Five things to know from what happened in the world of sport. December 29, 2020 – January 4, 2021.
- Barça loses against Germans again. Football Club Barcelona lost to Bayern München in the UEFA Champions League and now also Handball Barça lost to a German team: underdogs THW Kiel beat them 33-28 in the postponed Final of the EHF Champions League. Watch the highlights (EHF)
- Winter Sports. Norway decided not to participate in the Tour de Ski. The Defending Men’s Champion Alexander Bolshunov (RUS) leads after winning three of four races. Linn Svahn (SWE) also won two but so far it is a US American 1-2 because Jessie Diggins (USA) and Rosie Brennan (USA) made the 1-2 in the 10 km F Pursuit and then again in the 10 KM Free. In Ski Jumping, the 69th Four Hills Tournament is led by Innsbruck winner Kamil Stoch (POL). There, Halvor Egner Granerud (NOR) and Karl Geiger (DEU) had a disappointing day. Geiger and Dawid Kubacki (POL) won the two other hills. In Luge, Austria surprised Germany to take the Team Relay at the Königsee World Cup with a mistake by Loch, who did take the individual race. Read a winter sports recap for the weekend here (The Sportspedia)
- Fights in Japan. December 31st had two big fight cards in Japan. Kazuto Ioka (JPN) scored a big win to defend his WBO Super-Flyweight Title by frustrating Kosei Tanaka’s (JPN) attempt to be Champion in four weights, by TKO. In Rizin Fighting MMA, Ayaka Hamasaki (JPN) won the Atomweight title by beating three-time wrestling World Champion, Miyuu Yamamoto (JPN), with a leg strangulation. Kyoji Horiguchi reclaimed the Bantamweight Title by beating Kai Asakura (JPN) in a rematch. Watch the Hamasaki – Yamamoto fight here.
- Tragedy in Indian Horse Racing. The Indian 1000 Guineas were won by Forest Flame (IND), ridden by Trevor Patel (IND). Unfortunately, one of the contenders, Noble Queen stumbled in the final stretch, breaking both her legs, and she had to be euthanized after the race. In Hyderabad, an apprentice jockey, Jitendra Singh (IND) suffered a fall and also unfortunately succumbed to his injuries, at the Osmar Sagan Plate (Div. II).(Times of India)
- NFL playoffs set. The Browns will break the longest streak without a playoff appearance, 18 years, when they play the Wildcard Game next week, their first invitation earned to an NFL Playoff. They beat the Steelers in their final game but it looks unlikely that the Steelers will lose against them again next week, with a full squad. The Kansas City Chiefs (14-2) had the best Record in AFC and the Green Bay Packers had the best record in NFC (13-3). Full playoff picture (The Sportspedia)