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Having retired from professional snooker after dropping off the main tour last season, Andrew Pagett had a lot to prove coming into the IBSF World Amateur Snooker Championship in Doha. The Welshman had endured a difficult time at the professional level, where the margin for error is minuscule. The amateur game gives a player a breathing space. But yesterday, Pagett was up against defending champion Pankaj Advani in the semi-finals and he knew nothing other than his best would topple the fancied Indian. And Pagett delivered just that at the Al Sadd indoor arena yesterday. The 34-year-old put on a masterful show as he outplayed Advani, the 15-time World champion in snooker and billiards, 7-2. Pagett was in total control of the best-of-13 frames semifinal, as he opened up a 3-0 lead, which included breaks of 71 and 51 in the second and third games respectively. After having breezed into the knockout stage without even losing a frame in four matches, Advani was off colour. The 31-year-old from Bengaluru uncharacteristically scraped into the semis, surviving some close encounters. Yesterday, Advani failed to find the footing, with Pagett creating the momentum. Advani opened his account in the fourth frame but Pagett maintained his lead, with a 81-point break to win the fifth. Advani kept a glimmer of hope when he won the sixth frame to make it 4-2, but Pagett won the next three with ease to seal his place in the final. It was Advani’s second loss in the Doha semis, having bowed out at the same stage at the Asian Snooker Championship in April. Earlier, Advani had defeated Thailand’s Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon 6-5 in an exciting quarter-final duel to guarantee India a medal in the tournament. Pagett will face Iran’s Soheil Vahedi in the best of 15-frame final. In the semis, The 27-year-old Vahedi edged out Declan Brennan of Northern Ireland in an edge-of-the-seat thriller. The match wad decided in the last frame, with Vahedi potting the pink and black to stun Brennan 63-52. Vahedi had allowed Brennan back into game, having allowed a 4-1 advantage slip away. The 23-year-old Brennan, in fact, not only cut down the deficit but took a 5-4 lead. But Vahedi took the 10th and 11th frame to regain the advantage. The Brennan took the match to decider winning the 12th frame, where Vahedi produced an dramatic finish to enter the final. In the women’s final, defending champion Wendy Jans of Belgium will take on Amee Kamani of India. This is the fifth time Jans has made it to the final of the world championship, having won the title on the previous four occasions. Yesterday, the Belgian lived up to her top billing as she trounced one of the two Thailand players in the semis, Nutcharat Wongharuthai, 4-1. The 17-year-old Wongharuthai put up a fight in the first two and the fourth frame but wilted under pressure created by the four-time champion. Jans had been in a superior form, having eliminated two of her strongest opponents going into the semis. The 33-year-old had beaten former European champion Tatjana Vasiljeva of Latvia 4-1 in the last-16. She dominated her quarter-final against former world champion, Ng On Yee of Hong Kong, with an identical score. Jans will be the favourite going against Kamani, who defeated Thai girl Waratthanun Sukritthanes 4-2. India’s Kamani is the reigning national 6-Red snooker champion but she will have to be at her best to beat the experienced Jans. Yesterday though, Kamani showed she can rise to the big occasion as she took a commanding 3-0 lead against Sukritthanes. The 22-year-old Thai bounced back to take the fourth and fifth frame with a break of 47 and 32 and cut down the deficit. But Kamani maintained her composure to pocket a close sixth frame and with it a spot in her maiden world championship final.

Ireland’s Judge beat former World No. 3 Manan Chandra of India 5-0, India’s Advani down Malaysia’s Moh 5-3 It was a hectic day’s of action for the men at the IBSF World Snooker Championship, but Michael Judge made it look like a stroll in the park. The Irishman had a intriguing last-32 stage match against former World Champion Mohamed Asif of Pakistan. But Judge won a tricky encounter 5-3 to seal his place in the pre-quarters. A few hours later, Judge was the first to seal his spot in the quarter-finals at the Al Sadd Indoor hall as he blanked former World No.3 Manan Chandra of India 5-0. Against Asif, Judge got off to a great start to take a 3-1 lead. The 41-year-old crafted two breaks of 63 and 66 in the procession to mount some serious pressure on Asif. But the experienced Asif retaliated, winning two frames in a row. The 2012 world champion made a break of 60 in the sixth frame, but failed to take advantage and take the lead. Judge jumped on the opportunity and pocketed the next two frames to close out the match. In the pre-quaters, Judge was in a cruise mode against Chandra. The Irishman did not drop a single frame as he dominated each on of them, with some fine precision and clear potting. In fact, Judge never gave an opening to Chandra, who struggled for momentum. Earlier though, Chandra was in fine form as he defeated the 16-year-old sensation Yuan Sijun of China. The last-32 encounter was an exciting one. Sijun, who is tipped for bigger things, dominated the initial rounds with the first frame win on black ball and later two breaks of 70 and 81 to take up 3-1 lead. But the 35-year-old Chandra tightened his game, to win the fifth frame by a very close 58-40 margin to narrow down the deficit. With young Sijun under pressure, Chandra took the sixth and seventh frame to pocket the match 5-3. Meanwhile, Mohamed Bilal kept Pakistan’s hopes alive, with a win over Alexander Ursenbacher of Switzerland 5-3 in the pre-quarters. In the morning session, Bilal had beaten Thomas Dowling of Ireland 5-3. Defending champion Pankaj Advani of India endured an uncharacteristically a difficult day. The  15-time World champion in snooker and billiards had a safe passage in the tournament so far, but he was tested yesterday. In the last-32, Advani was trailing 2-3 to Babar Masih of Pakistan, before prevailing 5-3. However, it was the night’s pre-quarters against Malaysia’s Keen Hoo Moh, which pushed Advani to the limit. Advani lost the first frame, but won the next two with a breaks of 61 and 126. But Moh was upto the task as he won the fourth and fifth frame for a 3-2 lead. However, Advani controlled his nerves to pocket the next three frames and clinch the match 5-3. The Indian will face Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon of Thailand in the quarters today. In the women’s semi-final, Amee Kamani of India will take on Waratthanun Sukritthanes of Thailand today. In their quarter-final matches yesterday, Kamani beat her compatriot Chitra Magimairajan 4-1, after losing the first frame, while Sukritthanes also beat her countrywoman, teenager Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan 4-1. Belgium’s Wendy Jans also sealed her spot in the semis, with a 4-1 win over Ng On Yee of Hong Kong. Jans will next meet Thailand’s Nutcharat Wongharuthai, who defeated Australia’s Jessica Woods 4-2. The men’s quarter and semi-finals and women’s semis will be played today at the Al Sadd indoor hall. Both the finals are scheduled for tomorrow.   IBSF new office bearers elected Meanwhile, at their Annual General Assembly, the International Billiards and Snooker Federation elected the new executive members. As reported by Gulf Times earlier, Qatar’s Mubarak Hamad al-Khayareen was elected unopposed as the new president of the IBSF. Al-Khayareen is a board member of the IBSF and also heads the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports. He is also the Executive Director of the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation. There was no nomination for the post of treasurer as well, with Michael Alkhoury of Syria getting re-elected. It was decided at the AGM, that the new office bearers will serve a four-year term. While, Malta was announced as the host for the 2017 World Snooker Championship for Men, Women and Masters. The 2017 World Team and 6Reds will continue at Egypt and for the 2017 IBSF World Under-18 and Under-21 Snooker Championship, the board will decide between Brazil and China as the next host. ISBF office bearers Mubarak Hamad al-Khayareen (President); Jim Leacy (Vice President); Mohamed El Kammah (General Secretary); Michael Alkhoury (Treasurer); Barrie Jones and Maxime Cassis, being the regional presidents, as board members.

