November's World Cup Sports Combined
- Julia Gołębiewska
- Nov 29, 2022
- 8 min read
In this month's issue: a very quick recap of tennis and F1 (why only these two? and why not?), then blessing winter sports, and at the very end - football. So, ready? Set! Go!
WTA AND ATP FINALS
So starting with the ladies. WTA Finals was won byyyyyyy... no, not Iga Świątek. It was won by Caroline Garcia (France)! She defeated Aryna Sabalenka 7:6 (7-4), 6:4. It was the biggest success for her, during her entire career.
How things look for WTA ranking at the end? C'mon, there is no surprise with the leader. But fun fact - me, you, your bestie, and basically anyone who isn't included in WTA ranking, the point difference between us and second in ranking Ons Jabeur is smaller, than the point difference betweem her and Iga. Anyway, here is the top 3:
Rank | Name | Region | Points |
1 | Iga Świątek | Poland | 11085 |
2 | Ons Jabeur | Tunisia | 5055 |
3 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 4691 |
Aaaaand now for the men. ATP Finals were won by Novak Djoković (Serbia) defeated Casper Ruudd (Norway) 7:5, 6:3. Djoković caused controversies during this season but it is not the time to talk about it here. But what is amazing - it was his 6th ATP Finals triumph (now he and Roger Federer have equal number of wins) and he is the only tennis player to won the ending tournament in three different decades!
But who is first in ATP ranking? Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)! And he is only 19 years old! More to say - him and Iga are together the youngest ranking leaders. Together they have only 40 years.
Okay, and here is top 3 of ATP ranking:
Rank | Name | Region | Points |
1 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 6820 |
2 | Rafael Nadal | Spain | 6020 |
3 | Casper Ruud | Norway | 5820 |
F1
I know that Formula 1 is a hot topic. And I mean it that I know it - last weekend, when it was seasons ending, I had whole Twitter in it. Yeah, I saw more content and opinions of Formula 1 than football world cup then.
I personally don't watch it. But I think I will start next season since a lot of my friends are watching it and when they start talking about it (because there is race or I don't know, there is another drama) I am just like "what". So yeah, I may try watching it next season. But does it stop me from presenting final results? Of course not.
So, last race was won by Max Verstappen (Netherlands) who was already sure of becoming a world champion. But there was still a fight for being the vice-champion. This was won by second in the race, Charles Leclerc (Monaco). Third in race, and third in whole-season standings was Sergio Perez (Mexico).
So, top 5 season over-all drivers:
Rank | Name | Team / Country | Points |
1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Netherlands | 454 |
2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari/Monaco | 308 |
3 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull/Mexico | 305 |
4 | George Russell | Mercedes/Great Britain | 275 |
5 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari/Spain | 246 |
Of course with season coming to an end, there is one thing not liked by anyone, but inevitable - retirements. For Sebastian Vettel, Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi was the last one. Ending with 4 champion titles, 53 wins (3rd result overall), 122 podiums, 57 pole positions and 38 fastest laps. Yeah, retirements hurt the most.
Okay, moving on!
WINTER HAS COME
Maybe not yet in calendar (though it is almost December for me as I am writing this, and it is December as you are reading this and snow is snowing) but winter has for sure started in sports! Okay, not in every single one. But in most - yes. So lets see!
Ski jumping
Of cource that I am starting with ski jumping. I am sorry not sorry, it is my most beloved sport. Beware, you never know the time and the issue, when ski jumping is mentioned first in the article. Spoiler: it will be after 4 Hills Tournament.
So, ski jumping started weird, because it didn't started on snow. Why? The exceptionally early start caused it. First weekend of November in Poland is not the time for snow to already fall and cost of producing fake-snow was waaay too large. What FIS and Polish Ski Federation came up with? Hybrid inauguration. Tracks (this thing that jumper is going down and then jumping) were ice tracks and the cover (aka the thing that they landed) was plastic. Seemed a bit like Summer Grand Prix. In my most beloved studio before and after comp, reporters were joking that plastic should be white, so it would imitate snow.
