Sport

12 Lists of Christmas: Defining Sports Moments

21 December 2016

By Joseph

Andy Murray becomes world number one:

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After triumphing in the Paris Masters I think we all breathed a silent sigh of relief as we watched Andy Murray finally take his place at the very top of world tennis. Despite also winning Wimbledon this year, the plucky scot has often had to deal with disappointment, many a times falling to Novak Djokovic on the world stage. However, in November Great Britain’s tennis starlet managed to pip his Serbian rival to round out 2016 as world number one.

England are knocked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland:

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Oh dear, oh dear…

I think this meme just about sums it up…

Team GB’s Nick Skelton takes Gold:

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Sport is often portrayed a young man’s games, with athletes often calling it a day before they even reach 30. Well, Nick Skelton proved that age is no object as he became the oldest Briton to win gold since 1908. Ok, so it was equestrian (not the most physically demanding) but nevertheless a sport that demands real mental strength and concentration, it’s a remarkable achievement for Nick and just goes to show: good things come to those who wait.

Fiji win their first ever Olympic medal:

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For 60 years, Fiji have competed in all bar two Olympic games; returning empty handed every single time until 2016. This Summer, Fiji triumphed in the Rugby Sevens to take the tiny island nation’s first ever Olympic medal. Gold, too.

Team GB take home 65 medals:

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Completing a haul of 67 medals, Rio 2016 became the most successful games for the United Kingdom since 1908 (where we won 146) and built on the 65 medals won during London 2012. This feat gives Britain the distinction of being the first nation to improve on their medal total at the subsequent games after the one they hosted as well as one of only two teams to increase their medal count for 5 consecutive games.

Roll on 2020 – we’re expecting at least 147!

Team GB women’s hockey gold:

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Hockey doesn’t usually get much attention, and it really should because, boy, can it be exciting! Team GB’s Olympic finale with the Netherlands at Rio 2016 was probably the most dramatic – and elating – moment of the games for me. The match finished 3-3 after both teams traded goals and ended up being decided by a shootout, sublime skill, undying energy and a potent dose of goalkeeping heroics from Maddie Hinch made it a match to remember.

Team GB Men’s Team Pursuit:

Another dramatic final in the form of the Men’s team pursuit cycling unfolded as Bradley Wiggins looked to become Britain’s most decorated Olympian by taking his eighth (and probably last) Olympic medal against Australia. The two teams were always within touching distance of each other and the teams traded the lead before Team GB clinched the gold by a mere second. Pure drama.

Russian Doping Scandal:

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Unfortunately, as can be expected given 2016’s gloomy track record, the sporting world was rocked by news of Russian state sponsored doping which is alleged to have benefitted over 1000 athletes between 2011 and 2015. The scandal led to 167 Russian athletes to be banned from competing in Rio 2016 despite calls of a complete ban on the entire team, which is exactly what the Paralympics decided to do.

Football Sexual Abuse Scandal:

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An ongoing enquiry that started in November centring on Crewe Alexandria and Manchester City over allegations of sexual abuse of young male footballers during the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s and the subsequent cover ups that followed have shocked and disgusted followers of the beautiful game. These truly reprehensible acts have taken decades to surface and left decades worth of trauma for victims to recover from. To give you an idea of the scale of these offences: 20 British police forces are currently investigating up to 98 clubs.

Leicester City win the Premier League:

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Everyone loves an underdog, and there is no greater underdog than Leicester City. Starting the 2015/16 campaign with odds of 5000/1 to win the title, under the guidance of Claudio Ranieri – who famously pledged to buy pizzas for the whole team every time they kept a clean sheet – the foxes garnered international media attention and their fairytale story is now one of football’s most remarkable moments.

 

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