Ten things to know from what happened in the world of sport. June 22-28, 2021. Test Cricket, Euro 2020, Gervonta Davis, Tour de France melee…
  1. Exciting Euro 2020. Euro 2020 is proving some very exciting matches. France, World Champions, were eliminated by Switzerland after their 3-3 game went to penalties. Star Kylian Mbappé missed the final penalty kick.Spain and Croatia also had to go to extra time after a 3-3 equalizer by Croatia during compensation time. Spain won 5-3. Denmark eliminated Wales by a 4-0 score, Italy beat Austria 2-1 after extra time, Czechia eliminated Netherlands 2-0 and Belgium beat Portugal 1-0. England beat Germany in an elimination round of a competition for the first time in 55 years by beating them 2-0 at Wembley.
  2. Club Finals. Ice Hockey’s NHL Stanley Cup finals started and the current Champions, Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montréal Canadiens 5-1. In Basketball, the NBA is set to define its Finalists. Milwaukee Bucks lead the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 and the Phoenix Suns -who eliminated the Lakers- lead the LA Clippers 3-2. In Rugby Union, Toulouse beat Stade Rochelais 18-8; they had beat them for the European Championship one month ago. In the English Premiership, the Harlequins beat Exeter 40-38 to become Champions just for the second time in its 155 year history.
  3. Messy Tour de France departure. There have been several accidents in the first days of the Tour de France. Most notably the overwhelming majority of the race fell down after an incident involving a spectator holding a cardboard sign. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) has taken the early lead, ahead of Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) and Richard Carapaz (ECU). Champion Tadej Pogačar is currently 6th.
  4. Ogier wins the Safari! Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia (FRA, Toyota Gazoo) secured an exciting win in the World Rally Championship’s return to the Safari Rally Kenya, going from third to first in the last day. Hyundai had yet another debacle, as Thierry Neuville (BEL) retired from first with a mechanical problem. Takamoto Katsuta (JPN, Toyota Gazoo) inherited the lead but was passed by the French duo in the last stages. A local team by Onkar Rai (KEN) and Drew Sturrock (SCO) was 7th overall and won in WRC3. In F1, Max Verstappen (NED, Red Bull) defeated Lewis Hamilton (ENG, Mercedes) again to take the Styrian Grand Prix in Austria. In NASCAR Kyle Larson (USA) was set to win for the fifth time in a row until he suffered a flat tyre in the last lap. Alex Bowman (USA) won. Kyle Busch (USA) won the second race, with just the fourth gear working! In hillclimb, Robin Shute (ENG) won the 99th Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, his second win at the event.
  5. Different kinds of golf. James Conrad (USA) won one of the most exciting Disc Golf Championships that has been seen, after executing a perfect 247-foot shot in the 18th hole that allowed him to eventually beat Champion Paul McBeth (USA). Catrina Allen (USA) won in the Women’s Division. In Golf golf, Harris English won the PGA’s Travelers Championship after eight playoff holes -the second longest playoffs ever in the PGA Tour-, against Kramer Hickok (USA). 
  6. Triple World Champion. Gervonta Davis (USA) became the third boxer in history to hold a World Championship Title in three different divisions, simultaneously, after Henry Armstrong (USA) and Saúl Álvarez (MEX). Davis beat Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (MEX/USA) with a 10th-Round Knockout in a very entertaining fight to win the WBA (Regular) Super Lightweight Championship.
  7. US Volleyball. Team USA won its third consecutive -out of three that have been held- FIVB Nations League Finals in the Women’s Division, after winning 16 out of 17 matches, including their 3-1 win over Brazil in the Final. Brazil won the Men’s Nation League Finals, beating Poland.
  8. First World Champions in 144 years. New Zealand became the first ever Test Cricket World Champion team, after beating India in an exciting Final for the 2019-21 edition. New Zealand secured an eight-wicket win within the final hour, coming from more than 130 runs behind in the last day.
  9. Hurricane Lane. Frankie Dettori (ITA) and Lone Eagle (IRL) were denied the Irish Derby triumph as William Buick (NOR) and Hurricane Lane (IRL) got past them in the very last meters. Aidan O’Brien’s favorite High Definition (IRL) was not really a menace.
  10. Bare knuckle. Joey Beltrán (MEX) became the first Heavyweight to defend the Bareknuckle Fighting Championship Heavyweight World Title two times, after he beat Sam Shewmaker (USA) via decision, to also defend the Police Gazette World Title. Luis Palomino (PER) also defended his BKFC and Police Gazette World Titles for the second time, after beating Tyler Goodjohn (ENG) in a Lightweight title bout.