There were other finals down for decision on Saturday night, and what an action-packed session of athletics it was.
Andy Diaz Hernandez produced the fourth-longest triple jump in history when reaching 18.15m.
Julian Weber (90.40m CR EL) broke the 90-metre barrier to set a new championship record in the men’s javelin, with Germany also taking silver through Nick Thumm (83.76m PB).
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Sweden’s Andreas Almgren broke a championship record that stood since 1978 when dominating the Men’s 10000m Final, clocking 27:23.44 CR SB.
Both María Pérez and Sofia Fiorini set new world records with their victories in the race walks.
Britain won both the Men’s 4 x 100m and Women’s 4 x 100m Relays, with Amy Hunt claiming another gold medal to add to those from her 100m/200m sprint double. Her compatriot Dina Asher-Smith, who was part of the winning relay team, took a record-equalling tenth European Championships medal.
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Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine won the Women’s High Jump gold medal, clearing 1.97m, while Henriette Jaeger of Norway won the Women’s 400m Final with a new National Record and European Leading time of 49.04 seconds.
NEW YORK — Jose Iglesias found a way to ignite the Mets clubhouse and its fan base as soon as he entered the fray during the 2024 season.
The veteran infielder infused a badly-needed energy and leadership with the Mets fading in the standings. By the end of the campaign, with his Latin pop hit “OMG” serving as the team’s soundtrack, the Mets fired their way into the National League Championship Series.
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Now, two years later, Iglesias is bringing that fire and energy into a far different setting than the baseball diamond, just down the road on Broadway.
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The 36-year-old will become the first Major League Baseball player to perform on Broadway when he takes the role of Narrator in “Buena Visa Social Club” for a six-week stint starting on Aug. 27 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
“It’s very smooth. The energy, it’s an excellent musical. I’m surrounded by great teammates over there,” Iglesias said before throwing out the first pitch before the Mets’ game on Tuesday at Citi Field. “They support me on a daily basis. They know this is totally new for me.
“I believe it’s the first time in MLB history that a Latin player is acting on Broadway. It’s a fun responsibility that I have in my hands. I’m grabbing it with two hands, just like a ground ball, and then I won’t let it go.”
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Jose Iglesias’ tough departure from Mets
Jul 12, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jose Iglesias (11) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
When Iglesias was called up to the Mets on May 31, 2024, the Mets found themselves at 10 games under .500.
Iglesias turned out to be one of the catalysts for an improbable rise. They closed the season with a 67-40 record and grabbing a playoff berth on the season’s final day.
The infielder turned out to be as clutch as any player in the league, delivering a .375/.419/.482 slash line with runners in scoring position and a .337 batting average in 85 games before the run to the NLCS.
“The way how things started that year and how we flipped it as a team, it was unique,” Iglesias said. “It’s what baseball’s about, that culture, that family energy and competing. We never gave up. Regardless of the results, we never gave up as a group and we really love each other as human beings.”
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The way that team galvanized to make a deep run made Iglesias’ realization that he would not be back all the tougher. Iglesias had been looking for apartments in New York City, but the call never came, and he eventually signed a minor league deal with the Padres in March 2025.
“I personally don’t have to agree with it, but I respect their decisions completely,” Iglesias said. “But just detaching me with this organization hurt me. That’s true. I really enjoy being around these guys. And that goes way beyond the ninth inning. That goes way beyond a baseball season. It’s a personal feeling and a special relationship that I have, not just with the players but with the staff, with the security, with everybody around the stadium. It was a family energy that I definitely miss.”
Jose Iglesias on finding his footing on Broadway Stage
Jun 28, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Jose Iglesias (11) performs after the Mets defeated the Houston Astros 7-2 at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The call did not come from another major league team, but a Broadway producer this year.
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The Cuban-born Iglesias felt like the perfect fit for a musical based on an impromptu group of Cuban musicians who came together for an album that was produced in seven days in 1996. The album would go on to win a Grammy, and the musical, which opened in March 2025, was nominated for 10 Tony Awards.
For Iglesias, the fusion of his musical talents and an opportunity to return to New York made the opening a “no brainer.”
