Pongsiri confident a victory over Sorgraw will bring him closer to another title shot
Aug 11. 2020
By THE NATION
Four-time Muay Thai World Champion Pongsiri PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym believes a resounding victory in his next bout will be enough to earn him another shot at the ONE World Title, if all goes according to plan.
The elite featherweight talent is scheduled to face countryman Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy in a three-round Muay Thai contest at ONE: NO SURRENDER II, a closed-door, audience free event set for broadcast on August 14 in Bangkok.
The stipulated four-ounce gloves will certainly make for an extra-exciting contest between the two explosive strikers. Pongsiri knows what he’s up against, and he’s confident he has the right game plan heading into their much-anticipated showdown.
“He (Sorgraw) is a big boxer. He is very skillful and has a defensive style. His main weapon will be his kicks,” said Pongsiri.
“[I think he will use] his jab, kicks, and maybe knee techniques – maybe the flying knee because he is taller than me, and my style needs to approach him first. So, he could use this to counter my style.”
Pongsiri has spent the bulk of his career competing in Bangkok’s most prestigious arenas, winning World Championships at the Lumpinee and Channel 7 boxing stadiums.
Known for his aggressive, never-back-down style and for always moving forward in the ring, Pongsiri joined ONE Super Series earlier this year, being thrust directly into an opportunity for the inaugural ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship against Sorgraw’s teammate, Petchmorakot.
Although Pongsiri fell short, and Petchmorakot eventually captured the title, the rising young stalwart feels a victory over Sorgraw is all he needs to secure a rematch.
Against Sorgraw, Pongsiri is giving up over 10cm in height. However, this hasn’t deterred Pongsiri from taking up the challenge of facing a bigger and taller opponent. He will enter the contest laser-focused on executing a careful strategy that he believes will ensure his success.
“He is taller than me, so he can use this as part of his advantage for high kicking, and I must be aware of that. Also, I must be aware when I approach him because his elbow strikes can hit my head easily,” said Pongsiri.
“My fighting style is aggressive – it’s a never-back-down style. I have kicks and elbows as my trump cards. My kicking can stop my competitors, and my elbows can cause damage. They should be afraid of it.”
ONE: NO SURRENDER II is ONE Championship’s second event in Bangkok since resuming its flagship event schedule. The headline bout features a bantamweight Muay Thai showdown between former ONE World Title challenger Saemapetch Fairtex and countryman Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym.
After the huge success of ONE: NO SURRENDER last July, Pongsiri wants to seize the moment and swing the momentum in his favor. An impressive victory here, the Thai warrior believes, will punch his ticket to another crack at the ONE World Title.
“If I win this fight, I will be ready for the belt. I need it. I need it as the glory for myself, for the camp, and for Thailand,” said Pongsiri.
The final race weekend of the season will take place at the stunning Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports recently announced the addition of a fifteenth Grand Prix to the 2020 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship calendar, with the event set to take place from the 20th to the 22nd of November and become the season finale.
The venue for the event can now be revealed as the incredible Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal. The reserve track for MotoGP™ since 2017, the circuit will now make its debut on the calendar.
The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is truly unique, with its characteristic elevation changes and undulating layout earning it a reputation as a high-speed rollercoaster – a thrill ride for fans and competitors alike. The track will now welcome MotoGP™ back to Portugal for the first time since 2012, and the event will see Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) racing on home turf in the premier class for the first time.
FIM President Jorge Viegas: “I am very proud that MotoGP will return to my country eight years after the last Grand Prix, which took place at the Circuito do Estoril in May 2012. I would like to warmly thank Dorna, the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and the Motorcycling Federation of Portugal for having managed to meet the necessary conditions for the organisation of the finale of the 2020 FIM Grand Prix World Championship to take place in Portugal.”
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve CEO Paulo Pinheiro: “It is a great achievement for our team to finally have MotoGP at our racetrack! MotoGP is the pinnacle of two-wheeled motorsport, and we are so excited to have it.
“It has been a long process with Dorna, we had an agreement in place since 2017, and finally all the hard work paid off. On top of this to have Miguel Oliveira on the MotoGP grid, being able to fight for the podium will be an amazing add on for this race, and hopefully the Championship will be decided here.
“We are working to have the fans in our race, and we will start with a capacity of 30.000 fans for the race weekend and then we will decide with Dorna and the sanitary authorities the following stages.
“We can’t express how happy we are to have this race.”
Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta: “It’s big news for us, we signed an agreement in 2017 with Portimao to be the reserve circuit for any kinds of cancellations, and we’ve been in contact with them all this time. We’ve been to Portimão with Superbike and we think it’s an amazing possibility for us, and also in the agreement is that the track will be resurfaced after the Superbike round. When we explained this to the riders they were excited because they’ve seen the track on TV, but we’ve never been there.
“Portugal has a long history in our sport and there have been some historic battles in Estoril. It’s something very good for us to have the possibility to go back to Portugal, especially with Miguel Oliveira participating as it’s great to have a Portuguese rider able to compete in his own country. We are extremely happy to be racing in Portimão at the end of the year.”
IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Preview
Aug 11. 2020
The fourth stop on the 2020 “Road to the LPGA” takes the Symetra Tour to Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in the Golden State for the fifth annual IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa from Aug. 21-23.
“IOA has been a driving force in creating a coast to coast impact and reach for the Symetra Tour,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “They are at the helm for events in Florida and California, leading the way once again when it comes to vision from a title sponsor. All of us with the Symetra Tour—from players to staff—are grateful for the lengths that IOA goes to instill positive, lasting effects on the communities we travel to and careers they make a difference in.”
Greeting the 132-player field in Riverside County is a total purse of $125,000. Individuals are set to compete in a 54-hole stroke play format with a cut to the low 60 players and ties after 36 holes. The winner’s share for the event is $18,750.
“Hosting this championship tournament and working with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to help showcase the next wave of LPGA Tour talent is really special for our whole organization,” said Insurance Office of America (IOA) Chairman and CEO Heath Ritenour. “We are very excited to welcome all of the competitors to Beaumont, California, and provide a first-class experience they won’t forget. It is going to be a great week to open the first of three IOA events on the Symetra Tour calendar in 2020.”
Defending champion Jillian Hollis (Rocky River, Ohio) is not among the competitors, as she was a 2019 Symetra Tour graduate. The win in Southern California was the first of two victories last season for the University of Georgia alumna and helped her finish at No. 5 in the Volvik Race for the Card.
“I couldn’t be more thankful to IOA for providing such an outstanding opportunity to further my career in professional golf,” Hollis said. “As the main sponsor for three Symetra Tour events and also presenting sponsor of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on the LPGA, all that IOA does to grow the women’s game is incredible and truly changes lives. Thanks to their generosity, as well as the support of Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, I’m now able to live out my dream as a LPGA Tour player.”
Action gets underway at 7:00 a.m. PT in the first and second round with play starting off No. 1 and No. 10 tees all three days. Meanwhile, the final round will start at 8:00 a.m. with a trophy presentation to follow on No. 18 green.
Kang wins Marathon LPGA Classic after Ko falters late
Aug 10. 2020Danielle Kang (Photo credit to LPGA)When Lydia Ko stepped to the 13th tee at the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana, she had a five-stroke lead over Danielle Kang and appeared to have a third tournament title firmly in her grasp.
Six holes later, it was Kang hoisting the trophy after Ko fell apart down the stretch at Highland Meadows Golf Club.
“Definitely, it was a lot of up and downs going on. I made some little mistakes here and there, but I definitely answered with some birdies, which was good, and kept me in my momentum,” said Kang. The back nine, I just had six holes to play and all of a sudden I was five shots back. That three-putt was a bit much, and I just said to my caddie, ‘Man, that’s too costly.’ He said, ‘You got six holes left, five down.’ That put me in a little bit of a match play mentality, and hit some great shots coming in. I think that was crucial.”
Kang converted long birdie putts at 13 and 14 while Ko bogeyed 14, cutting Ko’s advantage to two strokes with four holes to go. After Ko bogeyed the 16th, she took a one-stroke advantage to the final hole.
