Hashimoto makes it four, and Antonelli chases an F1 crown

Top line: Kimi Antonelli arrives at the Circuit of the Americas with his first opportunity to clinch the 2026 world championship.¹

What happened

The big ones

Hashimoto wins again in Rotterdam. Japan's Daiki Hashimoto took the men's all-around at the artistic gymnastics world championships on Thursday, October 22. He scored 85.998, prevailing comfortably by 1.799 over Yang Haonan of China². It was his fourth straight title, and the largest margin of victory in a men's all-around at an Olympics or a worlds since Uchimura won by 1.958 in 2013.² Joe Fraser of Great Britain took bronze on 83.531.

Japan take men's team gold. On Tuesday, October 20, Japan captured the men's team title at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam, scoring 251.928 to hold off a strong challenge from Russia³.

Advani adds another world title. Pankaj Advani won the billiards world championship final from behind. At 697-1014, with 115 minutes left on the clock, Hall was poised for his maiden world title.⁴ Advani then crafted the most memorable break of the championship, a mammoth 587-break⁴. It sealed the fate of his opponent⁴.

Beyond the majors

• Women's rugby. Australia beat Scotland 38-31 in the WXV Global Series, a women's international round-robin, on Friday, October 23. The match was played at GIO Stadium.⁵
• European club rugby. Toulouse 43, Exeter 40⁶ in the Investec Champions Cup on Sunday, October 18, one of the closest games of the round.
• Rugby league World Cup. The Rugby League World Cup runs until November 15⁷. England's men opened with a 30-12 loss to Tonga on Friday, October 16, a tough opening defeat⁷.

Majors in a line

The NHL had a big trade this week, with the Devils acquiring three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck from Jets⁸.

What's next

• Saturday, October 24, 18:00 UTC: UFC 333 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Alexander Volkanovski faces Movsar Evloev for the featherweight title⁹, and co-headliners Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili⁹ meet for the third time, with Yan's bantamweight belt on the line.
• Saturday, October 24, 12:00 UTC: Apparatus finals at the gymnastics worlds in Rotterdam, covering floor, pommel horse and rings. Apparatus Finals at 2:00 PM local time¹⁰, which is 12:00 UTC.
• Saturday, October 24, 20:00 ET (00:00 UTC, Sunday, October 25): Dalton Smith and Alberto Puello¹¹ fight for the WBC super lightweight championship at Utilita Arena Sheffield, shown on DAZN.
• Saturday, October 24, time not confirmed: The youth football tennis team from Iraq will face Romania in the mixed doubles final¹². The event is in Famagusta, Cyprus, and the championships are being held from October 19 to 24¹².
• Sunday, October 25, 20:00 UTC: The United States Grand Prix in Austin. If Antonelli wins, George Russell finishes ninth or lower, and Lewis Hamilton fourth or lower, Antonelli will be world champion.¹³

Sources

1. F1 United States GP: Friday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
2. Daiki Hashimoto wins 4th world all-around gymnastics title, largest margin in 13 years - NBC Sports
3. Japan claims men’s team gold in dramatic World Championships final in Rotterdam
4. Cue sports icon Pankaj Advani wins 29th world title
5. Rugby Results
6. Rugby Union Results
7. Rugby League World Cup 2026: Schedule, dates, format, results from men's, women's, and wheelchair tournaments
8. Previewing the F1 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin: How to watch, schedule, predictions
9. UFC 333 weigh-in results, video: Title bouts set, undercard fighter badly misses weight - Yahoo Sports
10. 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
11. Boxing on US TV - Tonight's Fights on ESPN, DAZN, Amazon & Netflix
12. Shafaq News..Iraqi football tennis team reaches World Championship final
13. 2026 F1 United States Grand Prix - Austin start time