“I’m not an actor. I’m putting a lot of time and effort in those rehearsals,” Iglesias said. “I have a big responsibility on my shoulders. I’m representing Cuban music on the biggest stage in the world, and I want to do it right. I take it with discipline. It’s definitely the baseball discipline, the routines and everything. I’m kind of translating it to a theater.”
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Iglesias called it a privilege to step on the Broadway stage and he finds himself leaning on his acting teammates to eventually come through when he debuts. For now, that thrill is as good as a game-winning hit.
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And after the acting debut is over, Iglesias would not rule out a return to his roots.
“I’m in a lot better shape than a lot of people out there, I’m telling you,” Iglesias said with a laugh. “If it happens, I’m ready. If it don’t, I’m ready. It’s just however life comes.
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“I always look at the positive out of it. For me, it’s make an impact. This time I get to do it through music, through acting. God knows what happens next year. Nobody knows what happens tomorrow, so why worry?”
Day six of the European Championships in Paris saw four-time Olympic champion Léon Marchand claim his first continental title by winning the 200m butterfly final. There was another gold medal for France later in the evening, with Mary-Ambre Moluh setting a new European record to win the 100m backstroke final.
Paris Saint-Germain kick off their domestic campaign on Sunday evening with a trip to Lens for the Trophée des Champions. A few days on from their UEFA Super Cup triumph, Luis Enrique’s men will look to clinch their fourth trophy of the calendar year by beating last season’s Coupe de France winners.
The football season on the other side of the Channel also has its curtain-raiser on Sunday, with Manchester City taking Arsenal in Cardiff for the Community Shield. Enzo Maresca is keen to kick off his reign as City manager with silverware, while Mikel Arteta has sought to reassure fans as his contract with the Gunners enters its final year.
A recent report provides an update about a popular pro wrestler headed to WWE. He is expected to join forces with a former champion.
Earlier this year, it was reported that former five-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi had signed a multi-year deal with the Stamford-based promotion. WWE has been teasing his arrival via vignettes and social media. He is expected to join forces with fellow Japanese star Shinsuke Nakamura.
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In the most recent edition of Fightful Select Answers, Sean Ross Sapp answered a question about Hiromu Takahashi. SRS reported that as hinted on Friday Night Smackdown, the former AEW star was headed to World Wrestling Entertainment and planned to team up with Shinsuke Nakamura. He further noted that he was surprised that the 36-year-old was not headed to NXT.
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Shinsuke Nakamura is going after the MFTs, and Hiromu Takahashi would be a great partner given his extensive history with Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura seemingly confirmed that Hiromu Takahashi is his mystery partner
In a vignette that aired on the most recent edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura appeared to have revealed his mystery partner’s identity.
The King of Strong Style sarcastically congratulated the MFTs on winning the WWE Tag Team Championship. He warned the heel faction, stating that he and his new partner would destroy them.
The former three-time WWE United States Champion massively put over his partner and referred to him as a ticking time bomb. It seemingly confirmed that Hiromu Takahashi would be the one joining him as he earned the nickname “Ticking Time Bomb” during his run in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2016.
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“MFTs, congratulations! You are now the champions. Are you savoring the feeling, knowing it will be gone soon? Was the victory as sweet, knowing what’s coming next? Me, my partner – your destruction. My partner is what you all pretend to be. Experienced, vicious, deadly. He is chaos. He’s a ticking time bomb. Take cover,” Nakamura said.
It will be interesting to see when Hiromu Takahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura show up on Friday Night SmackDown.
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FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has been dismissed from his post. He had strongly criticised his boss Gianni Infantino and the latter’s plan to set up a commercial company.
Also in this edition:
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Rodri and João Cancelo have arrived in Barcelona. Ayoub Bouaddi could replace the Spaniard at Manchester City. In tennis, Aryna Sabalenka has confirmed she will be playing alongside Novak Djokovic. Finally, Félix Lebrun is the new world number two in table tennis.
