Gary Lemke looks back at a jam-packed sporting weekend as Team SA are set to take the swimming pool by storm at the Paris Olympics, with more drama in Formula 1 as George Russell is stripped of his Belgian Grand Prix win.
STAND BY FOR THE SMITH SHOW
South Africa’s medals tally stands at one heading into a full week of Paris Olympics action and it was the men’s sevens rugby team who delivered. They showed incredible resolve to take home the bronze medal. What it meant to them was evident by the sight of the players walking around the athletes’ village on Sunday morning, still wearing their gong hanging from their neck.
France took home gold, and were simply magnifique all tournament. As was the crowd, filling the 70,000-seater Stade de France each day. South Africa were last to qualify for the Games, filling the 12th and final berth in June. They were the last to qualify for the quarter-finals, having finished third in a pool that included New Zealand and Ireland. They won three and lost three, but they won a medal, whereas the Kiwis lost once and finished fifth. South Africa doing South African things one might say? Another medal will come Team SA’s way via Tatjana Smith (formerly Schoenmaker) in the pool on Monday night in the 100m breaststroke and she will double up in the 200 later in the week. Double gold? Why not?
RUSSELL ROBBED OF BELGIAN GP VICTORY
I don’t pretend to understand how it works, apart from the obvious, but George Russell was stripped of his win at the Belgian F1 GP at Spa-Francorchamps because his car was weighed in as underweight after the race. On the track, he held off Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling finish.
Off it, his car was weighed at 798kg, the minimum weight allows, but then 2.8 litres of petrol was drained and the new weight was measured at 796.5kg. So, Russell lost the race. At least we know that 2.8 litres of fuel weighs 1.5kg. So, Hamilton was promoted to winner, while the championship leader, who finished fifth, was moved up to fourth.
FOURIE RULES ON DAVE THE KING
The curtain is about to come down on the 2023/24 racing season with five meetings scheduled in the last three days. In the Cape, they’re looking to squeeze two into three days after the vicious winter wiped out most of the month. The Hollywoodbets Greyville feature programme on Sunday was a show-stopper, with four Grade 1’s and two Grade 2’s.
We suggested Richard Fourie was the jockey to follow, and he duly won the main event, the R1.5-million HKJC Gold Challenge on Dave The King. However, the other winners of the Gr1’s were Smanga Khumalo (Quid Pro Quo), Calvin Habib (VJ’s Angel) and Luyolo Mxothwa (Surjay). Fourie did place second however in a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 and he has now ended his season on that record 377 winners.
MORE PRE-SEASON PAIN FOR CHELSEA
Football’s pre-season friendlies continued. Some argue that they count for nothing when the actual season stars, but if you’re a Chelsea fan there’s a sense of deja vu. They have drawn with Wrexham and were hammered 4-1 by Celtic in their US trip. Also preparing for the English Premier League season in the US are Liverpool, saw off Real Betis. The clean sheet is the most important subject here.
Elsewhere Man City have the depth and pedigree to dismiss the 3-2 loss to AC Milan as “pre-season), while Arsenal beat Man United; much of the same applies. It wasn’t a bad result for either side. Also pre-season, but of more significance and played for the Toyota Cup in Bloemfontein, Keizer Chiefs were trounced 4-0 by Tanzanian club Young Africans. That will be disturbing heading into the new PSL campaign.
Defeat in Notre Dame. @FICO_corp | #BluesInTheUSA pic.twitter.com/0ZMXVdNYfg
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 27, 2024
BILAL WALKS THE WALK IN UFC TITLE WIN
The UFC’s welterweight belt swapped hands when Bilal Muhammad lived up to his pre-fight bravado, although he has some way to go before he can call him the franchise’s greatest-ever welterweight. Manchester fans were leaving the arena midway through the fifth and final round, knowing their man Leon Edwards, wasn’t going to turn the contest around.
He didn’t and lost on points. No one argued. One of sport’s truest maxims is to silence the home crowd. Muhammad did that and continues on his winning streak. That fight was in stark contrast to interim heavyweight belt-holder Tom Aspinall, who scored another highlights reel early knockout, this time over American Curtis Blades. Afterwards, the Brit called out ageing champion Jon Jones. You know what? Jones might not be up for that challenge.
The new welterweight king extended his unbeaten streak at #UFC304👑
— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2024
He now has the 4th longest active unbeaten streak in the UFC 😤
19 - Jon Jones
14 - Islam Makhachev
12 - Magomed Ankalaev
11 - @BullyB170 📸
10 - Merab Dvalishvili pic.twitter.com/4xLGQkmwW9
AROUND THE COFFEE STATION…
There were wins in the Currie Cup for the Blue Bulls, Sharks (upsetting the Lions in Joburg) and Pumas, while the Cheetahs squeezed past bottom-feeders Griffons 47-45. The Bulls are the only unbeaten team after four rounds …
Ben Stokes hit England’s fastest-ever Test 50 when he reached the mark in 24 balls as England beat West Indies by 10 wickets inside three days to win the series 3-0. The fastest South African batsman to a Test 50? Jacques Kallis (24 balls) …
Jon Rahm won the UK leg of the LIV Golf series with a 13-under-par tally over the 54 holes, beating Joaquin Niemann, Cam Smith and Tyrrell Hatton by one shot. Louis Oosthuizen (T6th) was the highest Stingers (SA) player.