Okay, okay, I am writing too much. So, how competitions went? Suprisingly, I can start with ladies. For the first time ever, there were Women World Cup competitions in Poland! How it went?
First competition was won by Silje Opseth (Norway), followed by Marita Kramer, last season's overall winner (Austria) and Eva Pinkelnig (Austria). To my surprise (and not only mine), the Olympic champion and Summer Grand Prix overall winer, Ursa Bogataj, was only 18th. She did better in second competition - she was 12th. But a big dissappointing surprise, let's hope she'll do better. And who won the second competition? The third from the day before - Eva Pinkelning (Austria)! Current world cup leader was followed by Katharina Althaus (Germany) on second place and Frida Westman (Sweden) on third place. Sadly girls got a long long break. Next competition weekend: 2-4 December in Lillehammer, Norway.
Now for the men. Well, well, well. Plastic cover? There is only one ski jumper that can achieve such great results. Ladies and gentelmen, the Emperor of Plastic Cover himself - DAWID KUBACKI! Wisła was his. For 11 rounds, he was first... 10 times. This one time when he wasn't first doesn't count, it was trial round before first competition, there was rain and another weird results. Yeah, most importantly - he won all competition rounds. Followed by second Halvor Egner Granerud (Norway) and third Stefan Kraft (Austria) on Saturday, and then by second Anze Lanisek (Slovenia) and third Marius Lindivk (Norway) on Sunday. And after this weekend, he became world cup leader.
He is still world cup leader after first competition in Ruka, Finland. Ski jumping family had to wait 3 weeks for competitions! And they are at inhuman time of morning (qualification at 7:30 and competition at 9:00 polish time). Though Dawid didn't make it on podium on Satuday (Emperor of Plastic Cover may not be used to snow /joke) he was fourth, so still a very good result. The winner was Anze Lanisek (Slovenia) who in first round established new hill record of 149 meters! Anze clearly likes Ruka, it was his second win ever. And were was the first one? In Ruka, but last year. Second was Stefan Kraft (Austria) and third was Piotr Żyła (Poland). Piotrek was clearly more happy about beating Dawid than being on podium. And a great thing to mention - Turkish ski jumper, Fatih Arda Ipcioglu, got his second ever world cup points! And his best result of 29th place.
So, who will win on Sunday? I don't know, you will read about this in next issue, because my deadline ends before the start of competition (and as I am writing this, I am already late - as some jumpers are on take-off).
Nordic Combined
If you wondered "why she named her column sports combined" that's why. Nordic combined is the answer. I am looking at the lengh of ski jumping section and oh my. Don't worry, nordic combined will be shorter, because it just started. Where? In Ruka, Finland. Omg, the same place where ski jumping. Yeah, Ruka has like small celebration of classic skiing disciplines I can say. Okay, so if you don't know what nordic combined is - shame on you. As it has in it's name - it combines two disciplines that originated from Norway - ski jumping and cross-country skiing. Athletes first jump, then they... ski? Cross-country? Basically, a great discipline. I'm not really into it as much as ski jumping itself, so sadly I can present you all of the details, like comparing to results from summer. But I can present the results.
So, two results, because there were competitions on friday and saturday, and there will be another on sunday (if I don't forget, I will present its results in the next issue).
But two results? After rethinking no, four. The results after ski jumping round and the final results.
On Friday, the best in ski jumping was Ryota Yamamoto (Japan), followed by second Julian Schmid (Germany) and third Mario Seidl (Austria). In the end, so after cross-country, the best was Julian Schmid, followed by Ryota Yamamoto and third Jens Luraas Oftebro (Norway).
Then on Saturday, the best in ski jumping again was Ryota Yamamoto, followed by second Stefan Rettenegger (Austria) and third Jarl Magnus Riiber (Norway). In the end, so of course after cross-country, the best was Jarl Magnus Riiber, second was Julian Schmid and third was Jens Luraas Oftebro. For Riiber, it was his 50th win in world cup.