India tipped to become a top-three Hyrox market within five years
Christian Toetzke sees potential for more than €100 million in annual revenues. India currently contributes an estimated €4–5 million
September’s Mumbai event expected to attract around 15,000 athletes and Hyrox is expanding beyond Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru
Venue availability and gym infrastructure identified as barriers to growth, although Indian health club memberships are forecast to almost double by 2030
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Hyrox founder and CEO Christian Toetzke is predicting India will become one of the company’s three largest markets within five years, with the potential to generate more than €100 million in annual revenues.
The company recently revealed plans to increase capacity during its 2027 events.
Toetzke expects India to ultimately sit alongside the US and China as Hyrox’s biggest territories, as the fitness racing company accelerates investment in events, gym partnerships, technology and potentially permanent infrastructure in the country.
India currently contributes an estimated €4–5 million a year to Hyrox revenues, but Toetzke told the Economic Times he believes the market will undergo rapid development over the next three years before becoming one of the company’s most significant globally.
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Hyrox plans to invest seven-figure sums in building the Indian business over the coming years.
The scale of growth already being seen is substantial. Hyrox’s first event in India attracted around 1,600 participants about 16 months ago, while the Mumbai event taking place this September is expected to draw around 15,000.
The company currently stages events in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru and has announced expansion into Ahmedabad and Noida. Participants from 453 Indian cities and towns have already taken part in Hyrox events.
Country head Deepak Raj believes there is considerable headroom between the number of Indians exercising in gyms and those participating in competitive fitness events.
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India’s wider health club market is also forecast to grow strongly. Research from Deloitte India predicts memberships will rise from 12.3 million in 2024 to 23.2 million in 2030, while sector revenues are projected to grow from INR162 billion to INR377 billion over the same period.
One brake on expansion could be a shortage of suitable venues. Hyrox requires indoor spaces of at least 13,500sq m for its events and the company says India currently has limited infrastructure of this scale. It has also identified a need for more suitably-equipped gyms and certified trainers.
Globally, Hyrox generated around €135 million in revenue in 2025 from approximately 850,000–870,000 participants and is forecasting revenues approaching €300 million this year as participation moves towards two million.
The Indian expansion comes as L Catterton progresses a transaction which is expected to see existing Hyrox shareholders Wanda Group and Infront Sports and Media exit the business. Toetzke says the new investment will provide additional capital to support Hyrox’s global expansion.
Wednesday is day one of the Sky Bet Ebor meeting at York Races where they will be plenty Irish interest in the high-quality racing.
The afternoon’s highlight will be the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at 3.35pm when the generations will clash over a mile 2 furlongs and 56 yards.
Constitution River, winner of the French Derby and representing the classic generation, will put his 2026 unbeaten record on the line when he meets the five-year-old Ombudsman, winner of this race last year.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Godolphin owned is unbeaten in his three runs this season and will be the mount of William Buick.
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Ryan Moore will be aboard the Coral-Eclipse-winning son of Wootton Bassett, Constitution River, and he will represent the Coolmore partners.
Item, in the colours of the race sponsors, comes from the Andrew Balding yard and will be the mount of Colin Keane, as he bids to step up in grade from his win in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes here last month.
The Wayne Lordan-ridden Hawk Mountain, who was third and runner-up respectively to Constitution River in his two most recent starts, is likely to be involved in the business end of the nine-runner contest.
With the main protagonists, Ombudsman and Constitution River, having their own respective pacemakers in Devil’s Advocate (Rab Havlin) and Action (Ronan Whelan), the pace is likely to be strong. Though the three-year-old Constitution River will receive seven pounds from his main rival, Ombudsman, the latter has an official rating of 132, which is well ahead of the rest of the field, and the previous course and distance winner is likely to be very difficult to beat.
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Haffner to get back to winning ways?
Elsewhere on the card, both Aidan O’Brien and Paddy Twomey will be represented in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at 2.25pm. Haffner, the choice of Ryan Moore, was beaten in the Group 2 Coral Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last time, and connections will be hopeful of getting back to winning ways.
Paddy Twomey’s Tréan won his maiden at Galway’s Summer Festival and takes the leap into group company for the Red Lily Racing Syndicate.