Belgium’s Jans, Australia’s Woods and Thai teenager Nuanthakhamjan were the others to seal their quarters berth Chitra Magimairajan of India held her nerve to edge out compatriot Vidya Pillai 4-3 to enter the quarter-finals of the IBSF Snooker World Championships in Doha yesterday. At the Al Sadd Indoor Hall, the all-Indian affair turned out to be a thriller as the last 16 match swung like a pendulum. After trailing 2-3 and needing to win the last two frames to keep her title dreams alive, Chitra switched gears as she clinched the sixth frame to make it 3-all. The deciding frame was too close to call, with Vidya keeping the pressure on her countrywoman. But the Bangalore-based Chitra maintained her composure to close out the frame 50-34. Only four pre-quarter-final matches were played yesterday, with the rest four and quarters to be completed today. Belgium’s Wendy Jans, Australia’s Jessica Woods and Thai teenager Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan were the others to seal their quarter-final spot yesterday. All four won with an identical margin of 4-1. Jans beat Tatjana Vasiljeva of Latvia, while Woods overcame India’s Arantxa Sanchis. And then later the 17-year-old Nuanthakhamjan scored an easy win over Floriza Andal of Philippines. The men’s last-32 line-up were completed on Friday, and will be played today. The majority of the big names remain in the hunt for glory in Doha. Defending champion Pankaj Advani of India had showed he means business as he outclassed Sean Corkish of Isle 4-0. All the frames were one-sided with Advani also posting 126 points clearance in the last frame. Pakistan’s Mohamed Asif and Mohamed Bilal also cruised into round of 32. Asif, the 2012 world champion, brought down Australia’s Ryan Thomerson 4-2 despite enduring a rough start. Pakistan’s top ranked player Bilal outclassed New Zealand’s Jason Todd 4-0 to reach the round of 32. Ireland’s TJ Dowling and Michael Judge also progressed to the next round. Reigning Irish national champion Dowling recorded breaks of 83, 81 and 51 in whitewashing experienced American Ajeya Prabhakar 4-0. Dowling will take on Bilal for a berth in the last 16. Judge, meanwhile, lost the first frame to Antonis Poullos before gaining control in a 4-1 triumph that sets up an intriguing clash with 2012 champion Asif. A win for Judge could set up an equally difficult tie against talented teenager Yuan Sijun from China. The top ranked Irishman Jason Devaney is out, though, after falling at the second knockout stage to former professional Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon. Devaney last season lost 4-0 to the young Thai, who dropped off the Main Tour at the end of the last campaign after failing to play in the majority of ranking events. Jamie Clarke, runner-up in three major international finals, young European duo Alexander Ursenbacher and Lukas Kleckers are all still in contention. Meanwhile, Qatar’s challenge in the championships had come to an end on Friday, after Mhanaa Alobaidli and Ahmed Saif faltered in the last-64 stage. The Polish team also received a big setback as their ace players, Krzysztof Wróbel, Mateusz Baranowski and Marcin Nitschke lost the matches in deciding frames. Over 250 players from 55 countries are competing in the IBSF World Snooker championship, which is being held concurrently for men, women and masters. The 10-day tournament will end on Tuesday. A total of $16,000 is up for grabs in the men’s event of the championship, being hosted for the first time in the GCC. The women’s event carries a $6,000 purse while $8,000 is at stake for the master players. The winner of the championship highest break in the men’s category will receive $500 cash reward plus certificate. For women, the highest break will fetch $200 and for the masters’ $300.

Qatar’s challenge came to an end at the 2016 IBSF World Snooker Championships at the Al Sadd arena yesterday. Six local cueists out of seven had entered the last-78 knockout stage but only Mhanaa al-Obaidli could progress into last-64. However, Mhanaa went on to lose to Michael Collumb of Scotland 4-0 in the last-64 match, also played yesterday, ending the local interest in the tournament. Earlier, in the match between siblings, Mhanaa had beaten Ali 4-1 in a last-78 clash. The other Qatar players fared poorly yesterday. Mohsen Bukshaisha lost to Ang Boon Chin of Singapore 1-4, while Khamis Alobaidli was beaten by Egypt’ Basem Eltahhan by the same margin. But it was Ahmed Saif, who would be most disappointed after losing to Andrew Pagett of Wales 3-4 in a close match. Saif, four years ago, had made history by becoming the first snooker player from Qatar to turn professional. But after joining the world stage on a two-year Tour card, he had to drop out at the end of 2015. The 33-year-old was Qatar’s best hope at the World Championship in Doha, and he looked in control of his match against Pagett in the beginning. Saif took a 2-0 lead after winning the first two frames but allowed Pagett to take the next three. Saif bounced back to win the sixth frame, but Pagett won the decisive seventh frame 72-43. Meanwhile, defending champion Pankaj Advani of India thrashed Sean Corkish of Isle of Man 4-0 to enter the last-32. Advani, the 15-time world champion, in both Snooker and Billiards, won this title last year in Egypt. He dominated Corkish from the word go and also registered a break of 126 in the fourth frame. The other Indians had a good day as well. Manan Chandra beat Felix Frede of Germany 4-2, while Lucky Vatnani had to work hard in his win over Mohamed Reza Hassan of Malaysia 4-3. Pakistan’s former world champion Mohamed Asif won his match against Ryan Thomerson of Australia 4-2. Meanwhile, Issara Kachaiwong of Thailand hit a maximum 147 points in a frame in his 4-0 thrashing of Peter McCullagh of Australia. Kachaiwong started up with a long red pot in top pocket and after that he sliced up each red precisely with a combination of black followed by the colours to carry through the last black and claimed the maximum. He also made a century break of 108 points in the third frame. The last-32 will be played today and will be a best of 9 frames match. Over 250 players from 55 countries are competing in the IBSF World Snooker championship, which is being held concurrently for men, women and masters. The 10-day tournament will end on Tuesday. A total of $16,000 is up for grabs in the men’s event of the championship, being hosted for the first time in the GCC. The women’s event carries a $6,000 purse while $8,000 is at stake for the master players. The winner of the championship highest break in the men’s category will receive $500 cash reward plus certificate. For women, the highest break will fetch $200 and for the masters’ $300.