On the par-5 closing hole, things truly came undone for Ko. Her approach sprayed far right of the green and after taking relief from a cart path and deliberating between clubs, she skulled her third shot across the green and into the greenside rough. Kang’s approach found a left greenside bunker, but she successfully got up and down for par. Ko’s fourth shot hit the fringe and trickled back into a bunker, leading to a catastrophic double bogey that handed the title to her close friend Kang.
“I was trying to bump it there. It was in a pretty fluffy lie,” said Ko of her shot from the bunker at 18. “It was probably going to be a tough one for me to hit a high one. And with how the greens are reacting, I think if I had hit a high one, I was probably going to end up on the other side of the hill. So I just don’t think I hit it as hard as I should have maybe into the bank, but it’s, you know, very like minimal things. Even my first chip. If I had hit it 4 feet shorter, then maybe it would’ve stayed on the green. Who knows?”
With the win, Kang becomes the first LPGA Tour player to win back-to-back events since Shanshan Feng won the 2017 TOTO Japan Classic and Blue Bay LPGA.
“I feel pretty good. I mean, I won two weeks in a row, so that’s good,” said Kang. “I’m really proud of all the work that I did during the off time, all the work that I did with Butch and all the workouts that I put in. I really utilized that time, and I’m proud to come out during this quarantine and be able to execute my game the way I wanted to. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff recovered from a third-round 73 to shoot a bogey-free 67 on Sunday and tied for second with Ko at -14. Australian Minjee Lee holed out for eagle from the rough at No. 17 and then birdied the closing hole to finish alone in fourth at -13. A trio of Americans rounded out the top five in a tie for fifth – Andrea Lee, Marina Alex and Emma Talley.
STACY LEWIS FEELING GOOD AS TOUR HEADS TO SCOTLAND
The Marathon LPGA Classic is always a joyous week for 12-time LPGA Tour winner Stacy Lewis, who was born in Toledo and enjoys her annual visit with extended family. While the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on the full festivities, Lewis is extra thankful for this week’s tournament, just the Tour’s second competition since February.
“Doesn’t feel like you’re on the road as a normal tournament site,” said Lewis of her time in Toledo. “So it was a fun week again. Even though the crew didn’t get to come out every day, still a lot of fun off the golf course.”
Lewis tied for third at the 2019 Marathon LPGA Classic, the high point of her first season returning to competition after giving birth in 2018. With a toddler at home, the five-month break due to the pandemic was perhaps a blessing in disguise. A final-round 65, a bogey-free walk around Highland Meadows, sends a well-rested Lewis off to two weeks in Scotland in very good spirits.
“I needed the time. I needed the time off. I needed the time to kind of get healthy and get my body healthy,” said Lewis, who ultimately finished T9. “It’s as good as it’s felt – knock on wood – in a couple years. So I’m just excited with every opportunity I get to play right now.”
MARINA ALEX HAPPY TO BACK ON THE COURSE
After the long break, a final-round 67 at the Marathon LPGA Classic put a big smile on Marina Alex’s face. Her unexpected offseason was made even longer when she tested positive for COVID-19 prior to traveling to Ohio, even though she never showed any symptoms. With a clean bill of health after the required quarantine period, Alex finished T5 at Highland Meadows Golf Club.
“First couple days were tough. Just been ages since competing, as I’m sure everyone has said that, especially last week and this week,” said Alex after her round. “But it was good. I felt like today it finally was a little bit more of how it felt to compete before we had a stop. Good to get a little momentum.”
This is by far her best finish at the Marathon LPGA Classic, never finishing better than 25th in her previous five appearances. For someone who admits to being slow to return to competitive form after an extended break, Alex feels this is a good sign for the rest of her season.
“I’ve always felt like I struggle the first few events back at the start of every year because I can’t quite get the switch from practice to tournament,” said Alex, who earned her second consecutive top-five finish, joining a tie for fourth at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. “I think it comes easier or harder for some people, so to get off to a good start out of the gate like this was actually really refreshing. I didn’t have a lot expectation for myself, so this was a good week.”
TESTING UPDATE
The LPGA Tour wrapped up its pre-charter testing on Sunday ahead of next week’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. A total of 120 players and caddies were tested in advance of their travel to Scotland and all of the tests came back negative.
AIG WOMEN’S OPEN QUALIFYING RESULTS
There were 10 spots available this week at the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana for the 2020 AIG Women’s Open, to be held Aug. 20-23 at Royal Troon in Scotland. The 10 spots were determined by the players with the 10 lowest scores after 72 holes at this week’s Marathon LPGA Classic. In the case of a tie for 10th, a series of tiebreakers have been set to determine the final qualifier. If one of the qualifiers elects to not play in the AIG Women’s Open, the spot will not go down to the next available player. Any unused spots will be allocated to the qualifier at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.
The following 10 players qualified for the AIG Women’s Open:
Emma Talley, 276
Andrea Lee, 276
Patty Tavatanakit, 277
Maria Fassi, 277
Kendall Dye, 277
Sophia Popov, 277
Kelly Tan, 277
Peiyun Chien, 278
Dottie Ardina, 278
Lindy Duncan, 279 (winner of a tiebreaker with Elizabeth Szokol and Matilda Castren)
CME GROUP CARES CHALLENGE – SCORE 1 FOR ST. JUDE
The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group donated $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is leading the way in how the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Louise Ridderstrom made the fifth hole-in-one of the 2020 LPGA Tour season on Friday, acing the 135-yard eighth hole with an 8-iron. It was her fifth career hole-in-one. The 2020 season has seen five aces, for a total of $100,000 donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The 2019 LPGA Tour season saw 32 aces from 31 different players, for a total of $620,000. This more than covers the average cost of $425,000 needed to treat a pediatric cancer patient.
PLAYER NOTES
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Danielle Kang (64-67-70-68)
She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, with 28 putts
This is Kang’s ninth season on the LPGA Tour; she has four career victories, most recently at the 2020 Drive On Championship
This is Kang’s fourth event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; she won last week’s LPGA Drive On Championship
This is Kang’s fifth appearance in the Marathon LPGA Classic; her best finish is T22 in 2015
In 2019, Kang ranked in the top 10 on Tour in Rolex Player of the Year (eighth), Race to the CME Globe (eighth), Official Money (eighth) and greens in regulation (ninth)
A two-time member of the USA Solheim Cup Team (2017, 2019), with a 4-4-0 overall record
Binder takes maiden MotoGP™ win to make history in Brno
Aug 10. 2020
The first win for KTM in the premier class, the first for South Africa and the first for a rookie since 2013, Brad Binder’s scintillating Czech GP ride to victory puts him – and KTM – in the history books
Sometimes things come together so perfectly, they can appear easy to the casual observer – like a five second gap at the front in only your third MotoGP™ race. That reads like an easy ride for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he made history in the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky, and he certainly dominated a field of experience to make it look so. But the blood, sweat and tears that go into winning, and making history, are often not caught on camera. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
For Binder, the path to MotoGP™ victory and the first South African win in the premier class is one that starts in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, ascending via the 2016 Moto3™ crown with Red Bull KTM Ajo and a trophy cabinet full of lightweight and intermediate class silverware. For KTM, the journey began full time competition in 2017 as the Austrian factory took on the premier class armed with a mission, a philosophy, and an incredible record of sporting achievement. In their fourth season, a vital first part of that mission is accomplished, their philosophy remains unwavering and victory is a reality.
Behind the rookie and factory taking victory for the first time in Brno, there were two more firsts after the awesome race day shake up at the Czech adrenaline factory too. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) took second and his first podium in the premier class, with Johann Zarco back on the box in third to give Esponsorama Racing their first MotoGP™ podium… via a spectacularly precise, pitch perfect and full gas Long Lap Penalty.
Morbidelli was the man fastest out the blocks as the lights went out, picking teammate Fabio Quartararo’s pocket round Turn 1 and bolting into the distance almost immediately as Zarco lost out from pole. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also managed to get past the number 5 as he launched from fourth into the top three, before he even struck for second and dispatched Quartararo. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo of Pol Espargaro and Binder made great starts to slot into fourth and fifth too, leaving Zarco initially down in P6.
