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:

Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta scored pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix as he set a new lap record at Motegi in the dying stages of a dramatic qualifying session that saw world championship leader Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) suffer a major setback.

While Acosta continued to look serene as he hunts for a first MotoGP win on his Tech3 KTM, Martin’s crash at Turn 9 in the critical final phase of Qualifying 2 meant he will only line up 11th for the sprint and Sunday’s grand prix.

That will be an opportunity for his main rival Francesco Bagnaia. The factory Ducati rider will start from second on the grid, despite a mistake on his final lap possibly robbing him of the chance to match Acosta.

Factory Aprilia rider Maverick Vinales will complete the front row, with Bagnaia’s team-mate Enea Bastianini set to start fourth.

KTM’s Brad Binder did not quite deliver on the promise set by his pace-setting Friday practice form, but will still have a chance to repeat his 2022 Motegi podium by starting fifth. He’ll take the start just ahead of Pramac Ducati’s Franco Morbidelli.

VR46 Ducati duo Fabio di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi qualified seventh and eighth ahead of Gresini Ducati’s Marc Marquez. The Spanish legend had spent much of the weekend riding around various issues and looked to have conquered them as he took provisional pole in Q2, before his best lap was cancelled for a tiny track limits infraction.

Marquez’s brother and team-mate Alex completed the top 10 on the grid, with Fabio Quartararo(Yamaha) rounding off the third row behind Martin.

Earlier, despite very light drizzle, the track continued to get quicker as Free Practice 2 gave way to Qualifying 1.

Morbidelli sealed a spot in Qualifying 2 with a 1m43.746s lap that came close to the ultimate dry pace established by Binder on Friday.

The other rider to go through was Quartararo, who thus ensured there would be a Japanese motorcycle in final qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) will line up 13th, ahead of a battling Jack Miller. The Australian looked close to dropping his KTM at times during Q1, his rear-end looking on the edge of control under braking. Factory Aprilia rider Aleix Espargarocompleted the fourth row.

Zarco pulled himself together well after his Q1 crash to set a time good enough for 16th. Alongside him at the start will be Joan Mir, the leading Honda rider at the manufacturer’s home track. Augusto Fernandez (Tech 3 Aprilia) rounds out row five.

Takaaki Nakagami was unable to deliver for his home fans in qualifying. The LCR Honda rider will line up 21st despite only narrowly missing out on a direct ticket to Q2 with his effort in Practice on Friday.

Q2 results:

Q1 results:

The basketball legend, who played 18 seasons in the NBA, earned recognition as one of the league’s best defenders. After his retirement, he devoted time to improving the lives of citizens in his native country, Congo.

Congolese-American basketball player Dikembe Mutombo, one of the greatest defenders in NBA history, has passed away due to brain cancer, according to the league.

Mutombo, who was 58 years old, was diagnosed with a brain tumor two years ago. Since then, he had been receiving treatment in Atlanta, USA.

“My dad is my hero because he simply cared. He remains the purest heart I’ve ever known,” wrote his son, Ryan Mutombo, on social media.

Mutombo is one of only two players in history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award four times
© Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/TNS/picture alliance

Nearly two decades at the top

Mutombo played 18 seasons in the NBA, during which he was an eight-time NBA All-Star and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Throughout his career, he played for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York, and the then-New Jersey Nets, averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

His 7-foot-2 (2.18 meters) height helped him become one of the league’s top shot-blockers. By the end of his career, he had blocked 3,289 shots, putting him second all-time in NBA rankings.

His gesture of wagging his index finger after blocking an opponent’s shot, and often telling them “not in my house,” remained his trademark long after retirement.

Thanks to his incredible career, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Mutombo is one of only three players in history to have been named Defensive Player of the Year four times
© Jeff Haynes/AFP

A life dedicated to basketball and humanitarian work

Mutombo retired in 2009 to focus on his personal foundation, which worked to improve health, education, and the quality of life for people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

One of his most notable projects was the construction of a hospital in his home country, for which he was honored with the US President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Mutombo was highly active in the DRC after retirement, and in 2022 helped show Secretary of State Anthony Blinken around Kinshasa
© Andrew Harnik/AP/picture alliance

He also became the NBA’s first global ambassador and served on the boards of Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, and the US Fund for UNICEF.

The NBA community floods social media with condolences

The news of his death sparked numerous reactions and messages from NBA players and staff.

“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life. On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world. Other than what he’s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. He’s one of the guys that I look up to, as far as having an impact, not just on the court, but off the court. He’s done a lot of great things,” Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid said.

https://x.com/ATLHawks/status/1840795536497991696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1840795536497991696%7Ctwgr%5Ee50ab7e1dd53216c296617ebf5d7919f113eff74%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Fnba-star-dikembe-mutombo-dies-at-58-from-brain-cancer%2Fa-70369395

76ers President Daryl Morey, who played with Mutombo in Houston, was also shaken by the news.

“There aren’t many guys like him. Just a great human being. When I was a rookie general manager in this league, my first chance in Houston, he was someone I went to all the time,” Morey said.

“He was always there to talk to me and advise me on how to approach the season and take care of my body and icing after games and stretching and trying different things like yoga,” Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said.

After his retirement, Mutombo continued to be involved in basketball
© Giants of Africa