SportsNews

MotoGP Japanese GP: Moto2 and Moto3 results

Published

1 year ago

October 6, 2024

David Alonso became the first Colombian motorcycle world champion with an impressive victory in the Moto3 race at the Japanese Grand Prix, while an inspired tyre choice following a surprise shower earned Manuel Gonzalez Moto2 honours.

Sunday’s racing at Motegi kicked off with CFMoto rider David Alonso’s bid to seal the Moto3 title with four races left to go.

Coming into this race with a 97-point lead over Tech3 man Daniel Holgado, Alonso needed a win to guarantee that neither Holdago nor fellow challengers Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets-MSI) and Collin Veijer (Intact GP) could catch him over the remaining four events.

Launching from the front row on a dry Motegi track, Alonso did not enjoy the perfect start to his task. Despite entering the first corner second, he had fallen to sixth – a couple of spots clear of Veijer – by the second lap.

It was Ortola who grabbed the lead after a terrific start from pole position, but Adrian Fernandeyz hit the front of the race on lap three with a double pass on both Holgado and Ortola into Turn 5.

These three controlled the race for few laps, with Angel Piqueras (Leopard) and Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets-MSI) keeping them company as Alonso settled into a rhythm behind.

Alonso began to show his true pace on lap 9, when he started to gain positions and also set what would prove to be the fastest lap of the race.

By lap 12, Alonso was up into second place behind Fernandez, having pulled off numerous moves into Turn 9 on his way there.

After Piqueras fell at Turn 10 on lap 13, the lead group was down to five: Fernandez, Alonso, Ortola, Veijer and Holgado.

A small mistake by Fernandez when braking for Turn 3 one lap later allowed Alonso to get his bike in front for the first time, and after a brief battle the Colombian had assumed control of the race.

Ortola briefly threatened an attack for the win on the penultimate lap, but that ended when he fell in similar fashion to Piqueras at Turn 10. This left a convenient half-second gap for Alonso on his final tour as he continued to the win and the championship.

Veijer won a late battle with Fernandez for second place, with Holgado fourth and Jose Antonio Rueda (Ajo) finishing fifth ahead of Yamanaka.

Moto3 Japanese GP – Race results:

Gonzales triumphs in Moto2 with late move

Manuel Gonzalez, QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The Moto2 field also took the green light in dry conditions, but that changed mere moments after polesitter Jake Dixon had executed a perfect start to grab the lead.

Heavy rain began to fall as the first lap unfolded, meaning the race had to be red-flagged. It was then restarted over a shortened distance of 12 laps with the grid unchanged.

This represented a welcome fresh chance for both Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) and Izan Guevara, who had both lost places fighting over second place in the first corner.

At the restart, Dixon once again pounced into the lead ahead of Aspar team-mate Guevara. But it very quickly became apparent that most of the field, these two included, had made the wrong choice in opting to take the restart on wet rubber.

The track was drying at a phenomenal rate, which was a perfect scenario for the few brave enough to have taken the restart on slick tyres: Gonzalez (Gresini), world championship leader Ai Ogura(MTI Helmets-MSI), Filip Salac (Marc VDS), Jeremy Alcoba (VR46) and van den Goorbergh.

Among these, it was home rider Ogura who carved through the field fastest; 14th on the first lap of the restarted race, he was up to 11th on lap 2 and set fastest lap on lap 3, when he moved into third.

By the start of lap 4, Ogura was into a 3.8s lead and dreaming of delighting the Japanese fans by topping the podium. But by lap 5, Gonzalez was into his stride, into second place and closing the gap to Ogura.

On lap 9, Gonzalez eased past Ogura at Turn 9. It was a lead he would not lose.

Ogura, perhaps mindful of the good points haul second would bring him as his wet-shod title rivals struggled, stayed in that position until the flag.

Salac narrowly defeated Alcoba for the last podium spot, with van der Goorbergh fifth.

Xavier Artigas (Klint), a long way back in sixth, was best of those on wet rubber. Guevara and Dixon wound up 10th and 13th respectively.