Binder was then a man on a mission. The South African cut past teammate Espargaro and then Aleix Espargaro, soon stuck to the rear wheel of Quartararo as Zarco followed suit to strike back against former teammate Pol Espargaro… but that would soon to serve up some drama. Before that though, the number 44 made it through on Lap 6 and immediately set sights on his teammate and Quartararo as the battle for second became a double factory KTM vs Quartararo fight.
On Lap 9, Binder was through on El Diablo, striking at Turn 3 – a little wide but more than making it stick – and Pol Espargaro was next through. He then also headed wide at Turn 13 and lost the place, but drama was about to unfold at Turn 1 next time around: the KTM of Espargaro was a little wide and the Ducati of Zarco kept it pinned on the inside, leaving both heading for the same piece of tarmac. As the KTM swept back to get the run up through Turn 2, the two made contact and Espargaro was skittled off – earning Zarco a Long Lap Penalty for the incident.
Despite the heartbreak for one orange bike, there was plenty still to celebrate a little ahead on track. Honing in on Morbidelli and the race lead, Binder wasn’t showing any signs of slowing up, reeling in the Yamaha at speed and soon within striking distance. With nine laps left in Brno, the rookie sensation struck and Binder was in the lead of a MotoGP™ race for the first time. Could he now stay steadfast under pressure? It appeared he more than could, with the KTM immediately starting to bolt into clear air at the front.
On the same lap, Zarco took his Long Lap Penalty and despite preconceptions, that was a show in itself and one of the most spectacular moments of the race. Inch perfect, rear tyre smoking and absolutely pinned on the right side of the line, the number 5 saw his gap back to Quartararo in fourth evaporate but screamed out of the Long Lap area just ahead of his compatriot, holding third and keeping that first podium with Ducati still very much in sight.
Meanwhile Binder raced on, Morbidelli held firm, and the battle at the front became one of nerves. The fight just behind the top two was starting to heat up though, and with Zarco staying ahead of Quartararo it seemed like solid damage limitation for the Championship leader if he held fourth. The double Jerez winner was struggling, however. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech3) were all starting to hunt him down, with the Suzuki striking first with five laps to go. Nine-time World Champion Rossi soon followed suit on the same lap, and Quartararo quickly found himself lingering down in sixth. With four laps to go, the number 20 also fell victim to Oliveira’s charge and the focus shifted back to Zarco… who now had Alex Rins for very close company.
Binder – barring a mistake – was a few kilometres from making some very big dreams a very big reality, and Morbidelli looked secure to hit his own milestone too. But Rins was hot on the heels of the Ducati in third and the gap was just 0.6 between the GP19 and GSX-RR with a couple of laps to go; soon down to nothing as Zarco stared down a momentous final lap.
First to complete that would be Binder, however. The South African made the graft and grind look easy, over four seconds clear after more than four years of tireless work from the Austrian factory to see the RC-16 come home first and Binder etch his name into premier class and KTM folklore. Childhood dreams realised across the board, Morbidelli continued the trend as he brought his Yamaha home second to secure a fantastic maiden MotoGP™ podium, and he moves into P3 in the overall standings.
In the duel for third, Rins was looking menacing on the final lap but Zarco was holding firm, keeping the the Suzuki man at bay. The Frenchman closed the door and did so brilliantly to secure his first MotoGP™ podium since the 2018 Malaysian GP, making it a huge day for the Avintia team too, who achieve their first MotoGP™ podium to add to pole position gained on Saturday.
Fourth place for Rins remains remarkable, however, with the number 42 taking some valuable points after suffering a dislocation-fracture to the shoulder at the Spanish GP. Close to the Suzuki man was Rossi, who climbed to P5 from a P10 starting place in another great ride for ‘The Doctor’. Oliveira finished P6 to cement his best premier class finish, having started 13th, but Quartararo won’t be too pleased to have finished 11 seconds from the win in P7. Nevertheless, those are valuable points in the title race as key rivals remained behind the Frenchman on race day.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) finished one second adrift of Quartararo, in P8, and two seconds up the road from Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) after the Australian recovered from a tough start to pip Aleix Espargaro to P9 on the last lap. Miller ended the day just over a second up the road from Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), but the pair did salvage P9 and P11 from P14 and P18 starting positions.
Aleix Espargaro’s P10 was his first finish of 2020, important for the Spaniard and team, and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) finished 12th but on the way into a historically good track for Ducati…
LCR Honda Castrol’s Cal Crutchlow finished 13th as he continues to battle a left scaphoid injury, and nine tenths behind him, Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) takes just two points home in P14, losing valuable ground in the Championship and now 17 adrift of Quartararo. Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took 15th to continue his record of scoring at least a point in his first three MotoGP™ races.
In other key stories, Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech3) lost the front and collected Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in the early stages as the duo crashed out of contention.
That’s it from Brno and a truly history-making race. For Binder, for KTM, for South Africa, and for MotoGP™. The last time a rookie won a race, it was Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Before that, it was Jorge Lorenzo, and before that, Dani Pedrosa – legends both. Pedrosa is also a man who shares some of the pay off after KTM’s stunning first win, now in the role of test rider with the factory. What can Binder go on to achieve now? It couldn’t really have been written better, as the tidal wave of glory now carries the paddock south to Styria and the stunning Red Bull Ring, home race for the newest winners on the block.
Come back for more – and we know you want to – as MotoGP™ revs the hills alive with the sound of horsepower in the Austrian GP next weekend.
MotoGP™ podium 1 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – 41:38.764 2 Franco Morbidelli – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – +5.266 3 Johann Zarco – Esponsorama Racing – Ducati – +6.470
Brad Binder: “It hasn’t sunk it yet. Today was the most incredible day of my lief so far, it’s a day I’ve dreamed of since I was a child, and for it to come true in my third Grand Prix is scary. I honestly can’t believe it. From the day starting in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup it’s been a consistent grind trying to get here. You know I came through all the classes with Red Bull KTM, and here we are on top. We’ve finally won in MotoGP.”
MotoGP™ podium L-R: Morbidelli, Binder and Zarco
Bastianini holds off Lowes, Roberts takes first podium at Brno
The Italian stamps some more authority on the standings, the Brit is back on the box, and the American puts the Stars and Stripes on a GP podium for the first time since 2011
Italtrans Racing Team’s Enea Bastianini produced perfection again in order to claim his second lights-to-flag victory in as many races at the Monster Energy Czech Republic Grand Prix, but the Italian was under pressure throughout the race from EG 0,0 Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes. The Briton eventually had to settle for second, but it was his first trip to a Grand Prix podium since Aragon 2016. Third on the podium was a career first Grand Prix rostrum for Tennor American Racing’s Joe Roberts as the American converted pole into some serious points and an impressive milestone.
Roberts was forced into second off of the line after Bastianini, starting third, got the best launch and took a commanding holeshot. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jorge Martin was quickly involved in the action after he edged his way past Roberts for second too, but it was extremely short-lived as the American replied immediately with a lunge back through. Lowes then began to find his rhythm though, and in the space of a lap had sliced his way past both Martin and Roberts, setting his sights on Bastianini at the front of the race.
The Italian’s pace at the front was simply too much for the vast majority of the grid. Bastianini was 0.9 seconds clear of Lowes, whilst Lowes was now a second clear of Roberts, who himself had managed to dispose of Martin. Despite the top three breaking clear though, the fight for fourth place was beginning to hot up with Spanish Grand Prix winner Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) coming through from tenth on the grid to slice past teammate Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) and Martin.