Derby horses to clash again in Great Voltigeur
The 2026 Betfred Derby winner at Epsom, Christmas Day, runs in the Group 3 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at 3.00pm.
Beaten since in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh, when runner-up, he will clash with Maltese Falcon again, the William Haggas-trained son of Sea The Stars, who was two-and-three-quarter lengths behind Christmas Day and Ronan Whelan at Epsom. Pierre Bonnard, who finished only a neck behind Christmas Day at The Curragh, should help make this another intriguing race.
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Irish-trained runners at York Racecourse on Wednesday, 19 August 2026:
2.25 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (Group 3)
Confucius (IRE) A P O’Brien Haffner (USA) A P O’Brien Tréan (IRE) P Twomey
3.00 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2)
Christmas Day (IRE) A P O’Brien Antigua (IRE) A P O’Brien Pierre Bonnard (IRE) A P O’Brien
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3.35 Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1)
Action (IRE) A P O’Brien Constitution River (FR) A P O’Brien Hawk Mountain (IRE) A P O’Brien
4.10 Sky Bet Stayers Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race)
Small Fry (IRE) Joseph O’Brien Mordor (FR) Gordon Elliott Westminster Moon (IRE) A J Martin
Mason Greenwood struck a fine second-half equaliser as Fenerbahce fought back to draw 1-1 at home to Lyon in Tuesday’s Champions League play-off first leg.
Lois Openda headed Lyon in front with his first goal for the French club in Istanbul, but Greenwood levelled shortly after the break to leave the tie evenly poised.
Norwegian side Viking Stavanger, competing in the Champions League for the first time in 34 years, boosted their hopes of reaching the league phase for the first time by rallying from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Dinamo Zagreb.
Dion Beljo and Mateo Lisica struck inside the opening 10 minutes for Zagreb, but Viking, who edged Bodo/Glimt to the Norwegian title last season, pulled level by half-time through goals from Peter Christiansen and Zlatko Tripic.
Defending champion Team North broke out of the proverbial gates as hard as it could on Tuesday by winning the first three matches and going on to take a 7-1/2-4-1/2 lead after the Fourball format that got the ICTSI Elite Junior PGT Championship going at Pueblo de Oro in Cagayan de Oro.
Zoji Edoc highlighted the hot start by draining an ace from 80 yards with a 54-degree wedge on the 13th, as his team-up with Kenzo Tan rallied from a hole down to take a 3&2 win over South’s Stephen Clementer and Darren Ong in the boys’ 7-10.
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That victory was sandwiched by Zach Guico and Kingston Ching carving out a 5&4 win over Ethan Lago and Lucas Revilleza in the first boys’ 7-10, before Chan Ahn and Vito Sarines made it three straight with a 6&4 thumping of the Ken Guillermo-Mico Woo tandem.
“The [lopsided result] was really unexpected,” said North coach Joey Anciano. “When we saw South’s lineup, I wasn’t expecting anything. I just told the kids to play, trust their teammates, and they did.”
A three-point lead is big, especially this one that came on the road for the North as the Southerners couldn’t take advantage of their familiarity with the rolling layout and will play catch-up for the second straight year as the Foursomes format will be used on Wednesday.
“[That’s] really big for an away team. We traveled to an unfamiliar territory, so we were just aiming for at least a tie today, which would have been good,” Anciano added. “We’re very fortunate.”
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Last year, the North zoomed out to an 8-4 lead and were never really threatened the rest of the week at The Country Club in Laguna.
The first South win came courtesy of 14-year-old wonder Ralph Batican and Jared Saban, who pulled out a 4&2 victory over Javie Bautista and Jacob Casuga in the other boys’ 11-14 match.
The victory of Shin Suzuki and Santi Asuncion in one of the boys’ premier 15-18 matches over Alexis Nailga and Clement Ordeneza, 4&2, put an exclamation point on the Day 1 rout.
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One South win that was worth mentioning was the 2&1 win of Princess Zaragosa and Tashanah Balangauan over National Strokeplay champion Lisa Sarines and Rafa Anciano in the girls’ 15-18. INQ
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A narrow, scrambling victory at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday saw Steel Will overcome a challenging race, much to the relief of his supporters who had backed him heavily.