And after Saturday - overall Men World Cup leader is Julian Schmid.
Cross-country
As I already mentioned - cross-country is also in Ruka. And it also just started. And because the winter sports section is long enough already, thanks to ski jumping, this will be shorter. Shoter in talking, because I am totally not into cross-country, I don't know the rules etc. etc. I just enjoy watching it from time to time (this time I didn't have this opportunity). So maybe I shall start watching it more often and more carefully? Since there are great experts commenting on it in polish Eurosport, Justyna Kowalczyk herself! Yeah, I'll consider it. Anyways, the results.
Women Sprint - first was Emma Ribom (Sweden), Johanna Hagstroem (Sweden) second and Tiril Udnes Weng (Norway) third.
Women 10 km - first was Ebba Andersson (Sweden), Frida Karlsson (Sweden) second and Katharina Hennig (Germany) third.
Men Sprint - first was Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (Norway), Even Northug (Norway) second and Paal Goldberg (Norway) third.
Men 10 km - first was Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Paal Goldberg second and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (Norway) third.
After Saturday, overall Women World Cup leader is Tiril Udnes Weng and overall Men World Cup leader is Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo.
Where is this, this and that
Believe me, if it wasn't for tennis and F1 finale and football world cup, whole issue would be about winter sports. I promise - more winter sports (like alpine skiing which I need to read more about) will come.
But if you wonder - what winter sports started and what can you watch - here I come with an answer.
If you are into skiing - started: alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboard and others mentioned above. I recommend looking at FIS site, everything is there.
If you are into skating - started: short track, speed skating, figure skating.
Other sports - skeleton, bobsleigh, biathlon (which starts as this issue is out) and luge starts on 3rd December.
Football
I know, I know - very hot topic right now. As much as I dislike football, I must say - I watched some matches and I am on an ungoing basis with the scores of matches I didn't watch. Yeah, basically I am just checking the results, I watched... 2 and a half matches in total.
Which ones? Of course Poland-Mexico, then the second half of Poland-Saudi Arabia (I was shopping during first half but I didn't even have to check the results - other people were watching on their phones and reacting loudly) and Mexico-Argentina.
But I do know the memes. Especially those about Argentina and Germany scoring goals in penalty kick and then losing the matches.
I am not going to present you the whole table of calculations and speculations which two teams of each group will made it to medal phase, because of two reasons. Reason number one - by the time you are reading this, there are only two groups left in group phase and still fighting for medal phase, but I still won't speculate even about them, becasue of reason number two. And reason number to is - I don't understand it. Like, I know the basis - points for winning etc. But considering scored and losed goals, yellow cards and all that staff - nope, it is not for me to understand.
But anyways, here are the results of all the matches played till know (which is, till 26th November), which most of you might know, but I don't know, maybe there is someone not watching world cup at all:
Group A Qatar - Equador: 0:2 Senegal - Netherlands: 0:2 Qatar - Senegal: 1:3 Netherlands - Equador: 1:1 | Group B England - Iran: 6:2 USA - Wales: 1:1 Wales - Iran: 0:2 England - USA: 0:0 |
Group C Argentina - Saudi Arabia: 1:2 Poland - Mexico: 0:0 Poland - Saudi Arabia: 2:0 Argentina - Mexico: 2:0 | Group D Denmark - Tunisia: 0:0 France - Australia: 4:0 Tunisia - Australia: 0:1 France - Denmark: 2:1 |
Group E Germany - Japan: 1:2 Spain - Costarica: 7:0 | Group F Maroco - Croatia: 0:0 Belgium - Canada: 1:0 |
Group G Switzerland - Cameroon: 1:0 Brazil - Serbia: 2:0 | Group H Uruguay - South Korea: 0:0 Portugal - Ghana: 3:2 |
All rights, that's all for this issue! So, in the next one, we will look at the results of Football World Cup and as I've written above - we will go more deeply into winter sports. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
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