With 13 laps to go, Lowes had cut the Andalucia Grand Prix winner’s lead to below half a second for the first time. Could the Brit find enough to close onto the tail of the Italtrans Racing man? As the laps ticked by the gap remained constant, but Bastianini was still very much under pressure and there was still time left. With five laps to go though ‘The Beast’ showed his teeth for the first time, finding something extra in the closing stages to stretch his lead out to three-quarters of a second…
With two to go, that then became a whole second, but Lowes then suddenly halved the 22-year-old’s lead on the final lap. Was a dramatic finish was potentially on the cards? Almost, but Bastianini just managed to keep the edge to the chequered flag as he won back-to-back for the first time, and took the Moto2™ World Championship lead. Lowes officially put to bed one of the most difficult periods in his career as he jumped back onto the box for the first time in four years, and the podium was completed by Roberts, who put in a solid and impressive ride to take a career first Grand Prix podium and become the first American since John Kocinski in 1993 to stand on an intermediate class rostrum.
Marini managed to cross the line in fourth to take some good points after a tougher Saturday, just ahead of Fernandez, with Bezzecchi, Navarro and Martin next up. There was then a small gap back to Hafizh Syahrin (Openbank Aspar Team) as the Malaysian found some Moto2™ form and finished inside the top ten, with his rookie teammate Aron Canet (Openbank Aspar Team) completing that top ten.
Former points leader Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was P11, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completing the top 15.
That’s a wrap from Brno and Bastianini now heads to Austria with quite the advantage at the top. Can the field hit back? Find out next weekend as we race at the Red Bull Ring.
Moto2™ podium 1 Enea Bastianini – Italtrans Racing Team – Kalex 39:13.926 2 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex +0.423 3 Joe Roberts – Tennor American Racing – Kalex +5.948
Enea Bastianini: “This race has been really important for me to confirm the result from Jerez, and this weekend Sam was really fast and his pace was incredible, and I thought, ‘ok I should stay behind him and if possible try to overtake’, but I started very well and I pushed my best to stay at the front. Then the gap was really close all race, and I thought ‘ok, this race I’m second’. But finally the last five laps I could push to take this victory. I’m really happy for the team, this result is really important, but congrats to Sam and congrats to Joe as well.”
Moto2™ podium L-R: Lowes, Bastianini and Roberts
Foggia takes first Grand Prix win after classic battle in Czechia
The Italian joins the winners’ club as he fights off Arenas and Ogura in another Moto3™ melee at Brno
Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) produced a superb ride at the Monster Energy Czech Republic Grand Prix to claim his maiden Moto3™ victory, the Italian leading over half the race to eventually fend off Championship leader Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team) by two tenths. Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) completed the podium after hustling Foggia for much of the last lap, forced to settle for third in the end but consolidating his position in the Championship as he leaves Brno second.
Launching well off the front row was Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and it was the Argentinian who grabbed the holeshot, with polesitter Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) slipping to P3. The best start of all was from Arenas, however. Starting seventh, the Spaniard had a blinder and was leading the race by at Turn 3 as he pushed from the off. Rodrigo was then out the seat through Turn 7 and the riders behind had to sit up too, giving Arenas a substantial lead as the riders completed the opening lap in Brno.
Arenas’ eight-tenth advantage was cut within a lap and a half though, with the top 15 starting to edge clear of 16th place Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in the opening exchanges. But that gap was also soon diminished though as the leading 27 riders were covered by just four seconds.
A rider who we expected – but haven’t seen as of yet in 2020 – to be at the front this year then took the baton. Foggia and Ogura had got the better of Arenas with 12 to go, and in the final 10 laps things would really heat up. Alonso Lopez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) highsided on the exit of Turn 3 on Lap 9, but then drama unfolded for one of the title favourites. Turn 10 had looked troublesome for Suzuki and with nine laps remaining, the Japanese star was down and out of the race, taking his first zero of the year…
By seven to go, the top 10 riders were 2.5 clear of 11th place Darryn Binder (CIP Green Power) and Foggia was still leading, by then from compatriot Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team). Masia and McPhee were ahead of Arenas and just behind the leading five lurked Ogura, Fernandez, Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), making sure it remained anyone’s game.
Heading into the final three laps, Foggia was still holding onto the lead, with Arbolino looking for a way through but unable to make anything stick. Suddenly the latter was shuffled back courtesy of a move from Arenas at Turn 1 as well, leaving Leopard Racing’s Foggia and teammate Jaume Masia 1-2… before drama then struck at Turn 11 with two to go as Masia slid out of contention. Ogura then made his move up into P2 past Arenas as the last lap began, with Foggia heading Ogura and Arenas, and Antonelli and McPhee in fourth and fifth…
Ogura swept through at Turn 3 but Foggia got the cutback into Turn 4, with Arenas then getting a good run down the hill to grab second. Ogura was back through moments later though, looking threatening behind the leader, but Foggia kept the door closed. Arenas then picked the pocket of the Japanese rider up the inside at Turn 12, ultimately costing the Honda Team Asia rider a chance to get a good run up horsepower hill and really fight it out for the win. Foggia was a good few bike lengths clear by then, and the Italian rounded the final two corners without hassle from behind to take the chequered flag in P1 for an impressive first victory. Arenas held on to keep P2 from Ogura as the top two in the Championship went toe-to-toe on the last lap, the Spaniard extending his points lead.
Just off the podium, Antonelli took fourth and some solid points, with McPhee putting in a solid comeback to complete the top five and take a good haul of points too. Polesitter Fernandez was a couple of tenths off McPhee to finish sixth for the third race in a row, but the Spaniard beat former FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship rival Alcoba as the duo battled it out in the lead group throughout.
Behind them, Arbolino and Fenati crossed the line with nothing to choose between them, but it was the Rivacold Snipers Team rider who just took P8. Fenati still achieves his best result of the season and his first top 10 of 2020 for Husqvarna though, with Stefano Nepa (Gaviota Aspar Team) getting the better of Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to head the second freight train of riders over the line in P10.
Binder, Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46), teammate Andrea Migno and Öncü completed the points scorers.
The Championship battles took another twist in Brno, with Arenas stamping more authority on the lightweight class 2020 title race – but it’s far from over. Coming up is a double-header at the Red Bull Ring and you can bet there’s going to be drama, with the likes of Ogura and McPhee eager to claw back their disadvantage.
Moto3™ podium
1 Dennis Foggia – Leopard Racing – Honda 39:06.370 2 Albert Arenas – Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3 – KTM +0.205 3 Ai Ogura – Honda Team Asia – Honda +0.251
Dennis Foggia: “It’s beautiful because it’s my first win in the World Championship. My goal was to push in front the whole race, and with ten or 11 to go I thought, ‘ok, push!’ It was crazy and the last lap especially. I’m really happy about the race, the team, the bike is different for me and it’s a bit strange at times, but we are working on the bike for me. I’m really happy and I want to thank my team and my family!”
Moto3™ podium L-R: Arenas, Foggia and OguraThe winning feeling: KTM celebrateHe’s been here before, but not in the premier classMorbidelli took his first ever premier class podiumZarco was back on the box, now on a Ducati… giving Esponsorama Racing their first podium
Khunying Patama wins BAT presidential election for the third straight time
Aug 09. 2020Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul
By The Nation
Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul unanimously won the presidential election during the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) General Assembly at the Hua Mark Sports Complex on Sunday.
The International Olympic Committee member won all 41 votes from eligible club representatives and all 17 votes from the BAT executive board for a total of 58 votes.
Patama will serve as the association’s leader for a four-year-term until 2023. She has run the office since 2013.
For NBA refs in the bubble, pickleball is an obsession, and its ringleader is a ‘wild child’
Aug 09. 2020Referee Scott Foster, right, has turned his passion for pickleball into an organized competition among NBA officials to help pass time during a three-month stay inside the Disney World bubble. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Ben Golliver
By The Washington Post · Ben Golliver · SPORTS, BASKETBALL
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Scott Foster is a stickler, the type of basketball referee who has been on the job long enough to make every call and hear every gripe.
The 53-year-old Rockville, Md., native has been an NBA official for nearly half his life, which is plenty of time to attract critics. One all-star tossed a basketball at his head to dispute a foul, another told the press he was “rude and arrogant,” and a third complained about his “quick trigger with the technical [fouls].” More than a few fan bases are convinced he has it out for their teams.