The three-year-old colt showed significant fight when put under pressure, ultimately doing his best work at the finish line to claim the Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap over 1300 metres.
Following the win, prominent trainer Chris Waller detailed his ambitious spring carnival plans for the progressive galloper.
“Steel Will is a nice, progressive horse,” Waller commented. “He is well bred and it is always good to have horses with (owner) Sir Owen Glenn and he has a good one here.”
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Steel Will, the $1.65 favourite, was expertly ridden by James McDonald to a neck victory over the closing Savvy Diamond ($13), with Plagiarism ($5.50) finishing a further three-quarters of a length behind in third.
Waller acknowledged that it wasn’t the “perfect placement” to debut Steel Will in Sydney Saturday class so soon after his maiden win at Wyong less than two weeks prior.
“He was on a quick back-up and the rain has just come so this was a stepping stone for the colt,” Waller stated. “It’s good to get some prizemoney in the back as it will make it easier to get him into the better races.”
The colt, a son of I Am Invincible and out of Pittsburgh Flyer, is a brother to the multiple Group 1-winning mare September Run, whom Waller also trained.
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“I trained his sister September Run and she might have been the Champion Three-year-old of her year,” Waller said. “Bearing in mind Steel Will is September Run’s brother, we will probably keep him to shorter races.
“We will look at either the Run To The Rose here or go to Melbourne for the Poseidon Stakes at Flemington. If we are thinking of the Coolmore it would be good to give him some experience up the Flemington straight.
“Steel Will has got the breeding and he’s got the looks so he has a lot going for him.”
Those looking for the online bookmakers would have experienced a tense finish before the favourite Steel Will ultimately prevailed.
The Dodgers are placing All-Star closer Edwin Diaz on the injured list, according to The Athletic. Early word is that it’s some sort of “upper body” injury that’s sending Díaz back to the IL, not his surgically-repaired elbow, via The Athletic. Díaz was on the injured list earlier this season after having surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. He was placed on the IL on April 20 and came off on July 29.
The big story here is how Díaz has pitched when not on the IL. After signing a three-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers this past offseason, the first year of the contract has been a disaster. In all, he’s posted an 11.85 ERA, 2.56 WHIP and -1.4 WAR in 16 outings. He has seven saves but four blown saves. He’s had seven outings with zero runs allowed and five where he’s allowed multiple runs.
If the loose bodies in his elbow could explain the early-season failures, all of that should have been cleared up once he returned from the injured list. Instead, he posted a 12.91 ERA with three saves in six chances in his nine appearances after his return. He’s been worse and that’s starting from a very low bar.
He worked in relief Tuesday night in Colorado and gave up three runs on four hits in his inning. He didn’t strike anyone out and hit a batter. The Dodgers and Díaz must’ve gotten together and decided enough was enough after that one.
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In a corresponding move, Emmet Sheehan is expected to be recalled from Triple-A to provide some help for the Dodgers’ shaky bullpen.
This wasn’t supposed to be how the season worked out, as the Dodgers looked to shore up one of their few weaknesses after two consecutive World Series championships. Díaz was one of the best closers in baseball in 2025, just as he was in 2022, 2020 and 2018.
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Tanner Scott (2.20 ERA, 0.92 WHIP) and Alex Vesia (2.91 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) could serve as the Dodgers’ main two late-inning guys, but Evan Phillips — who has previously closing experience with the Dodgers — and Jack Dreyer are also options.
The bullpen isn’t very deep or good right now. A few days ago, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, when asked about Díaz pitching in a key situation, admitted he had few other options.
“Give me another option. I can’t just say, ‘Change (Díaz) to low leverage.’ I have to have other options, and to be quite honest, none of those guys really have thrown the baseball great. That’s just kind of the way it is,” Roberts said.
One might recall that the bullpen was a major concern down the stretch for the Dodgers late last season, but the move of Roki Sasaki to the bullpen for the playoffs, in addition to the four ace-like starting pitchers working so deep into games, helped push the Dodgers across the finish line for another title.
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It seems they’ll need to find a fix again this time around.
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