Ten things to know from last week. May 24-30, 2022 include: Checo's Monaco win, Real Madrid in Champions League, the Giro definition…
  1. The big weekend in Motorsports. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) became the first Mexican to win the Monaco Grand Prix, as he had a great pit in-lap and control of tires to hold off a charge by Carlos Sainz (ESP, Ferrari) and do the 1-3 for Red Bull, as Max Verstappen (NED) was third. Local Charles Leclerc (MCO) was fourth after a disappointing timing on his pitstop. In the US, Marcus Ericsson (SWE) gave yet another win to Ganassi Racing, as he held off Patricio O’Ward (MEX, McLaren), who had fought for the lead with Ericsson’s teammate, Scott Dixon (NZL), until Dixon received a penalty for speeding on the pits. In NASCAR, Denny Hamlin (USA) won the Coca-Cola 600. In Germany, the Scherer Sport Team Phoenix Audi driven by Robin Frijns (NED), Kelvin van der Linde (ZAF), Dries Vanthoor (BEL) and Frederic Vervisch (BEL) won, after Dries collided with brother and Champion, Laurens Vanthoor (DEU), with over twenty hours to go.
  2. UEFA Champions late. Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League Final, 1–0, thanks to a 59th-minute goal from Vinícius Júnior(BRA) for a record-extending 14th title, which is their 5th in nine years. The Final was delayed by over half an hour due to a crisis at the entrance, presumably due to thousands of fans being scammed with fake tickets.
  3. Held off this time! Two years ago, Jai Hindley (AUS) lost the Giro D’Italia win in the final stage, the time trial. This time he held off Richard Carapaz (ECU) to become the first Australian to win this Grand Tour race.
  4. The year of Finnish Hockey. Finland joined their Swedish neighbors as the only countries that have achieved the Olympic and World Championship double, as they defeated Canada 4-3 in playoffs thanks to a controversial power play that some Canadian players considered a dive.
  5. European Rugby. After losing the 2021 European Champions Cup Final to Toulouse, this time La Rochelle (FRA) defeated Leinster (ENG) 24-21 to become European Champions for the first time. This is the first major Championship for the team founded in 1898 that has never been a French Champion. In Rugby League, the Wigan Warriors (ENG) defeated the Huddersfield Giants (ENG) 16-14, their 22nd -first since 2013- in this tournament founded in 1896.
  6. Veni. Vidi, Vici. TheGujarat Titans won the Indian Premier League in their first season, with a seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in the final. Hardik Pandya (IND) grabbed three for 17. The Final was held at the world’s largest stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, in front of 104,859 fans who mostly supported the local team to the win.
  7. Paralympian and conventional. Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar (MNG), current Paralympic Champion, took on the conventional powerlifters and won the IPF World Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championship in the 120 kg Men’s Classic category, breaking a World Record on the way, with a lift of 260 kilograms. Xeniya Khan (KAZ) took a home win at the with a gold in the Women’s 76 kg Classic category lifting 180 kilograms, a World Record. She also took silver in the Equipped competition. She has been a World Champion ten times now.
  8. Quadruple World Record. Catherine Debrunner (CHE) delighted her home crowd at the ParAthletics Grand Prix in Nottwil, where she won four gold medals with a World Record in each of the Women’s 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m T53 categories for wheelchair racing. Paralympic star Marcel Hug (CHE) also broke a World Record, in the Men’s 1500 meters T53.
  9. Gervonta delivered. Gervonta Davis (USA) beat undefeated Rolando Romero (USA) with a 6th round knock-out to successfully defend the WBA (Regular) lightweight title. Romero was winning on one of the scorecards.
  10. World’s Strongest again. Tom Stoltman (SCO) repeated his title at the World’s Strongest Man competition, ahead of previo winners, Martins Licis (USA) and Oleksii Novikov (UKR). who took three individual event wins: the Car Deadlift, the Flintstone Lift, and the Bus Pull.