Foster has worked the NBA Finals numerous times – his profession’s top honor – and was tabbed for the high-profile showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers on opening night of the NBA’s restart last month. On his first work night in four months, Foster found himself sandwiched between LeBron James and Doc Rivers as they shouted about an out-of-bounds call. He maintained his default setting of stiff annoyance throughout.
Referees are among the employees most essential to the NBA’s nine-figure plan to restart its season during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Like everyone inside the league’s bubble at Disney World, they must be tested daily and live away from their families for up to three months. They work in empty gyms where they can hear every complaint more easily, and they live in a confined space within a short walk from the players’ hotel. These trying new circumstances have interrupted well-honed routines and pushed all bubble inhabitants to seek a sense of normalcy.
For Foster, that has meant obsessively playing pickleball, a paddle sport that is a hybrid of tennis and ping-pong. During marathon two-on-two games that he has organized for his fellow referees, Foster is a competitive menace and a borderline tyrant, talking trash to opponents, lecturing his partners and expressing disgust at his rare miscues under his breath. It’s not lost on Foster that his work self, the no-nonsense referee, would have little patience with his alter ego.
“If I were a referee watching myself play, I’d think, ‘What a crazy guy,’ ” he mused this week. “I would probably throw myself out of the game.”
Yet Foster offered no apologies. After weeks of coaching up his colleagues and overseeing the action as the self-appointed pickleball “commissioner,” Foster formulated and distributed a rankings list of his fellow referees based on their playing ability. There was no debate about the top slot.
“There’s me, and then there’s everyone else,” Foster said. “Is that cocky enough for you?”
– – –
When the NBA constructed its bubble, protecting and catering to the players were the top priorities. The referees weren’t an afterthought; the games can’t be held without them, and they can’t work remotely.
NBA vice president of referee development Monty McCutchen, a former official himself, knew that bubble life wouldn’t be easy. To create a safe playing environment, referees would remain in the bubble for the duration of their stays and live within a short walk from the players’ hotel. Despite the challenges, McCutchen said he had no problem enlisting 45 referees for the restart, which runs through mid-October.
Workplace adjustments were numerous. Referees were instructed to limit their handshakes with players on the court, and they were given new whistles with protective covers that captured their spittle. Tyler Ford, a 35-year-old referee and one of Foster’s pickleball converts, heard one of his colleagues break up two arguing players by asking for “a little social distancing, please.”
Through the first two weeks of play, multiple referees said that they felt safe from the virus and that the mechanics of their job haven’t changed much. They miss the buzz from the crowd, hear players yelling from the bench due to the lack of arena noise, and communicate with a scorer’s table that is protected behind Plexiglas. Otherwise, life is fairly normal. They haven’t yet been targeted on campus with serious critiques from players or coaches.
“Robert Frost said good fences make good neighbors,” McCutchen said. “We have players-only areas and the referees have their area. If there’s any spilling over, the referees know to remove themselves to ensure the fairness and integrity is intact after the event. You can only do that through silence, taking the high road and letting things go.”
Aside from family separation, the biggest lifestyle change has been the lack of travel. Veteran referees work 90 games and take more than 100 flights during a typical season. The single-site location has compromised Foster’s Marriott Bonvoy status – “Not one point on this deal in the bubble,” he lamented – but it has opened dozens of hours usually lost in transit.
NBA rules limit how often a referee can work, and Foster estimated that he would officiate just 20 games during his 90-day stay at Disney World. Even though each game requires roughly 10 hours for planning, officiating and reviewing video, that’s a lot of unstructured time that could impact performance.
“We always hear about the negative stuff,” Ford said. “You’re not getting too many pats on the back about how great you did last night. [The feedback is] about the one or two things you could have done differently that people complain about. You have to create balance in your life.”
– – –
The referees have developed a long list of activities to fill time, including billiards, dominoes, ping-pong, H-O-R-S-E, fishing, and spikeball. The union splurged for two Peloton bikes. A group plays golf every Tuesday, and a net for pool volleyball is on the way.
But pickleball has been the go-to activity for referees thanks to Foster’s evangelism. When he arrived last month, Foster set up a makeshift outdoor court in a courtyard near the media dining hall. After initially chalking the lines, he turned to duct tape to combat Florida’s thunderstorms. There wasn’t much he could do about the concrete cracks that cause unpredictable bounces or the hanging lights that interfere with high-arcing shots.
The fast-moving sport is played with hard paddles and a Wiffle ball on a 20-by-44-foot court. Games go to 11 points and only the serving team can score. Play starts at 9 a.m. to avoid sweltering afternoons. Still, Ford said that he has burned 1,500 calories in a three-hour session with morning temperatures reaching 90 degrees.
Professionals might bat the ball back and forth 90 times on a single point, but the bubble amateurs usually top out around 15 or 20. Many points are scored with slamming shots like ping-pong, and both quickness and hand-eye coordination are key attributes. However, Foster argued that “patience” is the most important skill.
“You have to wait for your opponent to screw up and then bash him in the face,” he said.
The University of Maryland graduate discovered pickleball on the Ocean City beach a few years ago, and before long he was seeking out pickup games as he crisscrossed the country for his day job. With the help of an app, Foster located fellow enthusiasts everywhere from Hermosa Beach (Calif.) to Orlando, Fla. He started packing special shoes, balls and four paddles – just in case he could convince his fellow referees to tag along. He even altered his travel schedule, taking the first flight out so he could spend all day playing.
Pickleball players are ranked from 2.0 (beginner) to 3.5 (intermediate) to 6.0 (professional). Foster said that he was a 4.0 (advanced) but some of his friends and opponents argue that he’s closer to a 4.5. During his first nine days of bubble play, Foster said he won his first 150 games and compiled a 197-3 record. Asked if he modeled his game after any tennis greats, he looked aghast.
“It’s not like I idolize John McEnroe,” Foster said, noting that he has devoured books and watched countless YouTube highlight reels to hone his drop shots and team movement strategies. “My heroes are pickleball players.”
When working NBA games, the stoic Foster often looks like a fifth head on Mount Rushmore. When it comes to pickleball, he’s more like a motormouth Tasmanian devil. During Thursday’s session, he stewed over a blown lead and repeatedly offered suggestions to a partner who said little in response.
“If I’m teaching someone how to play, it’s friendly Scott,” Foster explained. “As soon as it becomes time to win or if someone is talking trash, [that’s over]. When my partner screws up, I’m rolling my eyes and spinning around like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ I’ve studied the game enough. When they make an elementary [mistake], I just go, ‘Oh my God.’ I’m not the greatest person to be around. I let the wild child come out.”
The new disciples are grateful that pickleball uses an “on your honor” officiating system so that Foster can’t be both prosecutor and judge. They’ve worked hard to improve their games and learned to stack the teams to make their mentor’s life more difficult. Taking a page from NBA players, the referees have also tried to get under Foster’s skin.
“When you’re playing against Scott and his partner makes mistakes, then you poke the bear a little bit,” Ford said. “Try to make some team chemistry issues on the other side of the net. I’m super competitive but Scott is on a whole different level. This is his game. When you beat him, you have to let him hear about it.”
Ian Mahinmi probably won’t play while the Wizards are in the bubble. He’s still hoping to make a difference.
Aug 09. 2020With Bradley Beal and John Wall absent, leadership duties fell to Ian Mahinmi in the bubble. CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Jonathan Newton
By The Washington Post · Ava Wallace · SPORTS, BASKETBALL
Official word came in from Scott Brooks sometime last week: Ian Mahinmi, the Washington Wizards’ oft-injured, handsomely paid center, would probably not be playing during any of the Wizards’ eight regular season games in the NBA bubble in Kissimmee, Fla.
The declaration came as little surprise to those familiar with both Washington’s goals during the league’s restart – to develop and test its young players with an eye on next season – and Mahinmi’s history with the Wizards. The 33-year-old French national has struggled with injures since just about the day he signed his four-year, $64 million contract in 2016. He’s appeared in 180 of a possible 314 games since then, or about 57 percent. He’s used to his role as bench cheerleader and practice-session confidant.
Still, Brooks’s statement raised the question. What is Mahinmi doing while he’s in the bubble?
