Tokyo, David Goffin confirmed his push for a spot on the ATP Tour Finals by securing a second straight title following the triumph in Shenzhen the previous week. The Belgian defeated France’s Adrian Mannarino in the Final in two sets (6–3, 7–5) to pick up an ATP 500 for the first time, and denied his 29-year-old rival of a maiden tournament victory on the highest professional circuit.

Cycling: Vincenzo Nibali reigns at Il Lombardia for a second time

Contested against the spectacular background of Lake Como, the “race of the falling leaves” is the last landmark of the cycling season, the final Monument Classic of the year and a gruelling finish to the autumnal series of Italian one-day classics. Almost 250km long, featuring plenty of steep uphill sections and treacherous, swerving descents, it favours the riders that can sustain their form until the latter stages of the season, are well versed on the terrain in hand and have the technical skills to operate the bike in challenging conditions.

In resume, it is perfect for Vincenzo Nibali, the pugnacious Italian star that is not only one of the greatest climbers in the World, but also a great terrific time-trial list and exceptional descender. Victorious at Il Lombardia in 2015 and unable to defend his title last year after an unfortunate crash at the 2016 Olympics, the Shark of Messina was the prohibitive favourite heading into the 111^th edition of the famous event, and he made his presence felt when it mattered.

Home favourite Vincenzo Nibali captured his second win at the Giro di Lombardia (Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com)

With less than 20km to go, as the action picked up on the penultimate climb (Civiglio) of the race, Nibali sniffed the danger when Thibault Pinot (FDJ) went on attack for a third time and he lunged across to join the French before the hill’s crest. From there, the Bahrain Merida leader furiously hurried downhill, skimming the bends to distance Pinot and opening a gap that only widened in the final ascent to San Fermo della Battagli and short run-in to the finish line in the city of Como.

With authority, the 32-year-old sealed the 69^th triumph for the home nation in the history of the event – but only the second in the last 9 years – while, further back, Pinot’s forces faded with Nibali out of the sight and he was absorbed by a small chasing group from which compatriot Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step) free wheeled in the final kms to take second on the day, 28 seconds off the winner and 10 ahead of Italian Gianni Moscon (Team Sky), who won the skirmish for third.

Italian and French riders split the top seven at the Giro di Lombardia, and when attentions shifted to France for the prestigious Paris-Tours the following day, the hosts wanted to get their neighbours back. It wouldn’t happen since the in-form Matteo Trentin (Quick-Step) once again displayed his mettle, pushing the pace on an elevation inside the last 10km to break away from the pack alongside Danish youngster Søren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb), and then imposing his will in the final sprint with a small boost from teammate Nikki Terpstra, the only man who had managed to bridge across.

Matteo Trentin edged Søren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb) on his final race for Quick-Step Floors (Getty Images)

By securing a seventh victory in just over two months, Trentin bid a perfect adieu to Quick-Step after six and a half seasons with the Belgium outfit. The Italian will represent Orica-Scott when the peloton returns to the European roads next season.

Football: Taking the temperature at the 2018 World Cup qualifiers

No domestic leagues action this weekend, so we’ll instead dive into the final stretch of the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. One Confederation at a time, which teams have already punched their ticket and who’s still in play?

CONCACAF

Costa Rica joined Mexico in the group of qualified nations after a last-gasp goal by Kendall Waston secured a dramatic draw against Honduras on Saturday, and the United States are in the driver’s seat for the last spot after a commanding 4-0 win over Panama.

Due to their superior goal difference, a draw in Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday should be enough for the Americans to clinch third place, while Honduras and Panama will fight for fourth and the corresponding playoff wild card to face the Asian representative. Panama currently holds the tie breaker by a five-goal margin, and therefore any triumph over Costa Rica may do the trick.

AFC

Regulars Iran, South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia are already gearing up for Russia, and that prominent list is only missing Australia, pipped on goal-difference by the Saudis on the group stage.

The Socceroos can still make it for a fourth straight time, but they’ll need to finish off Syria in Sidney on Tuesday before tackling a final playoff round with the fourth place team from the CONCACAF.  Meanwhile, the Syrians are eyeing an astonishing debut appearance in the midst of a raging Civil War that forced their home leg (1-1) to be held in Malaysia.

Syria and Australia will meet again in Sidney on Tuesday to decide who advances to the final playoff round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers (AP Photo/ Vincent Thian)

CONMEBOL

With Brazil having already booked their trip a few months ago and Uruguay virtually qualified by virtue of a +10 goal difference, the South American 18-game marathon will meet its explosive finale on Tuesday, four days after a sensational round of games scrambled the standings even more.

