Sportsround

Athletics – World Athletics Championships

Team GB are in good shape going into Rio with four golds and 7 medals at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing. Only 15 months after having had a baby Jessica Ennis-Hill pulled out a special performance to win the Heptathlon, the young hope, Katerina Johnson-Thompson, was on course for a medal herself until three no jumps in the long jump ruined her chances. Mo Farrah again delivered doing the double again in the 5000m and 10000m. Greg Rutherford also won the men’s long jump to ensure all three winners in the famous ‘Super Saturday’ at the London games in 2012 all did it again here.

Shara Proctor nearly added a fifth British gold in the women’s long jump but was pipped by American Tianna Bartoletta with the very last jump so has to settle for silver. Exciting 20 year old talent Dina Asher-Smith finished 5th in the 200m, despite a personal best in the final, the other were too good, the even being won by Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands. The 4×400 relay teams both got bronze, the USA winning the men’s race and Jamaica the women’s race. The sprint relays were both won by Jamaica, with a shock silver for hosts China in the men’s race after the USA were disqualified. Britain’s men dropped the baton in the final, the women’s team finished 5th.

Elsewhere Usain Bolt won the big showdown against Justin Gatlin in both the 100m and 200m. 800m star David Rudisha took gold after favourite and rival Nigel Amos was surprisingly knocked out at the semi-final stage. In the end it was Rudisha’s nation Kenya who topped the medal table. A full list of the medalists for every event can be found on the BBC website here.

Rugby League – Challenge Cup Final

There was to be no upset in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley as Leeds Rhinos put Hull Kingston Rovers to the sword to win the cup for the second year in a row. Tom Briscoe was the true hero of the day scoring 5 of the Rhinos nine tries getting himself into the record books in the process. Captain Kevin Sinfield, for whom this may be his last final as he is due to switch to Rugby Union at the end of the season, scored 14 points through converting seven of the nine tries. Bret Delaney set Leeds on their way with additional tries from Danny McGuire, Brad Singleton and Rob Burrow to complete a 50-0 demolition. Kull KR never got started making too many mistakes and giving penalties away. By the end Leeds looked like they could score at will the the energy of the side from East Hull fell away..

HOCKEY

England’s women won the Euro Hockey title in London for the first time since 1991 with a comeback and a penalty shoot out win against the favourites Holland. two goals from Caia van Maasakker gave the Dutch a 2-0 lead but England battled back as Sophie Bray and Lily Owsley scored to force a 2-2 draw and a penalty shoot out. Goalkeeper Maddie Hinch save three times to help England to a 3-1 win in the shoot out.In the men’s event, Holland made no mistake thrashing Germany 6-1 in the Final.Two goals from Mink van der Weerden set them on their way to a 5-0 half-time lead. England’s men had to settle for 4th place after being beaten by Ireland in the 3rd/4th place play-off.

SNOOKER

Essex’s Ali Carter has won his first ranking title since being given the all clear from cancer. He won the best of seven frame final against former World Champion Shaun Murphy. Murphy made him work all the way taking it to a final frame decider but in a scrappy frame Carter took it to win the Paul Hunter Classic staged in Furth in Germany. Murphy tweeted his congratulations to his opponent afterwards in a good news story for the sport.

DARTS

Adrian Lewis took hos first World Series of Darts title for the year, doing it the hard way winning two contests that went the distance. He first defeated Phil Taylor, who had been looking for his fourth title in a row, 10-9 in the semi-finals of the Auckland Masters in New Zealand in a match he trailed all the way until the very last leg. He then faced an in form Raymond Van Barneveld who raced into a two leg lead early on. Lewis battled back to lead 8-5 and then 10-8 before the Dutchman broke Lewis and then held with a 12 dart leg including his 11th 180 of the match to take the best of 21 leg match all the way. Lewis however held his nerve to take the title. Both men are running nicely into form as we move into the autumn season and towards the World Championship, with Taylor, Wade and Ven Gerwin also playing very well and Gary Anderson looking to retain his title, it could be a very open Championship come January.

MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

ATHLETICS

World Athletics Championships – At The Bird’s Nest Stadium, Beijing, China

Team GB Medals

Gold (4) – Mo Farrah (Men’s 5000m) Mo Farrah (Men’s 10000m) Greg Rutherford (Men’s Long Jump) Jessica Ennis-Hill (Heptathlon)

Silver (1) – Shara Proctor (Women’s Long Jump)

Bronze (2) – Christine Ohuruogu, Annika Onuora, Eilidh Child & Seren Bundy-Davies (Women’s 4x400m Relay) Rabah Yousif, Delanno Williams, Jarryd Dunn & Martyn Rooney (Men’s 4x400m relay)

RUGBY LEAGUE

Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London

Leeds Rhinos (16) 50 (Tries – (9) (Briscoe 5, Delaney, McGuire, Singleton, Burrow) Goals – (7) Sinfield 7)

Hull Kingston Rovers (0) 0

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Tom Briscoe (Leeds Rhinos)

Leeds Rhinos win the Challenge Cup

HOCKEY

Euro Hockey European Championship at The Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Center, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London

Men’s Final

Holland (5) 6 (Bakker, Van der Weerden 2, Hertzberger, Hofman, Puijser) Germany (0) 1 (Ruhr)

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Mink Van der Weerden (Holland)

Holland win the Men’s Euro Hockey

Women’s Final

England (0) 2 (Bray, Owsley) Holland (1) 2 (van Maasakker) – AET

England win 3-1 on penalties

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR WOMAN – Maddie Hinch (England)

England win the Women’s Euro Hockey

SNOOKER

Paul Hunter Classic at Stadthaile, Furth, Germany

Final (Best of 7)

Ali Carter (England) 4 Shaun Murphy (England) 3

Ali Carter wins the Paul Hunter Classic

DARTS

PDC Auckland Masters At The Trusts Stadium, Auckland

Final (Best of 21 legs)

Adrian Lewis (England) 11 Raymond Van Barneveld (Holland) 10

Adrian Lewis wins the PDC Auckland Masters