Three Qatari cueists registered victories at the IBSF Snooker Championships at the Al Sadd Indoor Hall yesterday. Ali Alobaidli, Bashar Abdulmajeed and Mohsin al-Abdulrahman all scored victories to boost their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage. Al-Obaidli got past Hisham Nadi of Egypt 4-0, while Abdulmajeed beat Japan’s Keishin Kamihashi 4-2. Later, Mohsin al-Abdulrahman overcame Janio Santos Goncalves of Brazil 3-0. However, two other local players lost their match. Ahmed Saif went down to Scotland’s Chris Totten 2-4, while Mohsen Bukshaisha was beaten by Felix Frede of Germany 0-4. Meanwhile, former IBSF world champion Mohamed Asif of Pakistan was upset by Thomas Dowling of Ireland. Asif, who had won three matches previously to enter the knock out stage, was not in his best form yesterday. On Tuesday, Asif had rallied to overcome Alobaidli 4-3 after trailing 1-3 at one stage. But there was no escape for Asif yesterday, as Dowling won the fifth and sixth frame to pocket the match 4-2. A win against Dowling in his final group match, would have guaranteed him the top spot in the group, by virtue of which he would have been awarded a bye in the first knockout stage. Asif now will have to do all the scraping especially with defending champion Pankaj Advani in fine form. Advani, the 15-time world champion, in both Snooker and Billiards, won this title last year in Egypt and the Indian has won all his matches comfortably to cruise into the knockouts. In fact, the 31-year-old is yet to lose a frame in the tournament, while winning 16 frames so far in his convincing victories. Advani is most likely to acquire the top-seed slot for the knockouts, which commences from tomorrow. Mateusz Baranowski of Poland advanced to the knockout stage after defeating Welshman Andrew Pagett 4-3. Baranowski had already lost one match against Sundeep Gulati of India, which made yesterday’s match a important one for the Pole. And Baranowski rose to the occasion, starting the match with an impressive break of 76 points and winning the first two frames. Pagett pulled it back to take the match to decider, but Baranowski held his nerve to clinch the frame with a winning break of 58 points. Over 250 players from 55 countries are competing in the IBSF World Snooker championship, which is being held concurrently for men, women and masters. The 10-day tournament will end on November 29. A total of $16,000 is up for grabs in the men’s event of the championship, being hosted for the first time in the GCC. This is the second World Championship the QBSF is hosting in three months, after the 9-Ball Pool event in August. The women’s event carries a $6,000 purse while $8,000 is at stake for the master players. The winner of the championship highest break in the men’s category will receive $500 cash reward plus certificate. For women, the highest break will fetch $200 and for the masters’ $300.   Al-Khayareen set to be new IBSF president Meanwhile, Qatar’s Mubarak Hamad al-Khayareen is set to be elected unopposed as the new president of International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF). The IBSF’s new office-bearers will be elected on Saturday at the Annual General Assembly, to be held on the sidelines of ongoing World Snooker Championships in Doha. He is a Board member of the IBSF and also heads the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports. Al-Khayareen, currently Executive Director of the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation, will take over from India’s Captain PVK Mohan, who completed his two-year term.

At the Rio Olympics earlier this year, Patrick Dogue was in sight of a podium finish in the Modern Pentathlon. Placed 4th, with his strongest event Combined (shooting and running) only to go, the German was confident of winning any of the three medals. But Dogue failed to do well in shooting and had to settle for sixth place, just five points behind the bronze medallist. Yesterday, at the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) Champion of Champions in Doha, Dogue was in a similar position but this time he didn’t put a foot wrong. At the Al Shaqab arena, the 24-year-old Dogue started the combined event in sixth place. By the end of it though, he was crowned Champion of Champions after finishing first in the last event. Dogue’s 613 points in shooting and running propelled him to first place, with a total tally of 1438. World champion Valentin Belaud of France was second with 1430 points, ahead of Robert Kasza of Hungary, who took bronze with 1427 points. Dogue was delighted to end the season on a high, and make it a German double in Doha, after his compatriot Annika Schleu had won the women’s title on Saturday. “I am feeling very good. I was in the same position at the Olympics but did very badly in shooting and finished sixth. But here I was very good in shooting, so I won the gold,” Dogue said. “Normally I am good in combined (shoot and run) but I had a bad day in Rio so fell out of the podium contention. I was sad later but sixth place is still not bad. Before going to Olympics if someone had told me I would come sixth, I would’ve taken it,” he added. Yesterday, Belaud was breathing down Dogue’s neck but the German managed to stay clear and finished the race by a comfortable margin. “I won comfortably but Belaud is very fast. I know him since we were 15 and he is a very fast runner. We have competed hard against each other for years so I was wary of him at the beginning of the race. I knew he was behind me and was not far away from me but I managed to hold on,” Dogue said. For Belaud, it was not a bad way to end the season. The Frenchman tasted the highs and lows of sport in 2016. After winning the UIPM World Championships in Moscow, Russia in May, Belaud was considered one of the favourites for Olympic gold. But it turned out to be a disaster for the 24-year-old in Rio, where he finished 20th. After picking up silver yesterday, Belaud chose to look at the positives. “I finished 20th at the Olympics. But before that, I won the 2016 UIPM World Championships in May. I am just 24, so I have a long way to go. This season I finished on the podium four times so I am very very happy,” the Frenchman explained. On his performance yesterday he said: “It was a good day for me. It was my last competition in the Olympic year, so I am pleased to finish on a good note. I was leading in the competition but I am happy with silver medal. This my second time in Doha, I was here two years ago and finished 7th. So this time to get a silver medal is a good achievement.” The season-ending UIPM event, which saw all disciplines contested in a single day, only offered invitations to the top 18 men and women in the world rankings, so an impressive field was guaranteed. The athletes began the day with a 200 metres freestyle swimming competition. A round robin of epee fencing then took place before the fencing bonus round, with show jumping following on a course with 12 obstacles. Champion was crowned after a combined 3,200m run and shooting using a laser pistol, which tested the endurance of the athletes.