Five teams (Chile, Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Paraguay) are currently separated by two points and there’s only a pair of direct slots up for grabs plus a wild card for a final playoff with New Zealand in November. Strap down, this is going down to the wire.

Last round:

Uruguay-Bolivia
Peru-Colombia
Equador-Argentina
Brazil-Chile
Paraguay-Venezuela pic.twitter.com/x7eZLVZqN5

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) October 6, 2017

CAF

The first two African nations to arrange their trip to Russia were Nigeria, who bagged group B after edging 2012 African Champions Zambia, and Egypt, who secured qualification for the first time in 28 years with an injury time winner from the penalty spot against Congo on Sunday.

In group A, Tunisia and DR Congo are still in the race, with the Tunisians only requiring a draw from the reception to Libya next month to return to the World stage for the first time since 2006, while in Group C it’s down to Ivory Coast and Morocco, who will square off in November with the Ivorians ahead in the table and holding home advantage. Conversely, Group D is a mess, with all four teams alive after the decision to repeat the polemic South Africa-Senegal, whose original outcome was invalidated for allegations of match manipulation.

UEFA

In the first round of the final group-stage double-header, powerhouses Germany, Spain and England joined Belgium and hosts Russia on the list of qualified teams, with Poland securing their spot on Sunday following a nervy victory over Montenegro.

With four groups yet to settle, there are a lot of moving parts to take into account regarding the remaining group winners and the eight teams that will advance to the playoffs, but it’s safe to say France (Group A), Serbia (Group D) and Iceland (Group I) should qualify when they host weak opposition (Belarus, Georgia and Kosovo, respectively) on the closing match day.

After a spectacular 3-0 win in Turkey, Iceland is on course to reach a first World Cup tournament (STR / AP)

That leaves a trio of games to track feverishly on Monday and Tuesday. Wales and the Republic of Ireland (Group D) clash in Cardiff and Ukraine meets Croatia (Group I) in Kiev in pair of encounters where draws could sentence both sides, while the Lisbon battle between Portugal and Group B immaculate leaders Switzerland sees the European Champions in need of a win to leapfrog their rivals.

Moreover, welcoming Gibraltar to Athens, Greece (Group H) is three points away from pairing with Northern Ireland (Group C), Italy (Group G) and Denmark (Group E) in November’s two-legged playoffs, while only a disaster – an inconceivable seven goal defeat – in Amsterdam would stop Sweden (group A) from doing the same. Finally, with their schedule complete, Slovakia, the Group F runners-up, can’t do much more than crunch numbers and wait as others determine whether they did enough to reach the playoffs.

Moment of the weekend

“El Mundial! El Mundial! El Mundial!”

It’s probably the dream of every live sports announcer. Nailing the call of an everlasting moment for the history of their nation.

The 95^th minute equalizer by Kendall Waston, which secured Costa Rica’s fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup, certainly fits the description, sending into raptures every one of the 35,175 spectators blessed to celebrate inside the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, and most of the other 4.9 million that populate this Central American country.

"El Mundial! El Mundial! El Mundial!" How Waston's goal sounded on Teletica: pic.twitter.com/9aYOsc6pAw

— Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) October 8, 2017

Weekend Roundup (October, 1st): Manchester City puts the Premier League on notice

Sixteen unanswered goals in the previous three Premier League Games and seven straight victories in all competitions provide a nice cushion for a team that is about to enter the ground of the defending Champions, yet Manchester City’s presentation in Stamford Bridge was a different show of strength.

A comprehensive, meticulous supremacy that a man like Antonio Conte, the pragmatic, sly, single-minded manager of Chelsea has seldom suffered on his decade-long career; a preeminent football lecture founded on sharp, crisp passing, intelligent player movement, coordinated pressing and utter domination of the ball that would rank amongst the best performances of any Pep Guardiola-led squad, not just his Man City era.

Consequently, it came to be that nobody even remembered the visitors were without the insidious Sergio Agüero, involved in a car accident in the Netherlands, as they bossed over the thwarted Londoners, jumbled by the gracious, lavish play of midfielders Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva and Fernandinho, the agility of the rapidly-improving Gabriel Jesus and the incisive dashes of Raheem Sterling and, particularly, Leroy Sané. The stats tell it all, with Man City amassing 63% of possession and 17 shot attempts (5 on goal) to just 4 (2 on net) from the hosts, seemingly even more befuddled following Álvaro Morata’s departure in the 35^th minute with an hamstring injury.