“He’s been great in our locker room,” Brooks said, “and really, he’s been great in our meal room.”
Mahinmi isn’t preparing bubble delicacies, but he is cooking up conversation. In Florida, the young Wizards (24-44) are eating together as a team more than they have, and the dining room is Mahinmi’s domain. Without Bradley Beal, John Wall and Davis Bertans present, the center has inherited a leadership role the likes of which he’s never had in his 13 years in the NBA. He leads long, in-depth conversations about politics and relationships and life. He discovered that one teammate wasn’t registered to vote and saw to it that he did.
For the past few months, Mahinmi has been one of the leading voices providing input as the Wizards’ ownership group formed initiatives to increase voter participation and backed a Juneteenth march downtown. In the bubble, he’s backing up that work by continuing the conversation among teammates and, in the final weeks of his contract with the Wizards, quietly crafting a legacy within the organization that has little to do with his on-court play.
“Just him building confidence, talking, encouraging us, talking about nutrition, talking about politics, voting, relationships, just laughing – whatever the case is, Ian just brings a veteran presence, and we all appreciate it,” Ish Smith said. “We have some really deep talks that I can’t get into. But he’s been special just being here.”
Mahinmi knows how important those free-flowing discussions are to laying a strong organizational foundation. He’s found himself often thinking back to his time in San Antonio lately, both because this is one of the more global Wizards roster Mahinmi has been apart of and because the Spurs ate together. A lot.
“At lunch, it’s a round table. And check this out: today, you have Moe [Wagner] and Isaac [Bonga], German and German-Congolese. You have Jerian Grant, Ish Smith representing America. You have Jerome [Robinson], who is American but also has a little Italian background,” Mahinmi said. “And then you have me. And we’re going back-and-forth, back-and-forth, back-and-forth. Those conversations turn into big-time exchanges. This, to me, is the benefit of being in the bubble.
“I feel like this is why the Spurs have been such a winning franchise, they understand that diversity is key. They allow the guys to get to know each other, to be themselves and to grow together. It’s not about, ‘You need to become like someone else.’ It is, ‘We’re adding you to the pot.'”
In nearly four years with the Wizards and more than a decade in the league, Mahinmi had never felt pulled to speak up as much as he does now.
It’s not just that he has room to do so with Beal and Wall’s contributions relegated to text messages and Zoom chats. It’s that Mahinmi made a decision this summer in the wake of George Floyd’s death to talk about heavier issues than basketball with his friends and teammates. It had been easy for the big man to distance himself from the country’s warts in the past by retreating into his French identity. But with three American-born daughters at home, Mahinmi made a commitment to learn about civil rights and social issues in this country.
He read, watched documentaries and had a family friend who is a judge over at his offseason home in Texas. She took Mahinmi and his extended family through details as granular as why term limits for local officials are the way they are and drilled home the importance of voting – especially voting locally.
Getting out the vote became Mahinmi’s crusade, even though he can’t cast a ballot in the United States.
“If we’re going to move forward in this democracy, I understand that the first thing is for us to be heard,” Mahinmi said. “We did that. We were in the streets. The second step, you have to vote, and I can’t stress enough the local vote. Because that’s what impacts the everyday life.”
Mahinmi, alongside Beal, Smith and the Mystics’ Natasha Cloud, was one of the louder player voices pushing the teams’ ownership group toward increasing voter participation as a pet cause; Monumental Sports and Entertainment partnered with the nonprofit When We All Vote last month. The organization is also in discussions with the DC Board of Elections about the possibility of using Capital One Arena as a potential polling place this November.
As his contract nears its end, Mahinmi would be happy if it’s the off-court work he’s done that makes a difference in the Wizards’ organization the most.
“When you come into this league as a 19, 20, 21-year-old, all that is on your mind is, ‘How can I stick to this league? How can I leave a mark, have a long career in the NBA?'” Mahinmi said. “This is your focus, 24/7. . . . You’re not worried about the big picture. Me, 13 years in and understanding who I am as a man, I have such a bigger agenda than the game.”
Zarco takes a stunning pole position to lead French 1-2 in Czechia
Aug 09. 2020
By THE NATION
Zarco shines, Quartararo crashes and Dovizioso suffers his worst ever premier class qualifying on a dramatic Saturday in Brno
Many expected Brno may bring a shake up, but few could have expected the stunning and unpredictable qualifying sessions at the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky. It’s Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) who will start from pole as the Frenchman pulled an incredible three tenths clear in Q2, with Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) crashing out on his final lap and forced to settle for second. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completes the front row just eight thousandths off his teammate, with some serious headlines further down the field too…
2018 winner and last year’s second place finisher, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) starts 18th after his worst ever premier class qualifying. KTM are the only factory team with both riders on the first three rows. Repsol Honda are the two last bikes on the grid with Stefan Bradl and Alex Marquez. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) didn’t make it out of Q1. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) makes it another Independent Team 1-2-3-4, as it was on Friday, as he equalled Aprilia’s best qualifying in MotoGP™…
It began in Q1 as we saw a host of big names from the front in Jerez fighting it out to even move through, setting the scene for the next shake up of the day. There was some late drama on the timing screens too as on the last lap for many, it looked like it would be a one shot wonder from Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) sending him through first, to be closely followed by Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu)… but then the Japanese rider’s lap disappeared. Cancelled for exceeding track limits at Turn 12, that left him out the graduation zone and boosted Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) into second. No one could better the South African’s effort, and he moved through alongside Rins. Leaving Dovizioso, Miller, Nakagami and Friday’s third fastest man, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), out the fight for the top 12.
Come Q2, it was was Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) who crossed the line first with a 1:56.6, with teammate Valentino Rossi pretty much matching the Spaniard’s time to slot into P2, pipping Morbidelli. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro then blitzed the lot of them to go provisional P1 with a 1:56.1 as the Austrian factory continued to shine, but the KTM wouldn’t stay at the summit long as Quartararo hit next to set the first 1:55 of the weekend – a 1:55.990. He didn’t know it at the time, but that would remain his quickest effort.
Aleix Espargaro was giving the Championship leader some attention too, and the Spaniard had Quartararo a couple of bike lengths ahead, made the most of it and improved despite the Frenchman not quite managing to do so. Viñales then took a provisional front row before Rins went P6 on his opening fast lap, but a gaggle of riders were all setting red first sector times just ahead of the Suzuki. Morbidelli, Rossi, Binder and Zarco were all in close proximity, with the latter going faster than everyone. Halfway round, Morbidelli – spearheading the group – was under his teammates’ time by two tenths, but it was the Frenchman at the back of the group who had a stunning three tenths in his pocket. Would he hold onto it?
He would. Zarco flew to the top of the pile for an incredible provisional pole position, with Pol Espargaro going P2 with a stunning lap for the Spaniard as well. The number 44’s joy was shorter lived, however, as the KTM rider had set it when passing yellow flags for a crash for Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) at Turn 9. There was one man left to try and overcome Zarco’s incredible laptime, with Quartararo the last man over the line for his final push and only seconds to spare.
The number 20 was on a personal best lap but still down on Zarco by over a tenth half way round, needing to find something in the final quarter of the lap. He pushed and kept pushing but this time too far, sliding into the gravel at Turn 13 and kissing goodbye to a fifth pole in a row – rider ok and Zarco left to his stunning pole position for the Czech GP.
‘El Diablo’ is still starting second ahead of Morbidelli, with Aleix Espargaro heading up Row 2. Maverick Viñales is fifth and the first factory rider on the grid, with Pol Espargaro taking P6 and a second row start despite the heartbreak of seeing his earlier, faster lap cancelled.
Brad Binder impressed as ever with a P7 in Q2, the South African ensuring KTM are the only factory with both factory team riders on the first three rows. The rookie is joined on that third row by Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), a direct entrant to Q2, and a quiet but solid day’s work from Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir in P9.
Rossi completes the top ten and lost out to Mir by only 0.003, although ‘The Doctor’ got the better of Alex Rins by half a tenth as the number 42 Suzuki took eleventh. Crutchlow, despite his heroics to move through on Saturday, was left in P12 after his crash. Oliveira, Miller and Rabat complete the fastest fifteen.