It is a year that Samantha Murray would want to forget quickly. The former world champion from Britain said she was heartbroken after finishing ninth at the Rio Olympics. The 2012 London Games silver medallist had hoped to be on the podium again but faltered on the big stage in Rio. Disappointed, the Lancashire girl took a break and came to Doha for the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) Champion of Champions hoping to end the year on a high. But the victory once again eluded her. This time, though, the 27-year-old Brit managed to take the result in the right spirit as she sported a grin after settling for silver at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab Arena yesterday. Murray went into the combined event (running and shooting), with a decent lead but crumbled in the relay to give Annika Schleu a second successive title. Schleu had won here last year and the German pounced on a mistake from Murray yesterday to take home the title. The world number five had started the concluding run-shoot relay in eighth position with a deficit of 64 seconds to Murray. But Murray lost her way and went off course, thus losing some valuable seconds. Schleu, a two-time world champion in the relay event, produced a trademark strong finish as she charged through the field to rapidly move into fourth place at the head of a chasing pack. South Korea’s Kim Seehee left the final shooting range in first place only for Schleu to catch-up and then cruise past in the final stages. Murray, whose shooting skills also left her dry on the day, fought past 20-year-old Seehee to snatch second place. In the end, Schleu finished with 1300 points, just seven ahead of Murray’s 1293. Sehee was a further four points behind with 1289. Italy’s Alice Sotero had led Sarolta Kovacs of Hungary and Natsumi Tomonaga of Japan in the opening swimming event. But Murray took the lead after dominating fencing and jumping components. The victory was there for the taking for Murray but she committed a crucial mistake to hand the trophy to Schleu. “I went wrong way on the running course. Course marshall didn’t know I was coming. I turned right instead of left and then I sprinted back but I lost some time and was behind,” Murray said. “I threw me off. I ran fast and hard. As you can see anything can happen in modern pentathlon. But I am happy to finish on the podium and take the silver medal,” she said. Schleu was surprised with her victory. “I won here last year, so I think it’s my lucky place. I started eighth in the last round but I knew I was good at combined event. I wasn’t sure about my fitness but was also not sure about fitness of other girls,” she said “I am really surprised I won. I wanted to be in the top eight. That was my goal. When I started eighth in the final event, I tried to run but never attacked for the podium. But I could do it because I was a good runner. The combined event (shooting and running) is where I am strong at. That really made the difference today. 2016 was the best season of my career. I am fourth in world rankings and came fifth at the Rio Olympic Games, so I am pleased with my performances,” the 26-year-old German added. Men’s competition will be held today. The season-ending event, which sees all disciplines contested in a single day, only offers invitations to the top 18 men and women in the world rankings, so an impressive field is guaranteed. The action begins with a 200 metres freestyle swimming competition. A round robin of epee fencing will then take place before the fencing bonus round, with show jumping following on a course with 12 obstacles. Champion will then be crowned after a combined 3200m run and shooting using a laser pistol. Meanwhile, Fahad Saad al-Qahtani, President of the Qatar Modern Pentathlon Federation, said all efforts are being made to promote the sport in Qatar. He said a committee is being set up to look into it and revealed that a new facility is coming up at Oxygen Park in Education City, a sprawling 12-hectare space which is part of the Qatar Foundation, where the Modern Pentathlon events could be held. Results 1. Annika Schleu (Germany) 1300 points 2. Samantha Murray (Great Britain) 1293 3. Kim Sehee (Korea) 1289 4.  Natsumi Tomonaga (Japan) 1282 5. Anastasiya Prokopenko (Belarus) 1273 6. Samantha Achterberg (USA) 1267 7. Sarolta Kovacs (Hungary) 1249 8. Joanna Muir (Great Britain) 1246 9. Alice Sotero (Italy) 1229 10. Tamara Alekszejev(Hungary) 1217 11. Iryna Khokhlova (Argentina) 1180 12. Anna Maliszewska (Poland) 948 13. Laura Leidis Moya (Cuba) 944 14. Haydy Morsy (Egypt) 899 15. Lena Schoneborn (Germany) 479

It turned out to be an anti-climax in the end! The much-anticipated showdown between Rolf-G?ran Bengtsson and Edwina Tops-Alexander for the Global Champions Tour title proved to be a no show after the latter suffered a horror night at the Al Shaqab yesterday. Bengtsson, though, was not complaining, as the Swede fulfilled a long-cherished dream to clinch the overall title with his extraordinary 17-year-old stallion Casall ASK. Tops-Alexander was aiming to create history as she was gunning to become the first rider to win three titles. But the Australian crumbled under pressure as she and her 13-year-old bay mare Lintea Tequila made a shock exit in the first round, committing an astonishing eight faults. With weight of expectations off his shoulder, the 54-year-old Bengtsson went on to clinch the Grand Prix of Doha, the final leg of the Global Champions Tour. Watched on by the Qatari royal family, Bengtsson and Casall ASK put on a classy display of accuracy and finesse. “You can say it’s an evening one dreams of,” said a beaming Bengtsson. “It’s a credit to my horse how he makes everything possible. I’m very very happy to have won the overall title. I was lucky to arrive in Doha with a five-point lead and it was a close finish. At age 17 what Casall ASK has done for me is really amazing. I shall see how he does from here and maybe we can still continue a bit more,” the newly-crowned champion added. It was a culmination of a consistent season with Casall for Bengtsson, with the pair securing wins in Valkenswaard and Paris and podium finishes at other stops of the 15-leg tour, which started in April. Bengtsson was richer by €148,500 on the night. His dominant performance in the season also propelled him into pole position in the ranking as he took the lion’s share of the €1mn bonus prize money as he takes his place in GCT history. For the record, Bengtsson finished with 283 points, 16 more than Tops-Alexander’s 267. Christian Ahlmann of Germany completed the podium, finishing third with 239 points. Tops-Alexander was naturally not in good spirits after faltering when it mattered most. “I’m overall very happy, but disappointed with myself about today. My horse went offline at the double and maybe we should’ve stuck to my earlier plan. I’m second because of a reason that Rolf deserved to win,” the 42-year-old Aussie said. Ahlmann too doffed his hat to Bengtsson for clinching the title. “I’m very happy with the show. I had two great rounds but it came to the jump off in the end. My horse was down a bit because we also had the Olympics this year, but I’m very happy with the third place. Rolf surely deserves to be the champion,” the German said. The second position in the Grand Prix of Doha went to Germany’s Daniel Deusser (First Class van Eeckelghem), while the third place was taken by his compatriot Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Fibonacci). Earlier, in the final CSI5* Olympic gold medallist John Whitaker of Britain took the top honours with his stallion Argento. The two legends of the sport put in a masterful display of horsemanship and skill, beating an international field of world class riders in a 22 rider jump-off with €270,000 prize purse on offer. Maikel van der Vleuten of Netherland delivered a masterful round, making brave turns in VDL Groep Quatro to tackle the 1.50/1.55m fences, while finishing second. Germany’ Daniel Deusser and Happiness van T Paradijs looked set to upset the order, however couldn’t match Whitaker’s time of 37.46 second, ending the class in third overall. Qatar’s top rider Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani rode a stunning round with grey stallion Imperio Egipcio Milton, putting in an excellent time of 39.38s much to the delight of the local crowd. But he had to be content with seventh place. It was a good day for Qatar’s Ali Yousef al-Rumaihi, who also jumped double clear in the high octane jump off and finished eighth. Meanwhile, Omar al-Mannai Commercial Manager of Al Shaqab revealed that the magnificent arena will host Global Champions tour for another three years. “We are happy to host the Global Champions Tour in Doha and the exposure and experience we gain is immense. We have reached an agreement with Jan Tops (President and Founder of GCT) and we are announcing that we shall have it for another three years at Al Shaqab,” al-Mannai said.   