It’s true that the scoreboard only motioned once, a courteous bow to Kevin de Bruyne’s wonder goal in the 67^th minute, the Belgium star playing a beautiful one-two with Gabriel Jesus before unleashing a thunderous left-foot screamer past the outstretched Thibault Courtois, yet the message resonated loud and clear through the Islands and the continent apart. Pep Guardiola’s Man City 2.0 is an incommensurable grander beast than last year’s side, which finished 15 pts back of Chelsea, and they’re here to subjugate, as much in substance and style.

The ball shot by Man City’s Kevin de Bruyne flies by Thibault Courtois on the late evening of Stamford Bridge (Getty Images)

Nevertheless, for all the class they’ve exuded in the pitch this season, the Blues of Manchester, now six points up on Chelsea, have yet to ditch their rivals at the top of the Premier League table. Manchester United may not be as aesthetically pleasant, but you can’t question the outcomes as José Mourinho’s side pumped four goals for the sixth time in eleven matches across all competitions in 2017-18. Their victim this time being the bottomless pit of despair that is Crystal Palace right now, seven losses in equal number of matches this term and still without a single goal to lean on.

Tottenham, also in a free-scoring mode in recent times, rose to third after a routine 4-0 win at Huddersfield Town with the inevitable Harry Kane netting a brace to elevate his September tally to 11 goals in 6 matches. The Spurs have 14 points, five less than the leaders, and one more than Chelsea and Arsenal, who have quietly climbed up the standings over the last few weeks and beat Brighton (2-0) at the Emirates Stadium in round 8.

Conversely, Liverpool has been sliding, compiling just one win in their last seven matches (all competitions) after drawing 1-1 at Newcastle. Philippe Coutinho scored for a third consecutive game, but the hosts levelled by Joselu seven minutes later, and Jürgen Klopp’s team now shares the sixth place with the surprising Watford (2-2 at West Bromwich) and Burnley, whose 1-0 victory at Goodison Park resulted in Everton’s fourth defeat in just seven Premier League games.

Coutinho’s goal against Newcastle pic.twitter.com/YK4f0Fn36x

— KINGS OF THE KOP (@kings0fthekop) October 2, 2017

Ligue 1

For the second consecutive week, Monaco opened the round in France, however not even the indomitable predatory instinct of Radamel Falcao was enough to make amends three days after an embarrassing Champions League home defeat to FC Porto. The Colombian striker scored in the first half, but Montpellier would erase the deficit with a stoppage time marker by Souley Camara.

With the slip up, PSG had the opportunity to retake the three-point advantage squandered in round 6, and they walked right through it, acing what was supposed to be a real test against the unbeaten Bordeaux, who were third. An irresistible first half with 6 goals – five for the hosts – showcased once again the full might of the Parisians’ attack, with Neymar tallying twice and assisting Edison Cavani for the 2-0 before Kylian Mbappé also found the back of the net on the 6-2 drubbing.

https://twitter.com/leisureleaguepk/status/914824573396357120

With Bordeaux blitzed in Paris and St. Etiénne succumbing at Troyes (2-1), three sides parlayed wins in round 6 to leap the duo, with the spotlight falling on Olympique Marseille, who rallied from a two-goal deficit in Nice with four straight goals.

L’OM now sits at 16 pts, three behind Monaco, levelled with Nantes (1-0 vs Metz) and one above Caen (0-1 at Rennes) on the table of the Ligue 1, which also hit the news this weekend for two disparate moments: the hilarious sent off of Lyon’s center back Marcelo on the team’s 3-3 draw in Angers and, on a much sombre note, the suspension of the match between Amiens and Lille when several visiting fans got injured celebrating a goal after a barrier collapsed in the stands.

Serie A

Locked in a stare down from match day one, one of the leaders would eventually have to blink first and Juventus’ draw in Bergamo did the job, as the Old Lady’s perfect record came to an end to grant Napoli sole possession of first place.

The six-time defending Champions scored two times inside 24 minutes in Atalanta’s stadium, however Juventus’ loanee Mattia Caldara and a potent header by Bryan Cristante tied the proceedings at two. There was more to tell, though, since Paulo Dybala’s penalty kick in the 84^th minute was denied by Albanian goalkeeper Etrit Berisha, and, in turn, Napoli now leads the league by two points.

Paulo Dybala’s missed penalty denied Juventus the three points against Atalanta (La Presse)

Mauricio Sarri’s men grabbed a full complement against Cagliari (3-0) at the San Paolo to go 7 of 7, while Inter won at last-place Benevento (1-2) with a brace from Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic to level Juve in second. Fourth-place Lazio recorded the rout of the week, thrashing Sassuolo 6-1 at the Stadio Olimpico.

