This week’s Global Podium for the best sportspeople in the world features Shinichi Ishigami and Oju Chosan, Florian Wellbrock, and Sarah Sjöström.
The Sportspedia’s Global Podium features the three sportspeople/athletes or teams that best achieved excellence in performance last week with their milestones and results.
 Gold: Shinichi Ishigami and Oju Chosan (Japan, Horse Racing) Ten-year-old horse Oju Chosan won his third Nakayama Daishogai -one of the richest steeplechase races in the world, established in 1934- and became the second horse to do so in history -after Barone Turf-, and the first in the “international era” of the race. Ishigami meanwhile became the first jockey to win the race four times. Combined with the five consecutive wins they had at the Nakayama Grand Jump, they are among the best horse-jockey combinations of all time and certainly the best of all time in Japan. Watch the replay of the race (JRA) |
 Silver: Florian Wellbrock (Germany, Swimming) Wellbrock had an excellent end of the year that served to consolidate his season. He swam the fastest 1500 meters ever, to win gold in the Short Course Swimming World Championships, with a time of 14:06.88, just a week after he had won gold in the 10km Open Water World Series race and bronze in the Open Water Relay in the Abu Dhabi Aquatics Festival. Watch the highlights of Day 6 (FINA) |
 Bronze: Sarah Sjöström (Sweden, Swimming) Sarah Sjöstrom closed the World Short Course Swimming Championships with three medals on the very last day. She won the 50m freestyle with a time of 23.08 seconds -ahead of Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED)- and also won the Women’s 4 × 100 meter medley relay and silver in the Women’s 4 × 50 meter freestyle relay, both with her Swedish teammates. She won a total of three gold, three silver and one bronze medal at the Championships. Among the women, only Maggie MacNeal (CAN) won more throughout, with a total of 4. Watch the highlights of Day 6 (FINA) |
