Gary Lemke looks back at a jam-packed sporting weekend as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City clinched a record fourth consecutive Premier League title on the final day of the season, as Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champ.
CITY ARE TALK OF THE TOWN – AGAIN
Manchester City held their nerve, by winning their final game of the season, against West Ham, to be crowned English Premier League champions for the fourth time in a row. Arsenal chased them all the way to the line, but their 2-1 win over Everton proved in vain as City finished two points clear. Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp bidding farewell as manager, finished with a 2-0 win over Wolves.
Their second goal, by Jarrell Amorin Quansah, was the 1223rd goal of the EPL season, setting a new record. While all the interest had been on the title-deciding matches, it was Phil Foden’s second-minute strike which started City’s celebrations early.
SCHAFFELE DESERVEDLY JOINS MAJOR CLUB
Xander Schauffele moved up into 2nd in the Official World Rankings after winning his first Major, the PGA Championship, at Valhalla, holding off Bryson DeChambeau by one shot. The Americans shot final rounds of 65 and 54 on the par-71 course. Schauffele had twice been runner-up in Majors and his coronation was overdue. He’s also in good shape ahead of the Olympics, where he won gold in Tokyo three years ago.
Best placed of the South Africans in Valhalla was Dean Burmester, tied 12th, whose final round of 70 was his highest of the week. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (MC) and Erik van Rooyen (T53rd) remain SA’s two top-ranked men’s golfers in the world at 57th and 65th, respectively.
USYK WINS ALL THE HEAVYWEIGHT BELTS
South Africans are well acquainted with one-point margins and that’s ultimately what decided the first unified heavyweight world championship in 25 years, in Saudi Arabia. The smaller Oleksandr Usyk deservedly won on points after 12 captivating rounds, with cards of 115-112 and 114-113, while Tyson Fury, losing for the first time, was awarded 114-113 on one judge’s card. The turning point came in round 9 when Fury was in dire straits, resembling a drunk looking for a lamppost, but on his feet.
The referee gave him an eight count, saying the ropes were holding him up. I disagree. I believe it allowed him the time to recover sufficiently to see out the round, and the fight. Usyk started fast, but Fury went ahead on the cards early on, before Usyk rallied. A rematch clause says they can do it all over in October.
VERSTAPPEN MAKES IT FIVE OUT OF SEVEN
The Emilia Romagna GP attracted an army of Ferrari home fans, with expectations high after Charl Leclerc and Carlos Sainz qualified third and fourth on the grid. The obvious problem is that the Red Bull of Max Verstappen was on pole for the seventh time in as many races this season, while he was joined by Lando Norris next to him. It doesn’t happen too often, but the podium was as they had started on the grid, with Verstappen winning for a fifth time in those seven races.
IPL HEADS INTO THE FINAL STRAIGHT
Seventy matches after starting and a record 1200 sixes (an average of 17 per game), the Indian Premier League is now down to the playoffs. On Tuesday, the Kolkata Knight Riders meet Sunrisers Hyderabad and on Wednesday it’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Rajasthan Royals There’s another playoff on Friday and the final is this coming Sunday. It’s been a tournament for the batsmen, with Virat Kohli leading the run-making standings with 708 that has helped RCB make the playoffs.
STORMERS BOOK URC KNOCKOUT SPOT
The Stormers were the standout South African franchise in the United Rugby Championship, beating Connacht 16-12 away. There’s one round of games to go and then it’s the top eight teams into the quarter-finals. The Stormers are next at home to the Lions (who beat the Warriors 44-21) and ironically the Gautengers need to win to make the quarters. Elsewhere, the Bulls hammered Benetton 56-35, but the Sharks’ Jekyll ’n Hyde season continued with a home defeat to Cardiff and they’re now 13th of the 16 teams.
IMPERIOUS FOURIE HITS 300. NOW FOR 335
We spoke about the Richard Fourie juggernaut and the landmark of 300 season winners duly arrived at the weekend, aboard Commanding at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. He then upped it to 302. He’s already assured of being crowned national champion jockey and the next target is getting past Anthony Delpech’s all-time record of 334 winners. Fourie wants to get the job done as soon as possible. Don’t be surprised if it comes before the end of June.
AROUND THE WATER COOLER …
And the winner 2023/24 Women’s Super League champions are Chelsea. They beat Man United 6-0 in their final game. Next were Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United, Tottenham, Villa, Everton, Brighton. Leicester, West Ham and Bristol City … Bayer Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten run in all competitions was extended to 51 as they won their last game of the Bundesliga season … Sundowns remain unbeaten in the DStv Premiership with two games to go, and they’re a yawning 22 points ahead of Stellenbosch at the top of the log, after winning the battle of the top two 1-0 …
There were two standout performances at the Diamond League athletics meeting in Morocco where Akani Simbine won the 100m in 9.90sec and Prudence Sekgodiso the women’s 100m in 1:57.26. Both are the fastest times in the year as the Olympic build-up gathers pace.