In the round’s marquee matchup, AS Roma triumphed (0-2) at the San Siro to distance AC Milan in the table. The hosts attacked more, but it was Bosnian striker Edin Džeko who broke the deadlock with a superb shot from distance in the 72^nd minute, before Alessandro Florenzi poked in the insurance five minutes later.

The result means the Rossoneri are now 9 pts behind Napoli, but a lot can chance in an explosive round 8 to be played after the international break, when the top six sides will be in confront. In a couple of days, Juve will host Lazio, Napoli will visit Roma and the Milan teams will battle each other at another chapter of the Derby della Madonnina.

Bundesliga

Carlo Ancelotti may be gone, but the problems at Bayern Munich didn’t magically disappear with the departure of the Italian manager. After the paltry performance in Paris, the Bavarians travelled to Berlin and they blew a two-goal lead for the second time in as many fixtures, with the goals of Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski cancelled in a five-minute span by Hertha’s Ondrej Duda and Salomon Kalou.

Hertha’s Salomon Kalou bangs in the equalizer against Bayern Munich at the Berlin Olympiastadion on Sunday (Reuters)

Bayern is now five points adrift of leaders Borussia Dortmund, who passed at Augsburg (1-2) in spite of Aubameyang’s missed penalty, yet they actually surged one spot on the table by virtue of Hoffenheim’s loss at Freiburg (3-2).

Hannover 96, defeated in Moenchengladbach (2-1), also eschewed the “unbeaten” label this week, tumbling to fifth, while RB Leipzig  visited last place FC Köln and came out victorious (1-2), cutting the deficit to Bayern to a single point and aggravating the situation of their opponents on the day. The Goats of Cologne are still stuck at one point after seven matches and the relegation line is already six away.

La Liga

On a politically charged weekend in Spain, football couldn’t manage to dodge the circumstances as FC Barcelona was forced to play its round 7 encounter inside an empty Camp Nou. Naturally lethargic for 45 minutes, the Catalan’s came out in the second half with extra resolve and cracked a problem named Las Palmas with three goals, the first from Sergio Busquets and the next two ascribed to Lionel Messi.

The day FC Barcelona’s motto meant more than just words sprayed on the seats of Camp Nou (Getty Images)

Incidentally, the other team from Barcelona, RCD Espanyol, was on the Spanish capital this week, yet they failed to put another dent on (Real) Madrid’s ambitions. Two goals from Isco were enough to finally secure the defending Champions’ maiden home victory of the campaign and to preserve the 7-point chasm to the top.

In between the two giants, though, there are still teams to take into account, and both Sevilla (2-0 vs Malaga) and Valencia (3-2 vs Athletic) fulfilled their duties in the weekend. The same cannot be said of Atlético Madrid, who can thank goaltender Jan Oblak for leaving nearby Leganés with a draw (0-0) before the reception to Barcelona at their brand-new Wanda Metropolitano.  At the bottom, Alavés surprised Levante (0-2) to pick up the first points in 2017-18, and left Málaga to hold the red lantern.

Tennis: Caroline Garcia conquers Wuhan in battle of outsiders   

The Wuhan Open – the last of the Premier 5 events on the 2017 WTA Tour calendar – took place last week in the most populous city in Central China, and in spite of the presence of eight of the top ten female players in the World, the scene was stolen by two unseeded players, who combined to play a thrilling Final that lasted almost three hours.

France’s Caroline Garcia, who had eliminated two of the tour’s best players in 2016, (Angelique Kerber and Dominika Cibulková) to reach her first final of the year, made it count in the end, lifting the biggest trophy of her career after a 6-7 7-6 6-2 triumph, however her opponent was the true star of the event.

An elated Caroline Garcia holds the trophy of the Wuhan Open (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

Australian Ashleigh Barty, a 21-year-old who abandoned tennis for 18 months to become a professional cricket player, served twice for the Championship in the second set, and it would have a been a fitting reward after such a remarkable campaign in Wuhan. In fact, on her way to a third career final, Barty collected four consecutive wins over top ten players – Johanna Konta (5^th seed in Wuhan), Agnieszka Radwanska (9), Karolína Plíšková (4) and Jeļena Ostapenko (8) – to compile a breakthrough performance which validates her new career-high ranking of 23. She will stand eight spots behind Garcia, who also reached a milestone after authoring the greatest triumph for French woman’s tennis since Marion Bartoli stunned the world at Wimbledon in 2013.

Besides Wuhan, the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, also hosted a WTA tournament last week. With only one top-50 player in town, the defending Champion Krystina Plíšková, the title fell to Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko, who upset second seed Tímea Babos on the Final in straight sets (6-4, 6-4). For Bondarenko, the World No.153, this was a second WTA Tour success, more than 9 years after taking the spoils in Birmingham, while the Hungarian Babos dropped a second singles final this month – after Québec City two weeks ago – but still found some level of redemption by winning the doubles event alongside Czech Andrea Hlaváčková.

