The athletics world heaved a collective sigh of relief as the World Championships passed in Beijing without a sniff of doping-related controversy. Usain Bolt retained his 100m and 200m titles, and a bizarre comedy collision with a cameraman on a Segway sent the world’s social networks into meltdown. Mo Farah won the 5,000m and 10,000m to complete a historic triple-double of golds at London 2012, Moscow 2013 and Beijing 2015, while Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands ran the fastest women’s 200m for 17 years. China even got in on its own feelgood act, earning a silver in the men’s 4x100m.
Union giants lumber up
Like elephants lumbering gingerly towards a water hole, rugby union’s giants continued their preparations for this month’s World Cup. Wales ruffled the feathers of the much-fancied Six Nations champions Ireland with a 16-10 win in Dublin, while Scotland posted a confident 48-7 thrashing of Italy in Edinburgh. Meanwhile, the England sevens player Sam Stanley struck another important blow for equality in sport after he became the first professional in the English game to come out as being gay. “It is going to be an issue until more people and athletes come out, until it is not an issue at all. It might take years but hopefully, lots of people will find the courage,” said Stanley.
Rhinos win one-sided final
British rugby league’s big day out at Wembley ended in anticlimax as Leeds Rhinos walloped Hull KR 50‑0 in the most one-sided Challenge Cup final ever. Leeds winger Tom Briscoe ran in five tries, a feat never before achieved in a final in the game’s 120-year history. “I’d lost five finals here before we won last year, so I know how they must be feeling,” sympathised Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield. “The scoreboard might not reflect it, but they still gave us a real game.”
Australia win women’s Ashes
Some people are on the wicket, they think it’s all over and it is now, after Australia regained the women’s Ashes with a 20-run T20 victory over England at Hove. The result, which gave Australia an unsurpassable lead in the multiformat series, was no more than the tourists deserved after a summer of dominance. “It’s one of the best wins I’ve been a part of,” said Australia captain Meg Lanning. “Winning the Ashes is the only thing we haven’t been able to do in the last five years.”
