This week's Global Podium for the best sportspeople in the world features Jonathan Rea, Teófimo López and Peres Jepchirchir.
 Gold: Jonathan Rea (Northern Ireland, Motorcycling) Actually, this weekend’s races at the Portuguese Superbike Grand Prix were not the best for Johnny Rea, taking into account this was the only race weekend this year where he did not win a single race: he only managed to finish 4th, 5th and 14th, after an unusual fall. Nevertheless, these results were enough for Rea to win his sixth consecutive World Superbike Championship, which makes him the most successful Superbike rider of all time. He won eleven times year, which leave him with the all-time mark of 99 race wins. Two races this weekend were won by Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (TUR) and the other one by Chaz Davies (WAL), who bids farewell to Ducati by almost winning the Manufacturers’ World Title for them with 391 points. But thanks to Javier Forés’ 8th place, Kawasaki was able to tally 392 and win the Championship. Previously it had only been Alex Lowes (ENG) and Rea that had scored for the Japanese brand, but Forés scored the most valuable 8th place to be remembered. This is also Rea’s sixth consecutive Manufacturers’ World Championship. Andrea Locatelli (ITA) took the Supersport World Championship and Jeffrey Buis (NED) the Supersport 300 World Championship. Watch a beautiful highlight video of this year’s season (World SBK) |
 Silver: Teófimo López (Honduras, Boxing) The long-awaited Lightweight unification bout between Pound For Pound #2 Vassyl Lomachenko (UKR) and undefeated World Champion Teófimo López was meant to be an excellent fight between a defensive amateur-style fast boxer and a puncher but it was underwhelming, with the fighters being very careful throughout the fight. Nonetheless, it should be recognized that Teófimo pushed on the first part of the fight and while Lomachenko tried to recover in the later part, it was already too late. López, at 23, becomes the youngest boxer ever to hold World TItles form the four main organizations on the same weight, at the same time. He was already the IBF World Champion and added the WBO, WBA Super, WBC Franchise, and The Ring World Champion belts to his collection. Watch the fight highlights (TV Azteca) |
 Bronze: Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya, Athletics) Jepchirchir crossed the line in one hour, five minutes and 16 seconds to win the gold medal at the Half Marathon World Championships and post the World Record for a women’s-only Half Marathon Race, which she had set in September; and the third best Half Marathon of all time for a female runner. She also led Kenya to the silver medal in the team competition, behind Ethiopia. Jepchirchir defeated the two runners that set the fastest ever Half Marathons for female runners last February: Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH), fifth, and Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN), who had a fall and finished sixth. In the men’s division, a Ugandan won, but it was not pre-race favorite Joshua Cheptegei. Instead, it was 19 year-old Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) who took gold and led the team to the bronze medal at the team event, behind Kenya and Ethiopia. Watch the full race (World Athletics) |