Results Class 04: Doha 2016 CSI5* 1.60m Table A: Two Rounds with Jump-Off, 1st and 2nd Round Against the Clock 1. Rolf-G?ran Bengtsson (Sweden) Casall ASK. Time: 36.44 secs. Prize money: 148,500 euros 2. Daniel Deusser (Germany) First Class van Eeckelghem. 36.84 secs. 90,000 euros 3. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Germany) Fibonacci. 37.26 secs. 67,500 euros Class 03: Doha 2016 CSI5* 1.50/1.55m Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off 1. John Whitaker (Great Britain) Argento. 37.46 secs. 89,100 euros 2. Maikel van der Vleuten (Netherlands) VDL Groep Quatro. 37.61 secs. 54,000 euros 3. Daniel Deusser (Germany) Happiness van T Paradijs. 37.86 secs. 40,500 euros Class N 6: Doha 2016 Invitational 1.35/1.40m Two Phases: A + A, Both Phases Against the Clock 1. Salman Mohamed A S al-Emadi (Qatar) Zorro Z. 22.83 secs. 6,600 riyals 2. Mubarak Yousuf A S al-Rumaihi (Qatar) SIEC Cosmos Wijngaardhoeve Z. 23.95 secs. 4,000 3. Khalifa Abdulaziz J A al-Thani (Qatar) Sidoline van de Centaur. 24.47secs. 3,000 Class N 5: Doha 2016 Invitational 1.20/1.25m Two Phases: A + A, Both Phases Against the Clock 1. Abdullah al-rajhi (Saudi Arabia) H Zoe. 22.61 secs. 4,950 riyals 2. Ahmed Mohamed A M al-Badi (Qatar) Latino 291. 23.29 secs. 3,000 3. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi (Qatar) St. Lucia. 24.42 secs. 2,250

Qatar’s Bassem Hassan Mohamed put in a spirited display with his 10-year-old grey gelding Argelith Squid, but had to settle for runner-up place, on the penultimate day of the Global Champions Tour last night. At the glittering Al Shaqab arena, cheered on by the holiday crowd, the local hope looked set to win the big event of the night, the CSI5* 1.45m Speed Class. Bassem and Argelith Squid cleared the course without any penalties in 63.28 seconds, but fell short of Cian O’Connor’s winning time by 0.17 seconds. O’Connor had finished his round with his nine-year-old bay Callisto earlier, as the Irishman set the pace after the favourites fell by the wayside. The 36-year-old cleared the tricky course with composure as Callisto combined perfectly. O’Connor collected €8250 for his effort. The third place went to Emily Moffitt USA in Cassius Clay, the pair coming home in 65.11 seconds. In the penultimate event of the night, Germany’s Daniel Deusser surprised the field with his talented nine-year-old-chestnut mare Happiness van T Paradijs. The World No. 5 stormed to victory in 24.47 seconds to clinch the CSI5* 1.45m event, taking home €8250 of the €25,000 prize money on offer, as he set up his weekend perfectly in Doha. Great Britain’s Laura Renwick and MHS Washington looked set to challenge for the lead, however galloped to the finish just shy of Deusser’s time, in 24.75 seconds. The Third place went to Sweden’s Olympic silver medallist Peder Fredericson with H&M Zaloubet, the pair finishing in 25.01 seconds. Tonight, the season will come to closure with Rolf-G?ran Bengtsson of Sweden and Edwina Tops-Alexander of Australia battling for the overall title. The Grand Prix is nicely poised with Bengtsson looking for his maiden title, while Tops-Alexander goes for a record third crown. Bengtsson is five points ahead of Tops-Alexander, and the pair have been in this position before, with the latter finishing on top in previous years. Last night, Grand Prix top contenders Bengtsson and Tops-Alexander of Australia rode their first-choice horses in the two phase competition, with Casall ASK and Lintea Tequila jumping clear. The two Olympic riders looked pretty evenly matched, both picking up one time fault apiece and finishing just tenths of a second apart. Edwina and Lintea Tequila finished on 61.01s, with Rolf and Casall ASK finishing on 61.84s, giving an early preview into just how evenly matched the Championship contenders are. The triple combination course along the full length of the arena caused a few troubles, with the final element signifying the end of the first phase rolled by the lightest of touches. Earlier, in the 1.40m Against the Clock competition, Khalid Mohammed al-Emadi emerged triumphant. Al-Emadi partnered Tamira IV as the two came come in 36.68 seconds to take home 16,500 Riyals. Mubarak Yousuf al-Rumaihi (SIEC Cosmos Wijngaardhoeve Z) and Nasser al-Ghazali (Quel Homme) finished second and third respectively, to complete Qatar sweep of the podium. In the opening event of the day, the Invitational 1.20/1.25m competition, Abdullah al-Rajhi of Saudi Arabia got the better of the Qataris to come on top. Al-Rajhi astride H Zoe completed the course in 36.80 seconds. He was richer by 6,600 euros on the night. Qatari’s Mubarak Yousuf al-Rumaihi (Limoncello 6) and Salem Rashid Mohammed al-Marri (Marfurlong Magic) finished second and third respectively.   RESULTS Class N 3: Doha 2016 Invitational 1.20/1.25m Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off 1. Abdullah al-Rajhi, KSA (H Zoe) Time: 36.80secs Prize: 6,600 euros 2. Mubarak Yousuf A S al-Rumaihi, QAT (Limoncello 6) 38.07; 4,000 3. Salem Rashid Mohammed al-Marri, QAT (Marfurlong Magic) 38.59; 3,000.   Class N 4: Doha 2016 Invitational 1.40m Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off 1. Khalid Mohammed A S al-Emadi, QAT (Tamira IV) 36.68; 16,500 euros 2. Mubarak Yousuf A S al-Rumaihi, QAT (SIEC Cosmos Wijngaardhoeve Z) 37.72; 10,000 3. Nasser al-Ghazali, QAT (Quel Homme) 40.53; 7,500.  Class 01: Doha 2016 CSI5* 1.45m Two Phases: A + A, Both Phases Against the Clock 1. Daniel Deusser, GER (Happiness van T Paradijs) 24.47; 8250 Euros 2. Laura Renwick, UK (MHS Washington) 24.75; 5,000 3. Peder Fredericson, SWE (H&M Zaloubet) 25.01; 3,750.   Class 02: Doha 2016 CSI5* 1.45m Table A: Against the Clock 1. Cian O’Connor, IRE (Callisto) 63.11; 8250 Euros 2. Bassem Hassan Mohammed, QAT (Argelith Squid) 63.28; 5,000 3. Emily Moffitt, USA (Cassius Clay) 65.11; 3,750 TODAY’S SCHEDULE 10:30 am: Invitational 1.20/1.25m - Two Phases: A + A, Both Phases Against the Clock 12:15 pm: Invitational 1.35/1.40m - Two Phases: A + A, Both Phases Against the Clock 2pm: CSI5* 1.50/1.55m Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off 5:15 pm GCT Grand Prix CSI5* 1.60m Table A: Two Rounds with Jump-Off, 1st and 2nd Round Against the Clock

John Whitaker and Bertram Allen edge out Harrie Smolders and Jos Verlooy by 2.5 points; Paris Jets win Doha leg In a thrilling finale, Valkenswaard United duo John Whitaker and Bertram Allen edged out Antwerp Diamonds pair Harrie Smolders and Jos Verlooy to clinch the inaugural Global Champions League (GCL) title. At the Al Shaqab arena last night, the final leg of the first-ever GCL provided all the thrills and spills. In a dramatic first round of the final, one of the favourites Monaco Aces dropped out of the title race after Daniel Bluman and Apardi clocked up 12 faults despite teammate Leopold van Asten’s clear round on VDL Groep Miss Untouchable. It left Valkenswaard United and Antwerp Diamonds to battle out for the overall title in the second round and a lion’s share of the €4.5 million season bonus prize money. Even though Antwerp finished third and Valkenswaard sixth, the latter took the top honours having come into Doha with an eight-point lead. In the end, Antwerp ran Valkenswaard close by finishing with 326 points but fell agonisingly short of the champions by 2.5 points. Earlier, Valkenswaard had put up a shocking performance in the first round. Whitaker and Allen clocked up four faults each leaving the team just scraping into the second round. Antwerp had four faults in the first round from Smolders, although his compatriot Verlooy jumped clear. Whitaker, the 