Kateryna Bondarenko, draped in traditional Uzbek attire, shows off the Tashkent Open trophy (Tashkent Open)

On the men’s side, the ATP Tour made stops in two Chinese cities last week for a pair of ATP 250 tournaments.

In Shenzhen, on the southeast coast, broad smiles were reserved for Belgian David Goffin, who finally won a Final after six consecutive setbacks, including two earlier this year (Sofia, Rotterdam), with the trophy in sight. The 26-year-old needed three sets (6–4, 6–7, 6–3) to scrape by Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov, but he finally ended a three-year trophy drought, a puzzling stretch if we take into account that Goffin broke into the top-ten in between.

Meanwhile, in Chengdu, a decider pitting two of the ATP Tour journeyman, 32-year-old Marcos Baghdatis and 31-year-old Dennis Istomin, was terminated after just five games when the Cypriot Baghdatis couldn’t cope any more with acute pain on his back. The former World No. 8 was fighting for his first tournament win in seven years, but he had to abandon, thereby conceding the title to the powerful Uzbek player, best known to tennis fans for defeating Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open early this season. Two years after triumphing in Nottingham, Istomin claimed his second career ATP Tour event.

Dennis Istomin won the title in Chengdu (ATP World Tour)

Cycling: Giovanni Visconti tricks the peloton to win the Giro Dell’Emilia

The World Championships have come and gone, but cycling season isn’t over just yet. The last monument of the season, the Giro di Lombardia, is just days away, and some of main candidates gauged their form on Saturday at the 100^th edition of the Giro Dell´Emilia.

With the start located in Bologna and finishing just outside the city, on the hill leading to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, the race course asked the peloton to weave through the roads of the Emilia-Romana region before tackling five times a finishing circuit that included the climb to San Luca. On the penultimate of these laps, with 16 km to go, Italian veteran Giovanni Visconti bolted the main bunch and quickly took a 30-second advantage that would prove enough to secure victory.

The favourites woke up late and tried to reel in the fugitive on the final ascent up Monte della Guardia, which included slopes of 18%, however all attempts were successively shut down by Vincenzo Nibali, Visconti’s teammate at Bahrain-Merida, and the 34-year-old would be able to finish with a 12-second lead on the runner-up, which ended up being Nibali.

Glory for Giovanni Visconti in Bologna on Saturday (Tim de Waele / TDWSport.com)

Colombian Rigoberto Urán (Cannondale-Drapac) completed the podium on a day that was overshadowed by the news regarding his compatriot – and defending Champion – Esteban Chaves. The Orica-Scott rider took a nasty fall negotiating a bend while in hot pursuit of Visconti, fractured his right shoulder, and will miss the remainder of the season, including the defence of his title at “Il Lombardia” on October 7^th.

Also on Saturday, German Andre Greipel picked up a much-needed victory for Lotto-Soudal, claiming just his fifth win of the season on the final sprint of the Omloop Eurometropool. The following day, Spaniard Luis León Sanchez (Astana) upset Italians Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain -Merida) and Elia Viviani (Team Sky) to earn his first triumph in 18 months at the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli, while British Daniel McClay (Fortuneo-Oscaro) snatched victory in dramatic fashion at the Tour de l’Eurométropole, pipping an unsuspecting Anthony Turgis (Cofidis) right at the finish line.

Moment of the weekend

In perfect alignment with our headline, it has to be Kevin de Bruyne’s sensational strike that gave Manchester City a momentous 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

The Belgium‘s top-notch execution wrapped up a swift, smart, incisive connection in the final third, perfectly symbolizing the blend of artistry and ruthlessness present in the 2017-18 iteration of the Northwestern outfit.

Great goal by De Bruyne against Chelsea!!! pic.twitter.com/PlT5CDxkio

— Panini World Cup (@paniniWCUSA) October 1, 2017

Weekend Roundup (September, 24th): Peter Sagan writes history at the 2017 UCI World Championships

It took 84 editions of the Cycling Road World Championships for a man to win the road race three consecutive times. That man wasn’t supposed to be a Slovak. Not when the Italians, the Belgians and the French have dominated the sport and the event since the beginnings back in the 1920’s. Not when the ten major nations are able to field rosters of 9 riders, giving them ample resources to control and mould the race to their liking, and to isolate a guy like Sagan with dozens of miles to spare. Yet, somehow, the 27-year-old is a three-time World Champion – something only four other men had done before – by adding the gold obtained in Bergen to the 2015 title in Richmond, when he launched a daring solo attack to ride to victory in the final kilometres, and last year’s triumph in Doha, wrestled at the sprint.

