Gary Lemke looks back at a jam-packed sporting weekend as Max Verstappen clinched another race win at a wet Canadian Grand Prix, while Scottie Scheffler extends impressive form.
VERSTAPPEN WINS THRILLER (FOR ONCE)
Finally, an F1 grand prix that made any neutral see what the fuss is all about. about. Even if Max Verstappen again stood atop the podium, his win in the Canadian GP was a good advert for the sport. Rain, sunshine, pit strategies, uncertainty of tyres, spin-offs, overtaking, safety cars and a misfiring Ferrari.
When the checkered flag came, it went to Verstappen ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell, who had secured pole because he had set his exact qualifying time as Verstappen before the Dutchman had. It was Verstappen’s sixth win from nine races this season, but this time it was full of drama.
SCHEFFLER EXPRESS SHUFFLES ON
Seems like the only way to stop Scottie Scheffler is by setting up a police roadblock. The world No. 1 won for the fifth time this year on the PGA Tour and is playing like Tiger Woods in his prime. He added the Memorial to his tally and heads into this week’s US Open as the clear favourite.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout booked his place aboard Team SA for the Paris Olympics when he finished third. Meanwhile, over in Houston, there was no problem for Mexican Carlos Ortiz who won his first LIV Golf title. The best South African finishers were Charl Scwartzel and Dean Burmester in a tie for 18th.
THE RACE WHERE EVERYONE’S A WINNER
Piet Wiersma and Gerda Steyn might have grabbed the headlines for their wins in the men’s and women’s races at the Comrades Marathon, but, as cliche as it sounds, there were some 20,000 winners on the day. If you completed the annual race, which this year was shortened to 85.91km and finished at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, well done.
You’ll know who “did Comrades” by the limps and the war tales around the water cooler over the next few days. In the elute race, there were only three South Africans in the men’s top 10 – which is a good thing, as it shows the international nature of the event. Dutchman Wiersma won in 5hr 25min 00sec, while Steyn lowered her up record to 5:49:46 and finished 23rd overall.
FOURIE JOINS THE SPORTING LEGENDS
Speaking of winners and records, Richard Fourie’s victory in the Double Grand Slam saw him surpass Anthony Delpech’s famous 334 season victories set 25 years ago. It was a mark many considered untouchable and Hollywoodbets put up a R1-million bonus to any rider achieving the feat.
I consider it one of the three toughest records in South African sport, and the new one will be one of three that we don’t see broken in our lifetimes. The other two? Gary Player’s nine golfing Majors and Wayde van Niekerk’s 400m world record of 43.03sec.
PROTEAS BATTERS DUE A BIG REACTION
Before the T20 World Cup, most expected it was the batting power of the Proteas that would carry them deep into the event. We’ve even got a TV ad campaign where the women’s Proteas are looking into the sky from where sixes are falling. However, despite beating both Sri Lanka and the Netherlands, it has been the bowlers who have shone.
In those two wins, the Proteas have put together 186 runs for 10 wickets, taking 35.1 overs in the process. They’re due a her” from the batters. On Monday they’ve got a chance to apply oil to the machine, against Bangladesh, before they close their group against minnows Nepal.
FRENCH OPEN PROVES TENNIS’ FUTURE IS NOW
Iga Swiatek was the first tennis player born in the 2000s to win a Grand Slam tennis title and she has now won five after picking up her fourth French Open, with her easiest finals win yet, 6-2 6-1 over Jasmine Paolini. The world No1 has broken a host of records but now the focus switches to whether she can dominate on other surfaces, starting with the grass of Wimbledon. Her best result there is the quarter-finals.
The men’s French Open was won by another Generation Z player, 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz. He’s now won three Grand Slams after seeing off Alexander Zverev in five see-daw sets 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 at Roland Garros. And on Monday, Jannick Sinner reached No1 in the ATP world rankings, aged 22.
LEINSTER TO GET A PRETORIA WELCOME
Steve Hofmeyr has his fan base and one of his more popular songs in Pretoria is “Maak Die Bulle Almal Bokke”. That will be ringing out around Loftus this week as the Bulls get ready to host Irish powerhouses Leinster in the United Rugby Championship semi-finals.
And, with the Stormers going down in their quarter-final in Glasgow, the Bulls actually have the whole of South Africa shouting for them as they’re the last franchise waving our flag. Should we make all the Bulls Springboks ahead of the visit by Ireland? Let’s not stretch things too far, but Leinster will know they’ve arrived in rugby country this week.
EURO FRIENDLIES ADD UP TO NOTHING
England’s 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley in their last friendly before Euro 2024 starts later this week had no bearing on the tournament odds. Hollywoodbets still have England as the 33/10 favourites to lift the trophy, with France at 4/1, Germany at 11/2, Portugal at 7/1 and Spain at 8/1.
All were involved in friendly action at the weekend, with England and Portugal losing, while France, Germany and Spain all won. Predictably, the English media were harsh on their own team, conveniently ignoring that friendlies are little more than public workouts. From next week it will all return to “Football’s Coming Home” again.