61-year-old, who partnered Allen, almost 40 years his junior, admitted the duo were lucky to emerge as the champions. “In a way it was disappointing to let our fans down today after having put up a really good show all through the season. We were also lucky to make the second round today, but we hung in there and are delighted with the result,” the Brit said. Allen, though, was delighted with the outcome and gave Whitaker the credit for guiding the team. “I knew I had to do something in there. I don’t know what happened in the first round but my horse wouldn’t respond. But she did very well in the second round. We’ve had a great season and very pleased with the result,” the Irishman said. Meanwhile, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and Nicola Philippaerts of Paris Jets walked away with the Doha leg title. However, they could only finish sixth overall with 272 points. It was a good warm-up for Bengtsson, who is in contention for the Global Champions Tour title along with Edwina Tops-Alexander in tomorrow’s final. “It’s a great result for us in the league. We didn’t get going initially but we had a good shot in the final here in Doha. It was exciting jumping today. We tried to put more pressure on our opponents and we were lucky the way things went for us,” Bengtsson said. Hosts Doha Fursan Qatar took the 10th spot, but hung on to their overall ninth place. The pair of Hamad al-Attiyah and Ali al-Rumaihi committed 13 penalties combined, which scuppered their hopes of finishing the podium.      Only eight teams went into the second round. Bengtsson and Philippaerts performed excellently, clearing rounds without any penalty. The second place in Doha went to Cannes Stars’ Roger Yves Bost and Marco Kutscher.   Overall final rankings 1. Valkenswaard United 328.5 2. Antwerp Diamonds 326 3. Monaco Aces 315.5 4. Rome Gladiators 299.5 5. Cannes Stars 274 6. Paris Jets 272.5 7. Shanghai Swans 261 8. Cascais Charms 254.5 9 Doha Fursan Qatar 246 10. Madrid in Motion 243 11. Miami Glory 243 12. Vienna Eagles 241.5   RESULTS Global Champions League of Doha 1. Paris Jets — Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (Clarimo ASK) and Nicola Philippaerts (H&M Zilverstar T) Time: 153.57secs. Prize money: €60,583 2. Cannes Stars — Roger-Yves Bost (Qoud’Coeur de la Loge) and Marco Kutscher (Clenur) 160.92 secs. €40,583.             3. Antwerp Diamonds — Jos Verlooy (Caracas) and Harrie Smolders (Emerald N.O.P.) 12 penalties. 152.99 secs. €26,583.   Class N1: Doha 2016 Invitational 1.20/1.25m Table A: Against the Clock 1. Meshari al-harbi (Saudi Arabia) BMC White Nose 71.81 seconds. Prize money: 3,300 QR         2. Mubarak Yousuf A S al-Rumaihi (Qatar) SIEC Cosmos Wijngaardhoeve Z 71.98 secs. 2,000 QR 3. Khalid Hamad al-Attiyah (Qatar) Viking D. 73.35 secs. 1,500 QAR.   Class N 2: Doha 2016 Invitational 1.35/1.40m Table A: Against the Clock 1. Nasser al-Ghazali (Qatar) Quel Homme. 82.78 seconds. Prize money: 4,950 QAR 2. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi (Qatar) S I E C Lonnie. 85.50 secs, 3,000 QAR 3. Rashid Towaim al-Marri (Qatar) Beyonce. 90.61secs, 2,250 QAR.   TODAY SCHEDULE 2 pm: Invitational 1.20/1.25m Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off 4 pm: Invitational 1.40m Table A: Against the Clock with Jump-Off 6pm: CSI5* 1.45m Two Phases: A + A, Both Phases Against the Clock 8pm: CSI5* 1.45m Table A: Against the Clock

‘I think Rolf has a lot of experience, which definitely is a big strength, and he has been trying to win this title many times. He has been so close so I know it’s important for him to win. We have been in similar positions already a few times though I was ahead of him and ended up winning. My tactic is just to do my best and be on the podium’ Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson of Sweden are locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the Global Champions Tour crown, the final leg of which will take place this Saturday in Doha. The splendid Al Shaqab arena is the fitting venue for this engrossing battle, which started in Miami in April. But after 14 legs, there is just five points that separates the leader and second placed. Bengtsson is on 272 points, ahead of Tops-Alexander, who is on 267. It’s too close to call but Tops-Alexander has the experience to pull it off on Saturday night at the Grand Prix of Doha. The 42-year-old, married to Global Champions Tour president and founder Jan Tops, is no stranger to being at the sharp end of the grid having won the title twice, and will make history should she secure a third win of her career. On the other hand, Bengtsson will be hoping to break the drought, having finished third and second in 2015 and 2014 respectively. The Swede is a silver medallist at the 2008 Olympics, and also in the team event at the 2004 Games. The pair has been in this position before, with Tops-Alexander finishing on top in previous years. But the Aussie knows it won’t be easy. She is under no illusions just how tough it will be, and remains focused at the challenge. “I think Rolf has a lot of experience, which definitely is a big strength, and he has been trying to win this title many times,” Tops-Alexander said. “He has been so close so I know it’s important for him to win. We have been in similar positions already a few times though I was ahead of him and ended up winning. My tactic is just to do my best and be on the podium. “Although five points doesn’t sound like much, with the drop off scores it does work towards Rolf so I have to have a very good result on the day to win. But anything is possible and there is only one of us that can win and one of us to be second,” she added. With Bengtsson confirmed to bring his formidable stallion Casall ASK, and Tops-Alexander riding her top Olympic mare, Lintea Tequila, it will be a battle of the highest class to see who finishes on top this season. “She won here last year in Doha, and she’s had an amazing year. I have a fantastic groom and management,” she said. “I feel good, my horse is in fantastic shape – she was at the Olympics and came third in a show a few weeks ago. It’s exciting, I think Rolf is in a slightly easier position as basically I have to be on the podium, so I have a lot of pressure but that’s what makes our sport so exciting. I have to try to do my best and stay very focused,” the two-time added. For Bengtsson it was so-near-yet-so-far in the past two seasons. The 54-yaer-old had to win in Doha to clinch the title last year but fell short as Luciana Diniz snatched the crown with a victory at Al Shaqab. The Sweded is hoping to make amends this year. “The final in Doha will be special and it would be a dream to take the title. I’ve been in this position twice before so I’m hoping it’ll be third time lucky! Edwina is an amazing rider so I know it’ll be tough. But Casall is better than ever and I know together we’ll pull out all the stops at Al Shaqab,” said Bengtsson. The two in contention will be joined by the very best riders in the world, all vying for the top spot in the Grand Prix and the lion’s share of the €450,000 prize purse on offer. On top of that, the overall LGCT Ranking bonus prize fund of almost €1 million will be divided, with riders using the final in Doha as their last chance to change the order up and down the leaderboard. Other big names competing will be World No.2 Simon Delestre of France, No. 6 Germany’s Daniel Deusser, No. 8 and Rio Olympic Team Gold Medallist Kevin Staut from France, No. 9 Marcus Ehning of Germany and No. 10 Britain’s Scott Brash. Before the marquee event, tomorrow the competition will open with the final of the inaugural Global Champions League, the team based event. Current leaders Valkenswaard United are in pole position going into the final on a total tally of 309.5 points. The combination of John Whitaker and Bertram Allen has proved formidable in the debut GCL season, and they have won three of the team’s four wins (Miami Beach, Hamburg and Vienna). They are set to make history by becoming the first winners of the GCL. 12 teams will be in action to open the three days of top level equestrian competition. Home team Doha Fursan Qatar are in ninth position with 231 points. Olympic rider Ali Yousef al-Rumaihi and young talent Hamad al-Attiyah will carry the hosts’ hopes tomorrow.