That’s it from a shaken, stirred and stunning Saturday of action at Brno. Can Dovizioso and Miller make their way through the field? What can Zarco do on Sunday? Will Quartararo make it three-in-a-row? With less race day drama, what can KTM achieve? And who has the race pace to go the distance? Find out on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +2) as the premier class go racing at the Automotodrom Brno.
MotoGP™ front row 1 Johann Zarco* – Esponsorama Racing – Ducati – 1:55.687 2 Fabio Quartararo* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – +0.303 3 Franco Morbidelli* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – +0.311 *Independent Team riders
Johann Zarco: “I still cannot believe that I’m on pole and I did it, it’s just fantastic. I was feeling good on Friday and Saturday on the new tyre, I was able to do a pretty fast first lap and that was already positive to go straight to Q2. Because I’m on the way back, learning many things. I need to improve because the others improved a lot in the last two years. But in qualifying, on the first tyre I wasn’t that fast and I was a bit worried because it was warm, sliding more than the morning, but I was keeping calm. I was following a group in front of me and that way I could control my lap. And then I w s surprised at this super good laptime. So let’s take the good from now and see tomorrow with a good start if we can stay with the top guys at the beginning, this will be really important to have a good race.”
MotoGP™ front row L-R: Quartararo, Zarco and Morbidelli
Roberts strikes back for pole in Brno
The American edges out Lowes to take his second pole of the season, with Bastianini completing the front row
Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) repeated his Qatar GP qualifying heroics to earn a magnificent second Moto2™ pole position of 2020 in the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky. After a tough couple of races in Jerez, the American was able to edge out Free Practice pacesetter Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), with Andalucia GP winner Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) completing the front row in P3.
Roberts set his 2:01.692 and fastest effort on his third flying lap in Q2 to displace Bastianini from provisional pole, with almost the entirety of Q2 setting their best times on their first two laps as they scrambled for position. Lowes and teammate Augusto Fernandez took their time to get their first laps of qualifying in, but when they did, Lowes went straight to P2 behind Roberts, Fernandez into P8.
The gap between the top two sat at just over a tenth but with track conditions not getting any better, the riders – including Lowes – were struggling to find any personal best times. And sure enough, no one was able to trouble the pole time as Roberts’ stunning return to form secures him a second pole of the season. Lowes’ incredible pace all weekend rewards him with a second place start and a third consecutive front row, with Bastianini continuing the form that ultimately propelled him to victory in the Andalucia GP.
Fourth place went the way of Hafizh Syahrin (Openbank Aspar Team) and the Malaysian will launch his best grid slot of 2020, aiming to hold off Andalucia GP podium finisher Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) in P5. Jorge Martin was the sole Red Bull KTM Ajo rider in Q2 after Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima failed to make it through Q1, and the Spaniard will be starting P6 as he aims to close the gap to his teammate in the title scrap.
Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) equals his best Saturday afternoon result of the season with a P7 finish, the German ending the session just 0.020 ahead of Fernandez. Q1’s fastest man Fabio Di Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up), who took his first intermediate class podium at Brno last year, completes Row 9 – his best qualifying of the year so far. Rounding out the top 10 is the man lying second in the Championship, Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46). Eight-tenths off Roberts’ time isn’t where the Italian would have wanted to be, and he’s got work on his hands with Bastianini starting on the front row if the two are to duel it out for the win.
What will Sunday bring? Championship leader Nagashima had a tough day at the office and the Japanese rider will be launching from P21, so there’s an open door for many – but an incredibly competitive field to fight it out with. Tune in for the Moto2™ race at 12:20 local time (GMT+2) at the Czech GP.
Moto2™ front row
1 Joe Roberts – Tennor American Racing– Kalex – 2:01.692 2 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex +0.130 3 Enea Bastianini – Italtrans Racing Team – Kalex – +0.189
Joe Roberts: “To know the speed is still there is amazing. It was quite difficult for me in Jerez to understand, we had four months off and then with these conditions no one has been in before.. it as difficult for the team to find the feeling I wanted, I felt like I hit a wall each session. But coming here I’ve always had something special happen here, on my debut in Moto2 I got tenth… it’s been a track I’ve been looking forward to. We put the bike back to Qatar, exactly the same, we even have hashhtag – #JustLikeQatar! I’m surprised about pole position, I felt strong all weekend but I hadn’t led a session and my one lap pace with the new tyre wasn’t amazing or exactly how I wanted it, but the guys made a new setting for qualifying anticipating different conditions and the laptime came easy to be honest, I felt really confident and really comfortable!”
Moto2™ front row L-R: Lowes. Roberts, Bastianini
Fernandez takes maiden pole in chaotic Moto3™ qualifying
The Spaniard made the most of a dramatic session as many missed out on a second flying lap
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez was the main man to benefit from some Moto3™ drama at the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky as the Spaniard’s only flying lap of the session proved good enough to clinch a debut pole position, as many others missed their chance. Fast all weekend and all season, he’ll now head the grid for the first time, joined on the front row by Kömmerling Gresini Moto3’s Gabriel Rodrigo and SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Tatsuki Suzuki, who lost his perfect pole record in 2020 on Saturday.
The 15-minute Q2 session ended in bizarre circumstances as the field tried to wait it out in pitlane, leaving themselves only two minutes on the clock – and no chance of putting in a final flying lap. That left Fernandez unthreatened at the top, and the grid almost set.
After a crash out of contention in the Andalucia GP, Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura bounces back to head up the second row of the grid, joined by Leopard Racing’s Dennis Foggia and Kömmerling Gresini Moto3’s Jeremy Alcoba. The top six riders were separated by just half a second, but World Championship leader Albert Arenas’ (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) frustration was clear at missing a final shot at pole position. He starts seventh instead.
Having ended Q1 fastest, Rivacold Snipers Team’s Tony Arbolino bagged eighth, just ahead of compatriot Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). Rookie Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia) enjoyed his best qualifying of his young career by taking an impressive tenth, joined on row four by Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse).
Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), Stefano Nepa (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) and Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power) locked out the fastest fifteen.
Where’s John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing)? The Brit suffered a crash and will be starting down in P18 at Brno, the venue of his first win. Tune in for Round 3 of Moto3™ on Sunday from 11:00 (GMT +2) for another lightweight class stunner.
Moto3™ front row
1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM 2:08.372 2 Gabriel Rodrigo – Kömmerling Gresini Moto3 – Honda – +0.211 3 Tatsuki Suzuki – SIC58 Squadra Corse – Honda – +0.336
Raul Fernandez: “I’m really happy, I want to say thanks to the team. We worked really well, all free practice it was incredible, and in the afternoon the feeling was incredible! In Moto3 it’s difficult to stay at the top and it’s important, and important for tomorrow in the race. I’m sure tomorrow we’ll have another crazy race like always, really difficult to make a gap… but we need to fight for the podium.”
Moto3™ front row L-R: Suzuki, Fernandez and RodrigoQuartararo crashed out but took yet another front row start…Morbidelli was only eight thousandths off his teammate and took third
Ko just 18 holes away from 3rd Marathon LPGA Classic victory
Aug 09. 2020Lydia Ko
By THE NATION
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko birdied two of her final three holes on Saturday, carding a third-round 3-under 68 and holds a large lead heading into Sunday’s final round at the Marathon LPGA Classic.
Ko, who won at Highland Meadows Golf Club in 2014 and 2016, sits at -16, four strokes ahead of American Danielle Kang and six strokes clear of Australian Minjee Lee and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff.
Ko nearly aced the par-3 second hole, leaving her tee shot just 6 inches short of the hole. She gave the stroke back with a bogey on the third hole, but that was the day’s only scorecard blemish. Ko cruised home with birdies at holes 6, 16 and 17, and now finds herself just 18 holes away from earning her third Marathon LPGA Classic title.
“I hit the ball really solid on the back nine. Like even the one fairway that I missed I felt like it was a really solid shot and I just pulled it a touch,” said Ko. “That’s kind of the thought I need to take into tomorrow.”