Yesterday, in Norway, it all suggested a return to his old days at Cannondale, before he had a team set up to cater to his needs, a target on his back and a distinctive rainbow jersey gleaming everywhere he went. In a discreet, blue and white Slovakian jersey that blended inside the peloton seamlessly, Sagan ghosted through the race. Definitely through the first 200kms riddled with doomed breakaways, but also during Tom Dumoulin’s attack on the penultimate passage in Salmon Hill, and the short spurts of action that followed as the powerhouses looked ready to actually trim the pack.

The peloton rode near the fjords of Bergen during the first hours of the Worlds men’s elite road race (Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Still, an inordinate bunch of 80 riders would make it back one final time to the key climb of the circuit, and someone had to break the race apart. It was France’s Julian Alaphilippe, who sinuously wheeled up the hill to peel away from everyone except Italy’s Gianni Moscon. At the time, it felt like the day’s decisive moment had come and gone, and Sagan was still to show his cards, uncharacteristically inconspicuous among the 25 cyclists that chased the front duo standing 15 seconds adrift on the crest of Salmon Hill.

Under the circumstances of such a long race, that advantage might have been enough for a proven rouleur, but the skinny Alaphilippe committed the tactical error of discarding Moscon too early, and he would pay for it when the bunch caught up to him inside the last two kilometres, ushering in a final sprint and Sagan’s opportunity for a “Three-Pete”.

As the group buzzed to the finish line, home favourite Alexander Kristoff jumped ahead by exploding off the final curve with 300m to go, but the Slovak was, as usual, in the right spot, slipping out of the Norwegian’s wheel to gobble up the deficit, and then thrusting his bike forward to edge Kristoff in a photo-finish by all of 20cm. Euphoria ensued for the Slovakian fans in attendance, disappointment transpired from the majority in Bergen, and bronze medallist Michael Matthews (Australia) got caught on camera punishing his bike while crossing the end line. So close, yet so far from his dreams.

A third gold medal and a brand-new rainbow for the Slovak superstar (Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

The men’s Under-23 road race, contested on Friday, was won by France’s Benoit Cosnefroy, who beat Germany’s Lennard Kämna in a two-man sprint, with Michael Svendgaard, of Denmark, securing the bronze by finishing top of the peloton. Meanwhile, on Saturday’s women’s elite road race, the sun shined on Dutch Chantal Blaak, who kicked off from the front group on the flat 9 km run-in to the line, and ended up 28 second ahead and flapping her arms on the air. Australia’s Katrin Garfoot leaped the rest of the field for silver, while the 2016 World Champion, Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen, completed the podium.

Tennis: Rookie joy at the ATP Tour

On the eve of a mass migration to Asia for an important three week swing, the last seven days felt very much like a transitional period in the ATP Tour before things get serious again. Consequently, while many of the top players had fun in an exhibition tournament, two ATP 250 tournaments were available for the lower rungs scalping for points ahead of the home stretch of the season. It was in this scenario that something rare happened: two first time ATP Tour Champions in the same week.

In St. Petersburg, with defending Champion Alexander Zverev absent, the trophy fell into the hands of Damir Džumhur, who not only conquered his maiden trophy at this level, but also became the first player representing the Bosnia-Herzegovina to hold an ATP Tour title. In the Final, the 25-year-old from Sarajevo fended off third seed Fabio Fognini in three sets (4-6, 6-4,6-2) taking advantage of the Italian’s fatigue after a tough, come-from-behind semi-final triumph versus top-seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

A delighted Damir Džumhur kisses his maiden ATP trophy in St. Petersburg (AP)

Meanwhile, in Metz, a deflated crowd watched as German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk ousted home favourite Benoît Paire, the 7^th seed, in two sets (7-5, 6-2), to capture his first ATP Tour trophy and secure a new career-best singles ranking of #66. Devilish stuff, no doubt about it.

Nonetheless, most tennis fans spent this weekend not with their eyes in France and Russia, but glued to the action in Prague, where the inaugural Laver Cup took place. Named after the Australian legend, this tournament pitted Team Europe and Team World in a Ryder-Cup style event where players squared off on a series of singles and doubles matches over three days.

Team Europe, containing five top-ten players, including Rafael Nadal (ATP No.1) and Roger Federer (No.2), was the overwhelming choice heading into the series, however the winners only emerged on the last of 12 scheduled matches. And not without some heroics from Roger Federer, who needed to save a match point against Nick Kyrgios (4-6, 7-6, [11-9)) to clinch the trophy for Team Europe by a final tally of 15-9.