Sheikh Ali will compete in front of home crowd at Al Shaqab with his top horse, First Devision on Saturday The magnificent Al Shaqab arena is once again set to host an enticing Global Champions Tour finale. Being the final stop of the 15-city equestrian tour, Doha is where the climax takes place. Once again the title battle is nicely set up, with two riders challenging for the overall crown – Rolf-Goran Bengtsson of Sweden and Edwina Tops-Alexander of Australia. Bengtsson is just five points ahead of Edwina and they will go face-to-face in Saturday’s Grand Prix, which will unveil the new champion. But for the locals, it will be Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani, who will be the centre of attraction. The Qatari rider was the country’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the Rio Olympics earlier this year. The top-ranked rider Qatari perhaps needed no more bigger motivation to perform at the Rio Games. The 34-year-old put in a strong performance at his debut Olympics finishing sixth individually. In the team jumping event, Qatar came ninth. Although, Sheikh Ali is at 20th position in the GCT rankings, ruling him out of the overall title, he could spring a surprise by winning the Grand Prix of Doha this Saturday. Sheikh Ali will compete in front of his home crowd at Al Shaqab with his top horse, First Devision, giving local fans the chance to witness their heroes in action for the first time since the Olympic Games. Talking about what it meant to be back in Qatar and riding, Sheikh Ali said: “We are honoured to have this event in Qatar, this is the final, it’s in my country – we will do our best to perform well. It is an international event and will be broadcast around the world.” The euphoric memory of carrying the Qatar flag at the Maracana Stadium still lights up Sheikh Ali’s face. “It was a proud moment to represent Qatar and it got even better when you get to be the flagbearer at the Olympics. It pushed me to perform well because of that feeling I was carrying the Qatari flag,” he recounts. Sheikh Ali said the Olympic experience will serve him good for his confidence, given that he was not far away from winning medal. “That we came close to a medal at our debut at the Olympics gives us a lot of confidence and we are happy that we performed very well at that level. Some of our riders missed the qualification given the time pressure, but in the end we were not very far from a medal and we are proud of our first performance at the Olympics,” he said. The 2014 Asian Games gold medallist said qualifying for their maiden Olympics itself was a big achievement. “We were better prepared for Rio. It was difficult given that there were 15 nations from the Arab and African region competing to qualify for the one qualification spot. It was difficult. Even though there was a big gap of 15 points between us and the second team,” he said. Now Sheikh Ali will be hoping he can sign off the season on a high by winning the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha on Saturday. Meanwhile, Omar al-Mannai, Commercial Manager of Al Shaqab spoke about the importance of hosting the prestigious final event of the international calendar in Doha. Al-Mannai said the Global Champions Tour gives Qataris a unique opportunity to experience a world class equestrian event as the country builds on its involvement in the sport. “Qatari riders benefit to the maximum from events such as these here in Al Shaqab. We are trying to promote the level of organisation and the level of the riders and we would like to be the lighthouse of equestrian in the Arab world, and in The Gulf,” he said. “We also want to do more not just for the riders but for all those connected with the event. It is also the first time that we have people from the Emirates and Oman participating in organisation of GCT and League. This event helps us reach the highest level of organisation,” he added. Longines Global Champions Tour president and founder Jan Tops spoke of the significance of returning to Qatar, and Al Shaqab hosting the final event for the third year running. “It is very special to host the final here at Al Shaqab. The facilities here are first class. It’s a beautiful arena, great stables for the horses and facilities for the grooms. To have here two riders who can win the title, and it will not be decided until the last round – it’s not often in sport you can have a final like this, but we’ll keep the suspense to the last moment for the fans around the world,” he said. Before the Grand final on Saturday, the championship will open tomorrow with the first ever final of the Global Champions League (GCL), where one team will make history by winning the title for the first time. 12 teams will be in action to open the three days of top level equestrian sport in Doha. Current leaders Valkenswaard United are in pole position going into the final on a total tally of 309.5 points. The combination of John Whitaker and Bertram Allen has proved formidable in the debut GCL season, and they have won an incredible three of the team’s four wins (Miami Beach, Hamburg and Vienna). Home team Doha Fursan Qatar, who are currently in ninth position with 231 points, will be in action with Olympic rider Ali Yousef al-Rumaihi and young talent Hamad al-Attiyah to compete.

Katinka Hosszu is a prime example of what an athlete can achieve if one pushes the limit. It’s amazing how the Hungarian competes in a bunch of events, but it’s even more astonishing when she clinches medals in every single one of them. After winning four gold and two silver medals on Day One of the FINA World Cup Series in Doha, the 27-year-old did one better on the second day by claiming five gold and two silver. Having dominated the first five legs of the series in Paris-Chartres, Berlin, Moscow, Beijing and Dubai, Hosszu, who won three gold and one silver at the Rio Olympics in August, showed no signs of letting up at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. The only blemish in her performance in Doha was that she could not beat Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark. On Saturday, Ottesen had beaten Hosszu in the 100m butterfly. And the Dane took the bragging rights again yesterday, as she beat Hosszu in 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly. In the 100m butterfly, Ottesen led by seven tenths at the halfway point and never looked back, winning with ease in 51.58 seconds to Hosszu’s 52.63. Ottesen was also dominant in 50m butterfly, clocking 25.13 secs. Hosszu could only manage a second in this race with her 25.98. Ottesen left Doha with four gold, after she had captured the 100m butterfly and 50 freestyle events on the first day. However, it was Hosszu all the way after that. The ‘Iron Lady’ was in her elements in 100m backstroke, one of her Olympic gold medal races. Hosszu won in 56.44, well ahead of Ukraine’s Darya Zevina, who clocked 57.26 after taking down Hosszu in the 200 back on Saturday. China’s Cheng Haihua was a comfortable third-place finisher in 58.05. There were only six women in the 200 butterfly, but there was no way to split the top two. Olympic silver medallist Madeline Groves led for almost the entire length of the race, but Hosszu was charging hard. The two ended up touching at the exact same time in 2:03.34. Hungary’s Zsuzsanna Jakobos grabbed third place in 2:07.12. In the 400 freestyle, Hosszu earned another come-from-behind win, taking over the lead with a blistering 58.64 final 100 meters. She touched the wall in 4:03.94, out-pacing China’s Fang Yi, who settled for second