Moto2 Japanese GP – Race results:

SportsNews

EPL: Fulham must move on from defeat to Manchester City — Iwobi

Published

2 days ago

December 3, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Alex Iwobi says Fulham must stay positive despite their 5-4 defeat to Manchester City at Craven Cottage on Tuesday.

Marco Silva’s side put up a spirited display in the encounter, and were unlucky not to get at least one point.

Iwobi started the fight back by scoring the second goal for Fulham early in the second half.

The versatile midfielder’s compatriot, Samuel Chukwueze then rose from the bench to score two more goals for the Cottagers.

Manchester City, however, held on to go home with maximum points.

Iwobi stated that they deserved more from the game.

“I feel disappointed because we didn’t get anything out of the fighting spirit that we showed, but I think we have to take the positivity from the game,” Iwobi told the club’s official website.

Fulham will be away to Crystal Palace in their next Premier League game on Sunday.

SportsNews

EPL: Guardiola names team that impresses him everyday

Published

2 days ago

December 3, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has named the Premier League club that has impressed him so much this season.

The Spaniard said that Enzo Maresca’s side have really impressed him with the improvement they make everyday.

Speaking after Manchester City beat Fulham 5-4 in the Premier League on Tuesday night, Guardiola pointed out that a team must remain consistent to win the title.

Pep Guardiola’s side closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to just two points behind Arsenal with the victory over Fulham, but the Gunners could maintain their five points lead with a win over Brentford on Wednesday night.

“Chelsea impresses me more and more every day with Enzo [Maresca], but it’s long,” he told reporters after the win.

“Premier League is so long, many things will happen. We won six Premier Leagues, four or five when we in December, January or February we were behind.

“The team who wins the Premier League is the team who grows during the months and this is what we try to do. No injuries, it’s so long.

“But at the same time, if we push, we will be better and push ourselves and control the situations better, the emotions and we will see what happens.”

SportsNews

Outrage As ‘Biological Male’ Wins World’s Strongest Woman Event in Texas (Photos)

Published

1 week ago

November 26, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The 2025 World’s Strongest Woman final has sparked outrage after an alleged transgender athlete won gold.

American Jammie Booker, who is accused of being a biological male, beat Great Britain’s Andrea Thompson to victory at the event in Arlington, Texas.

According to Mail Online, Thompson walked off the podium, appearing to say ‘this is bulls***,’ while Booker celebrated. The Brit has since been crowned the ‘true World’s Strongest Woman’ by her coach and some of her peers.

Rebecca Roberts, a three-time winner of World’s Strongest Woman, has sensationally claimed that no one – not even the organizers – knew about Booker’s background.

Details on the American are not clear, but the publication sighted a YouTube video – uploaded to what appears to be Booker’s YouTube channel in September 2017, with Booker saying: ‘Everyone is dying to tell their own story and I am obviously no exception to that.

‘I’m 21-year-old trans woman with a history of abuse, struggling to stay true to herself while under the rule of her religious parents.’

On Monday night, Roberts posted a picture on Instagram that read ‘Protect Women’s Sports.’ She wrote alongside the picture: ‘I hold no hate toward transgender people. Everyone deserves dignity, respect, and the freedom to live their truth.

But I cannot stay silent about something that threatens the fairness and future of women’s strength sports. Transgender women, people born male, should not be competing in the women’s category.

This isn’t about identity. It isn’t about politics. It’s about the undeniable physical differences that exist in strength-based sports… differences that don’t disappear, and that matter more here than almost anywhere else. Women’s categories were created for a reason, and if we lose that, we lose the foundation of our sport.

‘What happened this weekend wasn’t transparent. None of us knew. Not even the organisers knew. And when fairness is taken by surprise, trust in the sport begins to crack.

‘My message is simple. Trans people belong in sport, but women’s divisions must remain biologically born female-only.

‘I love this sport. I have given my life to it. And I won’t ignore something that could quietly change it forever. Congratulations to @andreathompson_strongwoman… the true World’s Strongest Woman 2025’