Yes, the Blues won easily (2-0) in Kazakhstan, on the road to the 2022 World Cup.
Yes, French driver Johann Zarco finished second in the first race of the season in Qatar, behind Spaniard Maverick Vinales.
But something else happened this weekend that you might have missed.
The three weekend lessons
- Crystal, you will bring back
At 19, Tess Ledeux was starting to find time long. After an early start four years ago, La Savoyarde won for the first time the “crystal globe” in freestyle skiing (in French, “freestyle skiing”). To put it another way: after five stages, she won the World Cup in the general classification, ahead of the Swiss Mathilde Gremaud and Sarah Höfflin.
The fifth stage was held this weekend in the Swiss Confederation, in Silvaplana. Despite a complicated winter and a two-month break for family reasons that she did not wish to specify, the Frenchwoman concluded her season with a third success in as many so-called slopestyle (descent).
The World Cup, of course, is not to be confused with the annual world championships, organized every two years in one place, and already won twice by the sportswoman from La Plagne: in 2017, in the event of slopestyle, in Spain, then, in 2019 in that of big air (big jump), in the United States.
- Your territory, you will mark
The “Sir”, at 36, wants another title. Known by Queen Elisabeth II at the end of 2020, Briton Lewis Hamilton is eyeing an eighth crown in Formula 1. The seven-time world champion, who so far shares this record with his predecessor Michael Schumacher, has started the new season rather well. First race and first victory of the year, Sunday in Sakhir, Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Mercedes driver won by nothing in front of the Dutchman Max Verstappen, 23, who started from pole position. Three laps from the finish, after a turn taken too far outside, the young man let his elder brother take the lead for good.
Among the twenty cars on the track were also two French, much further behind: Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished 13th and 17th respectively.
- Messages, you will transmit
Danish footballers delivered a message in English on Sunday: “Football supports change. ” It was just before their unequivocal victory (8-0) over Moldova, as part of the qualifications for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. And just after the mobilization of the Norwegians, the Germans and the Dutch. Without going – far from it – until claiming the boycott of the competition, all ask for “Change” in favor of human rights: since 2010, at least 6,500 migrant workers have died in the emirate, according to Guardian.
‘FOOTBALL SUPPORTS CHANGE’ Trøjen aim holdets ønske om forandringer for migrantarbejderne i Qatar. Trøjerne bli… https://t.co/yqtii3pCwx
The sale of the T-shirts is intended to support migrant workers in Qatar construction sites and their relatives, according to the Danish Football Federation.
The statement
“I made a stupid mistake: I ate too much. I wanted to fill my energy tank as much as possible and I gorged myself. It was not a good idea. “
Among the presumed favorites, Sam Bennett was hungry for victory, and quite hungry. At the Belga press agency, the cyclist does not specify which foods he ate and then regurgitated during the race, 15 km from the end. Still, the Irish sprinter of the Belgian team Deceuninck-Quick Step completed the “classic” Gand-Wevelgem on Sunday with the “Empty legs” and without “Energy”. That is to say in 55th place, well behind the Belgian Wout Van Aert, winner of the day.
Woman of the weekend: Stéphanie Frappart
Update: 2021- 1st female referee in qualifying phase for a Men’s World Cup ? (Netherlands ? Lett… https://t.co/paSZwJ47W7
First woman to referee a football match counting for the French men’s championship? Done in April 2019. First woman to referee an international match in a men’s competition? Also, in September 2020, on the occasion of the League of Nations.
This weekend, Stéphanie Frappart added a new line to her curriculum vitae. Here she is now, at 37, the first to referee a qualifying match for a Men’s World Cup. In this case, the one between the Netherlands and Latvia, Saturday at the Arena Johan-Cruyff in Amsterdam (2-0 victory for the host country).
The weekend video
After those of 2018 and 2019, Nathan Chen won his third consecutive title at the world figure skating championships – the health crisis had canceled those of 2020. Once again, the American beat his opponents with blows of “ quads ”, with five quadruple jumps in his free skate, before which he was only third. Reward, Saturday, in Stockholm: a score close to its world record (222.03, against 224.92 at the end of 2019). Far ahead of Yuzuru Hanyu, main rival, third overall.
At 21, Chen remains undefeated in individual competition since 2018, the year of his 5th place at the Olympics and his team bronze medal.
In recent days, all the other successes of these world championships have been Russian-Russian. Solo, with Anna Chtcherbakova (17 years since Sunday). In a relationship, with Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov. But also in ice dance, with Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, in the deliberate absence of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron – the French duo, quadruple world champion, prefers to focus on their preparation for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.