WOODS WINS THE MASTERS
April 2019: Tiger Woods claims his fifth green jacket and 15th major title after a dramatic final round at Augusta National
The scenes created by Tiger Woods’ victory at Augusta are rare and only come along once or twice in a lifetime. After a secretive and guarded past, years of emotion poured from the greatest golfer of our generation.
The majority, me among them, thought his major haul was over, his body unable to cope, his mind weaker after over a decade of a major famine.
I believe the catalyst for his fifth green jacket happened six months earlier and a two-hour drive from Augusta National, at East Lake in Atlanta. Tiger’s win at the home of Bobby Jones in the 2018 Tour Championship produced pictures and moments I had never seen before and I’m unlikely to see again. As he walked down the 72nd hole, a sizeable gallery grew 10-fold as if appearing from thin air.
This was the return of Tiger Woods. As he faced the grandstand, arms raised, that moment was for his children who had never shared his greatest triumphs. It was the moment we were told he was not finished, the moment he knew there was still golden days ahead.
Augusta and Tiger are a match made in heaven. It’s where his first and last major occurred. Don’t be surprised, if fit and healthy, the joyous scenes we witnessed last April are replicated next spring.
ENGLAND WIN THE CRICKET WORLD CUP
July 2019: England win a thrilling final in a Super Over against New Zealand
I’m unsure it gets any longer special. This was arguably the best game of cricket ever – and it came during a World Cup final, ahead of a packed-out crowd, with glorious weather.
England, having been built up as overwhelming favorites before the tournament, was under the foremost immense pressure and therefore the game just had absolutely everything.
Ben Stokes’ incredible innings took it right down to the last ball, then an excellent Over. There was the odd little bit of controversy too, about overthrows and who ultimately won, but England and Eoin Morgan handled themselves impeccably in victory, so too Kane Williamson and New Zealand in defeat.
It was a fantastic scene. I used to be sat between two absolute masters on commentary in Smith and Ian Bishop; the way Smithy called the winning moment, ‘by the barest of margins’, it'll live forever, alongside ‘Aguerooooo!’ and ‘They think it’s all over’.
Jason Roy had fumbled previously within the over; If he fumbles when the ball involves him again, or if Jos Buttler fumbles the contribute, if Martin Guptill smashes it out of the bottom – as Carlos Brathwaite did within the World T20 final in 2016 – England would are left with the tag of chokers. Instead, they’re World Cup winners for the primary time. it had been an absolute pleasure to be a neighborhood
LIVERPOOL COMPLETE STUNNING COMEBACK
May 2019: Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield in one of the greatest comebacks in football history to reach the Champions League final
Needing four goals to beat Barcelona to succeed in the Champions League final? The sheer mathematics of that situation made this a historic night for Liverpool.
But having commentated on both legs of the semi-final, i used to be not in the least surprised. In fact, i assumed justice was done. Liverpool lost the primary leg 3-0, but they ought to have won it and were vastly superior over the tie. they ought to never are therein position, but the dramatic way during which the victory unfolded was an exquisite story.
Divock Origi scored early and Georginio Wijnaldum stepped up to the plate with two goals in three second-half minutes. He was referred to as a goalscoring midfielder early in his career, but his unselfishness in his role at Liverpool means we don’t see that talent on a daily basis.
Origi would score the winning goal as he continued his amazing impact thereon season, scoring late winners against Everton and Newcastle plus the second goal within the Champions League final. They won 4-0 and therefore the storyline was sensational, except for me, there was no surprise within the ending.
STOKES' HEROICS AT HEADINGLEY
August 2019: Ben Stokes keeps The Ashes alive with a seemingly impossible Test innings
England’s World Cup win epitomized a team effort, the culmination of 4 years of diligence, but Ben Stokes’ Test innings at Headingley was just a freak!
Nine wickets down, with 73 runs still needed to win and keep the Ashes series alive, they looked dead and buried. I don’t want to seem wise after the event, but I did say ‘this isn’t over until Stokes is out’. you only know with certain individuals – and he showed it therein World Cup final – that they need this type of aura about them meaning they will turn a game around. Sir Ian Botham was precisely the same.