Game, set, match and #LaverCup to #TeamEurope as Federer beats Kyrgios 4-6 7-6(6) [11-9] pic.twitter.com/oIl8jfiSJ6

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 24, 2017

While the men are still boarding planes to Asia, the WTA Tour is already entering the second fortnight of action in the Far East. On Sunday, three tournaments met their new holders and the highlight was the victory of Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki on the Pan Pacific Open, a WTA Premier Event that gathered most of the top-ten women taking the courts this week.

Wozniacki, the World No.6, was defending her title in Tokyo and she signed off in style for a second consecutive year, clobbering newly-minted World No.1 Garbiñe Muguruza (6-2, 6-0) in the semi-finals before sweeping past Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchekova in the Final (6-0, 7-5).

Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki poses with the Championship trophy from the Pan Pacific Open (AFP Photo/Kazuhiro NOGI)

Across the Sea, French Open Champion Jeļena Ostapenko confirmed her top seed status in Seoul by overpowering first-time finalist Beatriz Haddad Maia (6-7, 6-1, 6-4) to collect the Korea Open, while, four years after winning her first WTA title in Guangzhou, Zhang Shuai found bliss at home soil again. The 28-year-old Chinese beat Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunić by 6-2, 3-6 and 6-2 in the decisive match to hold the trophy aloft in front of her compatriots.

Athletics: Eliud Kipchoge wins Berlin Marathon but misses out on World Record

Many hailed it as the greatest men’s marathon lineup of all-time, and for good reason. After all, taking part were the reigning Olympic Champion and 2015 winner Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) – who raced in a blistering 2:00:25 in May at Nike’s Breaking2 project, an event which took place in Monza, Italy, under controlled (and non-conforming) conditions – , the 2013 Champion and former world record holder Wilson Kipsang (Kenya), and the defending Champion, track legend and 5000m/10000m world record holder Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia).

Three athletes with personal bests below two hours and four minutes running together, in Berlin, where flat roads, a fast surface and mild temperatures collude to power the elite to record breaking performances. Three men bidding to smash Dennis Kimetto’s marathon world record of 2:02:57 (Berlin, 2014) and fantasizing with a sub-two hour time.

And then, when the day came, it brought the rain with it. And Bekele going empty shortly past the midway mark. And Kipsang suddenly dropping out at the 30kms. The blockbuster showdown for history up in smoke and drizzle.

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge crosses the line to win the 44th Berlin marathon on Sunday. (Michael Sohn/The Associated Press)

Nevertheless, there was still a race to be won, and Kipchoge ended up crossing the finish line in 2:03:32, just 35 seconds off the fancied mark after being pushed by a neophyte, 26-year-old Guye Adola (Ethiopia), whose 2:03:46 now stand as the best marathon debut ever. Far behind, Mosinet Geremew, also of Ethiopia, clocked 2:06:09 to claim third.

In the woman’s event, Gladys Cherono imitated her compatriot to repeat the 2015 triumph in 2:20:23. She was flanked in the podium by Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga (second) and fellow Kenyan Valary Ayabei (third).

Football: Juventus and Napoli remain perfect

Serie A

Another week, another victory for the duo of leaders, as Juventus and Napoli made it 6 out of 6 to maintain the pace at the top of the table. The Neapolitans suffered to overcome a feisty SPAL 2013 in Ferrara, yet a goal from left back Faouzi Ghoulam 7 minutes from time secured the 3-2 triumph. Meanwhile, Juventus throttled rivals Torino with another inspired performance from Paulo Dybala, who netted twice in their 4-0 romp.

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala starred at the Derby della Mole on Saturday (EPA)

Internazionale fans had to wait until the 87^th minute for Danilo D’Ambrosio’s lone tally against Genoa at San Siro, but the victory maintains Luciano Spalleti’s side just two points behind the leaders. In the nation’s capital, AS Roma comfortably beat Udinese (3-1) and are now at 12 points with a game in hand, nipping at the heels of heart rivals Lazio, who capitalized on Ciro Immobile’s superb run of form (9 goals in the last 6 matches) to win in Verona. Conversely, the new look AC Milan couldn’t negotiate the difficult trip to the Luigi Ferraris, losing 2-0 to Sampdoria to fall six points back of the leaders.

Finally, in a game between newly-promoted sides, Crotone defeated Benevento 2-0 to escape the relegation zone, and guarantee the debutants will continue to wait for their first Serie A points.

