July 20, 2018
It’s been a big sports week for even the most hesitant sports fans – from crowning the new king of soccer to upsets in the most historic tennis tournament – because it’s hard not to find joy in watching athletes at the top of their game doing what they do best. The outcome isn’t always what fans anticipate, but that’s what makes it exciting. Sports are also a welcome distraction to other things going on around the world, so I’m taking this post to talk about the incredible sports stories of this week.
- Wimble-DONE – The Championships, Wimbledon came to an end this past weekend. The tournament was an exciting one from start to finish. On the women’s side, all top ten ladies were out of the competition by the quarterfinals, leavin
g the field wide open for just about anyone. Serena Williams made an impressive run, just eight months after her complicated delivery of her daughter, making it all the way to the finals. In the end, German Angelique Kerber took home the trophy. I wouldn’t worry though, Serena is
just getting started again. The men’s side was filled with excitement on every level. From tense five-set matches to rivals facing off, it sure was enjoyable as a fan. Novak Djokovic, who has struggled with personal issues the last couple of years, is back on top winning the championship match against South African Kevin Anderson. Fun fact, since 2002, only four men have hoisted the championship trophy – Novak Djokovic, Raphael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer. - France Has Done It Again – As the world knows, France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. It was an electric game, ending with four goals for France and two for their opponent, Croatia. This World Cup, held in Russia, turned out to be quite a successful tournament, drawing in fans from near and far to cheer on their home countries. France was a team stacked with young players, such as Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and Antione Griezmann, to name a few. Neither team was given much of a chance at the start of the tournament, especially Croatia, who was given only a 3% change to win it all at the beginning of the tournament. As much fun as this year’s World Cup was, let’s hope that the United States will be represented in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In the meantime, you can watch out for the women’s World Cup in Paris in 2019.
- Hey Now, You’re an All-Star – This week Washington, D.C. hosted the MLB All-Star week. The best players from around the country were brought together to play in various events throughout the week. Most notably, Washington National Bryce Harper won the Home Run Derby. Harper came from behind Cubs player Kyle Schwarber to take home the title. As far as the All-Star Game goes, the American League was victorious, beating the National League 8-6.
- Standing Strong – The ESPY’s took place on Wednesday night and a couple of moments stood out from the rest. In a touching gesture, the Best Coach award was given to three high school sports coaches who died in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, FL. Former high school athletes and students honored the coaches during the awards show, expressing how much their coaches impacted their lives. To end the show, more than 140 ‘sister survivors’ of former sports doctor Larry Nassar took the stage to stand in solidarity and accept the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The moment was extremely moving and inspiring for everyone, especially victims of abuse. Multiple survivors spoke, ending with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, who bravely spoke out against Nassar and the people who allowed the abuse to go on for so long.