Playing one group ahead of Ko, Kang had three birdies and two bogeys in her round of 1-under 70. Kang took the title at last week’s LPGA Drive On Championship and could become the LPGA Tour’s first back-to-back winner since Shanshan Feng in 2017.
“Some days your game is all there and some days you just kind of have to make it work and you have new challenges every day,” said Kang. “Today my challenge was to get it on the golf course and somehow shoot under par. I think that was my goal, and I think walking away without as big of a damage as I thought I could have made today as a win for me today.”
Ewart Shadoff struggled on Saturday, following her second-round 63 with a 2-over 73. Her round featured three bogeys to one lone birdie on the par-4 ninth, which was moved up to just 257 yards, more than 100 yards shorter than it played on Friday. Lee holed out for eagle from a greenside bunker at No. 18 to jump into a tie for third.
American Lindsey Weaver shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday and moved into solo fifth. The third-year player from Ohio is looking for her first career top-10 finish, having never finished better than 21st after being sidelined for much of 2018 with an injury.
WITH A WIN
Lydia Ko would earn the 16th victory of her LPGA Tour career and first since the 2018 LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship (April 29, 2018)
Ko would move into a tie with Jan Stephenson on the All-Time Wins List with 16 victories
Jodi Ewart Shadoff would become the second Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2020 season, joining Madelene Sagstrom, winner of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions
Ewart Shadoff would become the 10th LPGA Tour winner from England, joining Laura Davies, Helen Dobson, Georgia Hall, Charley Hull, Trish Johnson, Bronte Law, Caroline McMillan, Alison Nicholas and Karen Stupples
Danielle Kang would win for the second consecutive week, following last week’s LPGA Drive On Championship; the last player to win consecutive events was Shanshan Feng, who won the 2019 TOTO Japan Classic and the 2019 Blue Bay LPGA
Minjee Lee would earn the sixth victory of her LPGA Tour career and first since the 2019 HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open
NEW GOLF LIFE FOR LINDSEY WEAVER
Just a year ago, Lindsey Weaver wasn’t sure if a career as a professional golfer was still in her future. Eight starts into her 2018 rookie campaign, the Ohio native was sidelined for 10 months due to injury. She made just six cuts in 2019 and had to head to Q Series to maintain her LPGA Tour status.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to go to Q-School last year and my mom was like, please just go,” said Weaver. “Give it one more shot. I was just like mentally and like emotionally just not there.”
As fate would have it, she finished fifth at Q Series, a showing good enough to convince Weaver to give the game another chance. Now, she heads into the final round of the Marathon LPGA Classic in fifth, just seven strokes behind Lydia Ko. After spending the unexpected break in play moving into a new Dallas-area home with her fiancé, Korn Ferry Tour player Zach Wright, Weaver feels she is finally in a good place with her life and her game.
“I feel like it kind of helped me to just kind of be like, Whatever,” said Weaver, who played collegiately at Arizona. “It’s all going to like work out. I didn’t have to put so much stress on myself and everything.”
MARIA TORRES HAPPY WITH HER PACE GOING INTO MARATHON FINAL DAY
Maria Torres said she felt the struggle when she returned to LPGA Tour action last week at Inverness Club. After missing the cut at the LPGA Drive On Championship, Torres said she went through some changes in her bag, making the back of her trunk feel like a golf shop with the number of clubs she was trying. But by Wednesday at Highland Meadows, she settled on a new driver and an older set of woods, setting the tone for this week at the Marathon LPGA Classic.
“I’m super happy with the changes,” said the 25-year-old Puerto Rican, who shot a third-round 67 and sits in solo sixth heading into the final day in Sylvania. “Just trying to keep the rhythm. I’m finding the rhythm after so many — like a lot of time practicing and not playing like tournaments, so now I’m trying to find rhythm.”
Torres is playing the Marathon LPGA Classic for the second time in her career, missing the cut in 2019. Her 67 ties her lowest 18-hole score of 2020. Her best finish is a tie for fourth at the 2019 Indy Women in Tech Championship, but she said she’s looking forward to a the 18-holes in front of her rather than the result.
“Just go out there and play, and then we will see,” said Torres.
AIG WOMEN’S OPEN QUALIFYING UPDATE
There are 10 spots available this week at the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana for the 2020 AIG Women’s Open, to be held Aug. 20-23 at Royal Troon in Scotland. The 10 spots will be determined by the players with the 10 lowest scores after 72 holes at this week’s Marathon LPGA Classic. In the case of a tie for 10th, a series of tiebreakers have been set to determine the final qualifier. If one of the qualifiers elects to not play in the AIG Women’s Open, the spot will not go down to the next available player. Any unused spots will be allocated to the qualifier at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.
The qualifying leaderboard through the third round is as follows:
Peiyun Chien, T1, 206
Sophia Popov, T1, 206
Paula Reto, T1, 206
Mariah Stackhouse, T4, 207
Emma Talley, T4, 207
Maria Fassi, T6, 208
Elizabeth Szokol, T6, 208
Kelly Tan, T6, 208
Matilda Castren, T9, 209
Patty Tavatanakit, T9, 209
PLAYER NOTES
Rolex Rankings No. 55 Lydia Ko (64-65-68)
She hit eight of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
This is Ko’s seventh season on the LPGA Tour; she has 15 career victories including two majors, with her most recent victory coming at the 2018 MEDIHEAL Championship
This is Ko’s third event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is T28 at the Drive On Championship
This is Ko’s sixth appearance in the Marathon LPGA Classic; she won in 2014 and 2016, and has two other top 10 finishes
Silver medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, representing New Zealand
Spent 104 weeks at No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, fourth-most in history behind Lorena Ochoa (158 weeks), Yani Tseng (109 weeks) and Inbee Park (106 weeks)
Won Best Female Golfer ESPY Award in 2015 and 2016
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Danielle Kang (64-67-70)
She hit eight of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, with 30 putts
This is Kang’s ninth season on the LPGA Tour; she has four career victories, most recently at the 2020 Drive On Championship
This is Kang’s fourth event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; she won last week’s LPGA Drive On Championship
This is Kang’s fifth appearance in the Marathon LPGA Classic; her best finish is T22 in 2015
In 2019, Kang ranked in the top 10 on Tour in Rolex Player of the Year (eighth), Race to the CME Globe (eighth), Official Money (eighth) and greens in regulation (ninth)
A two-time member of the USA Solheim Cup Team (2017, 2019), with a 4-4-0 overall record
Rolex Rankings No. 8 Minjee Lee (68-67-68)
She hit eight of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 28 putts
This is Lee’s sixth season on the LPGA Tour; she has five career victories, most recently at the 2019 HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open
This is her fourth event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is third at the LPGA Drive On Championship
This is Lee’s third appearance in the Marathon LPGA Classic; her best finish is a tie for 19th in 2019
Represented Australia in the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing T7
A three-time member of Team Australia at the UL International Crown (2014, 2016, 2018) with a 2-5-2 overall record
She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, with 33 putts
This is Ewart Shadoff’s 10th season on the LPGA Tour; her best career finish is second at the 2016 Citi Banamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational and the 2017 AIG Women’s Open
This is her fourth event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is fifth at the LPGA Drive On Championship
This is Ewart Shadoff’s fourth appearance in the Marathon LPGA Classic; her best finish is a tie for third in 2013
A three-time member of the European Solheim Cup Team (2013, 2017, 2019), with a 3-6-1 overall record
Graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2010 with a degree in Psychology
Danielle Kang (Photo credit to LPGA)When Lydia Ko stepped to the 13th tee at the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana, she had a five-stroke lead over Danielle Kang and appeared to have a third tournament title firmly in her grasp.
Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul
Referee Scott Foster, right, has turned his passion for pickleball into an organized competition among NBA officials to help pass time during a three-month stay inside the Disney World bubble. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Ben Golliver
With Bradley Beal and John Wall absent, leadership duties fell to Ian Mahinmi in the bubble. CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Jonathan Newton
Lydia Ko 
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