Bundesliga

Dortmund increased their lead at the top of the table with an impressive 6-1 drubbing of Moenchengladbach in a battle of Borussias. Recruited from SC Freiburg in the offseason, Maximilian Phillip tallied the first two at the Signal Iduna Arena before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang notched a hat-trick in a smashing evening.

BVB are now three points up on Bayern Munich, who allowed Wolfsburg to steal a point at the Allianz Arena in the round’s opener. Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben scored in the first half, but Maximilian Arnold cut one back with some help from Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, and Daniel Didavi completed the shocker four minutes from time.

Standing in for the injured Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich’s howler cost Bayern Munich two points against Wolfsburg (Getty Images)

Sandwiched between the two giants is now Hoffenheim, who hosted and beat (2-0) Schalke 04, while fourth-placed Hannover 96 welcomed bottom side FC Koln and couldn’t get off the 0-0 to collect a second consecutive draw.

Ligue 1

On the strength of another brace from Radamel Falcao, Monaco waltzed in Lille (4-0) on Friday – pushing their opponent into the relegation zone – and then took a seat to watch as Paris St. Germain got swamped at Montpellier (0-0) without Neymar. After a tumultuous summer, where half of their team was swarmed with offers from greener pastures, the defending Champions proved they won’t relinquish the title easily and cut the deficit at the top to one point.

The red-hot Falcao is already up to 11 goals in 7 Ligue 1 matches this season (AFP / Denis Charlet)

After the top two, the battle for third position is also shaping up nicely. The still-undefeated Bordeaux took the mantle from St. Etiénne (2-2 against Rennes) after brushing past Guingamp (3-1), while Marseille (2-0 vs Toulouse) and Nantes (1-2 at Strasbourg) stand two points behind. On the other hand, Lyon (3-3, Dijon) and Nice (2-2, Angers) dropped points at home in entertaining affairs to lose ground on their adversaries.

La Liga

It wasn’t supposed to be that difficult, but Real Madrid eventually held on (1-2) to leave the home of bottom-feeders Alavés with the three points. Newly-recruited midfielder Dani Ceballos scored the two goals for the struggling behemoths, and the distance to the top remains at seven points after Barcelona made the best out of the short trip to Girona. The “Blaugrana” manufactured a relaxing 3-0 victory with the help of two own-goals and Lionel Messi could even afford to take a night off in that department.

On his first start for Real Madrid, Dani Ceballos tallied twice to save his team at Alavés (AP)

In Madrid, in a fight between La Liga’s best supporting actors, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco and Antoine Griezmann helped Atlético upend Sevilla (2-0) to climb to second, four points off Barcelona, whilst Valencia confirmed their good season start by snatching a precious 3 points away to Real Sociedad in a thrilling five-goal game (2-3). It wasn’t the only high-scoring affair of round 6, though, as Celta de Vigo triumphed 4-0 at Eibar, Espanyol beat Deportivo 4-1, Málaga picked up their first point of the campaign after drawing 3-3 to Athletic Bilbao, and Getafe crushed Villareal (4-0) to send the visitors coach, Fran Escribá, packing.

Premier League

We’ve reached the end of round six and most of the cream has already risen to the top of the Premier League table, particularly after a pair of vital 3-2 away victories for Tottenham and Liverpool this week.

Visiting Leicester for the second time in a matter of days, Jurgen Klopp’s side avenged the League Cup elimination on the return to grace of Philippe Coutinho (goal and assist), while the Spurs edged city rivals West Ham at the London Olympic Stadium with a two-goal performance from Harry Kane. Tottenham and Liverpool are now fourth and fifth, respectively, with 11 points each.

https://twitter.com/lfcgifz/status/911635333481197569

The front trio of City, United and Chelsea all won, even if the Red Devils had to suffer to preserve Romelu Lukaku’s winner at Southampton (0-1). Meanwhile, to the blue side of Manchester, the weekend reserved a routine 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace, which Chelsea almost matched (4-0) in the usually tricky confines of the Britannia Stadium. The (London) Blues vanquished Stoke City and the four goals originated from Spain: three belonged to striker Álvaro Morata and the other to Pedro Rodríguez.

Elsewhere, Everton claimed an important victory over Bournemouth (2-1), dodging the last places for now, while Watford triumphed at Swansea to cling to sixth (1-2).

Moment of the weekend:

The gripping finale to the men’s road race of the World Championships in Bergen, obviously.

While technical problems with the broadcast meant TV viewers around the World were unable to watch most of the final three kilometres, fixed cameras still managed to pick up the riders in the final 900m to complete the job. Hence, revel on the fleeting seconds of the titanic sprint between Sagan and Kristoff as commentated in the Slovak television, and then check the replay (2:30m) from an overhead view.