in 4:04.82. Jakobos was once again third 4:06.50. Hosszu stopped the clock in 57.92 to win the 100m medley. Katie Meili of the USA was second in 59.19, while Jamaica’s swam a 1:00.51 for third. In the 100m medley, the final event of the competition Hosszu finished it off in style by cruising to victory in 4:31.18. Jakabos was second this time with a time of 4:33.39, while the bronze medal went to Australia’s Tessa Wallace in 4:42.18. The defending men’s World Series champion Chad le Clos took two gold and one bronze on the night. The South African was off colour on Saturday, when he won just one gold and two silver, but he was back in form yesterday. In the 200m freestyle, Le Clos overtook Great Britain’s James Guy for first place with a blazing last 50. Guy had previously pulled ahead of Le Clos on the third 50, but the South African had something left in the tank. Le Clos touched in at 1:42.84, and Guy held off another South African, Myles Brown, for second, 1:43.17 to 1:43.20. Le Clos earned another comeback win in the 100m butterfly. The two-time Olympic silver medallist and defending World Champion in the event trailed Japan’s Takeshi Kawamoto and Belarus’ Pavel Sankovich at the halfway point before rallying on the way home. Le Clos touched in 50.23, well off his world record of 48.44 but just enough to clip Kawamoto’s 50.44. Sankovich ended up third in 50.98. Le Clos’ bronze came in the 50m freestyle, where he finished behind Vladimir Morozov, who sprinted his way to the top of the podium in 21.05.  Taking second behind the Russian was Great Britain’s Benjamin Proud in 21.22. Le Clos rounded out the top three in 21.34. RESULTS Women’s 100m Freestyle 1. Jeanette Ottesen (Denmark) 51.58s 2. Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 52.63 3. Madeline Groves (Australia) 52.89 Men’s 200m Freestyle 1. Chad le Clos (South Africa) 1:42.84 2. James Guy (Great Britain) 1:43.17 3. Myles Brown (South African) 1:43.20 Women’s 50m Breaststroke 1. Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) 28.98s 2. Yulia Efimova (Russia) 29.27 3. Katie Meili (USA) 29.78 Men’s 100m Breaststroke 1. Vladimir Morozov (Russia) 56.97s 2. Felipe Lima (Brazil) 57.12. 3. Daiya Seto (Japan)  58.07 Men’s 100m Butterfly 1. Chad le Clos (South Africa)  50.23s 2. Takeshi Kawamoto (Japan)  50.44 3. Pavel Sankovich (Belarus)  50.98 Women’s 100m Backstroke 1. Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)  56.44s 2. Darya Zevina (Ukraine)  57.26 3. Haihua Cheng (China)  58.05 Men’s 50m Backstroke 1. Pavel Sankovich (Belarus)  23.05s 2. Bobby Hurley (Australia) 23.31 3. Miguel Ortiz-Canavante (Spain)  23.48 Women’s 200m Butterfly 1. Madeline Groves (Australia)  2:03.34 1. Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)  2:03.34 3. Zsuzsanna Jakobos (Hungary)  2:07.12 Men’s 200m Individual Medley 1. Daiya Seto (Japan)  1:52.49 2. Phillip Heintz (Germany) 1:52.81 3. Josh Prenot (USA)  1:54.65 Women’s 400 Freestyle 1. Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)  4:03.94 2. Fang Yi (China)  4:04.82 3. Zsuzsanna Jakobos (Hungary) 4:06.50 Men’s 50m Freestyle 1. Vladimir Morozov (Russia)  21.05s 2. Benjamin Proud (Great Britain)  21.22 3. Chad le Clos (South Africa)  21.34 Women’s 200 Breaststroke 1. Rie Kaneto (Japan)  2:15.76s 2. Yuliya Efimova (Russia) 2:16.39 3. Breeja Larson (USA)  2:19.32 Women’s 100m Individual Medley 1. Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 57.82s 2. Katie Meili (USA) 59.19 3. Alia Atkinson (Jamaica)  1:00.51 Men’s 200 Backstroke 1. Bobby Hurley (Australia)  1:51.70 2. Omar Pinzon Garcia (Colombia) 1:52.56 3. Stanislav Donetc (Russia) 1:53.93 Women’s 50m Butterfly 1. Jeanette Ottesen (Denmark)  25.13s 2. Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)  25.98 3. Madeline Groves (Australia)  26.14 Men’s 1500 Freestyle 1. Gergely Gyurta (Hungary)  14:32.69 2. Myles Brown (South Africa)  14:49.64 3. Poul Zellmann (Germany)  14:51.58 Women’s 400m Individual Medley 1. Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)  4:31.18 2. Zsuzsanna Jakabos (Hungary)  4:33.39 3. Tessa Wallace (Australia)  4:42.18

It was a familiar story at the Doha leg of the FINA World Cup last night. At the Hamad Aquatic Centre, Katinka Hosszu was in action in seven events with the Hungarian ‘Iron Lady’ scooping four gold and two silver medals on the night, in what was certainly a normal routine for the Olympic champion. Hosszu won three gold medals and one silver at the Rio Olympics in August and is at the peak of her career. But the 27-year-old has always been queen of World Cup series, bagging medals at will. And she continued her dominant performance last night in front of a small crowd. Hosszu started her medal spree by finishing on top in the 200m freestyle, coming home in 1:53.29 seconds. Australia’s Madeline Groves and Hungary’s Zsuzsanna Jakabos held a tight race for the remaining two spots on the podium. Groves got her hand to the wall first to claim second with a 1:54.46 over Jakabos’ 1:54.67. She had to settle for silver in the 100 metres butterfly, with Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen clocking a 55.93 to win her first of two gold medals on the night. In the 50m backstroke, Hosszu and Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina fought a close race, but the Hungarian clocked 26.38 seconds over Zevina’s 26.53. The 200 individual medley is one of her signature events and Hosszu cruised to victory with a time of 2:05.77, almost two seconds ahead of second-placed Yulia Efimova of Russia. Hosszu’s second medal of the night came in 200m backstroke, with Zevina this time coming out on top. The Ukrainian’s final time of 2:01.25 was just slightly better than Hosszu’s 2:01.48. The Hungarian marathon lady rounded off her night with a gold in the 800 freestyle. There was no fatigue on display as Hosszu touched the wall in 8:27.58, three seconds ahead of China’s Fang Yi, who took home silver. In between all the medals she won, Hosszu just missed out on a podium finish in 50m freestyle, coming fourth in a race won by Ottesen The Dane stopped the clock at a 23.84, finishing over half a second ahead of the competition. Australia’s Brittany Elmslie finished second overall with a 24.48, while the USA’s Katie Meili rounded out the podium with a third place finish of 24.63. Hosszu was fourth with a timing of 24.74. In the men’s, reigning World Cup series champion Chad le Clos had a disappointing night by his standards. The South African took one gold and two silver medals. Le Clos holds the World Record in the 200m buttefly, but the 24-year-old was pipped to gold by Daiya Seto of Japan. It was a tight race, with Germany’s Philip Heintz jumping to an early lead turning ahead of both Seto and le Clos at the first 50-metre mark. But the German was unable to hold off a charging Seto. Heintz held onto second until the 150-metre mark when le Clos moved up to second and began to chase down Seto. The battle of the Olympians concluded with Seto clocking a 1:49.84 to finish ahead of le Clos’ 1:49.93. Le Clos, however, redeemed himself by winning the 50m butterfly with a 22.36 finish. Great Britain’s Benjamin Proud and Japan’s Takeshi Kawamoto rounded out the podium with times of 22.57 and 22.62 respectively. In the 100m freestyle, Vladimir Morozov picked first of his two gold of the night. The Russian posted a time of 45.77 seconds to claim his sixth consecutive gold in the event for the World Cup 2016 series. Le Clos came second with a 46.00, while Japan’s Katsumi Nakamura finished third with a 46.83.Morozov later also won in 200m individual medley.