I didn’t think we might ever see anything to match Headingley 1981, but Stokes bettered it thereon day. it had been pure, individual brilliance.
He showed just what a sensible cricketer he's, he knew exactly when to defend and when to attack and combat the large shots. The shot that summed it all up was when he reverse-swept Nathan Lyon into the Headingley western terrace for 6.
But Stokes needed someone to remain with him, and that’s what Jack Leach did – he is going to be remembered for an extended time for his 1 not out. there have been shots of him re-enacting his single while celebrating with the team, his glasses cloth suddenly had a Twitter handle. Incredible really, but he took it beat his stride.
You could see Australia gradually losing the plot. Nathan Lyon drops that potential run-out chance to win it, and that they waste their review which they find yourself needing when Stokes looks out lbw. it had been pure theatre.
The crowd played their part too; a number of the scenes at the top when Stokes hit the winning runs will stick with me and anyone who was there forever. Raw emotion.
HAMILTON CLAIMS SIXTH WORLD TITLE
November 2019: Lewis Hamilton becomes the second-most successful driver of all time after clinching the 2019 championship in the United States GP
2019 was Valtteri Bottas’ best season in F1, and a year during which Ferrari often had the fastest car, but Lewis Hamilton still posted his best points tally and dominated the championship. From round five onwards in Spain, Hamilton never let the title lead go.
He won eight times, not from a position which shows he’s a driver who doesn't just believe qualifying first to urge the win. His race craft was exemplary, his consistency was magnificent, and this was the year he equaled his own record of 33 consecutive points finishes.
I liked the way the title was settled at the US GP. Bottas deserved to possess his moment of glory by winning the race and, at a track where we've seen Mercedes drivers chuck baseball caps at one another within the past, to ascertain the 2 team-mates on stage in first and second places, each justifiably to celebrate, was good for the team and good for the game.
Hamilton has dominated in Austin over the years, it’s a track he loves, during a country he loves, and within the Lone Star State, he proved once more that he's the large star in F1.
KIPCHOGE MAKES MARATHON HISTORY
October 2019: Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge becomes the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours
Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich, the previous record holder for the men’s marathon, has been provisionally suspended for doping violations.
The 37-year-old Kenyan was charged with two breaches of anti-doping rules, the Athletics Integrity Unit said on Friday.
“The AIU confirms a provisional suspension against Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich of Kenya for whereabouts failures & tampering,” the body said.
The AIU didn’t disclose any longer information.
“No prohibited substance was found,” Kiprotich’s management, VolareSports Running, claimed during a statement on Facebook.
The company said the charge regarding alleged or attempted tampering “concerns evidence that was given within the results management process regarding a possible whereabouts failure and doesn't concern tampering with a doping test itself.” It didn’t elaborate any longer. FASTEST MEN’S MARATHON TIMES
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) — 2:01:39
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) — 2:01:41
Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) — 2:02:48
Most Geremew (Ethiopia) — 2:02:55
Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) — 2:02:57
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) — 2:03:13
Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) — 2:03:13
Kiprotich specializes in long-distance running, competing in events starting from 10km to the marathon. He’s a two-time London Marathon champion, winning in 2012 and 2014.
The Kenyan broke the marathon record time in Berlin in 2013, setting 2 hours, 3 minutes, 23 seconds.
A year earlier, he won the trophy at the London Olympics.
Kiprotich has also won marathon races in NY , London, and Tokyo.
Watching Eliud Kipchoge cross the finish line in Vienna to become the first runner in history to complete a marathon in under two hours was something I will never ever forget. “We went to the moon and we came back to Earth, together,” the Kenyan superstar told me afterward.
He looked fresh, beaming that big smile of his and happily signing autographs. I’m not ashamed to say I asked for one. This was the ‘moon landing’ moment for marathon runners all over the world and I was lucky enough to report on it.
I’d first met Kipchoge in Kenya in August 2018 when he appeared at the end of my fifth marathon in five days, across rural conservation areas. “No human is limited,” he said as he put a medal around my neck. We chatted and discussed the possibility of him trying once more to run sub-two hours. It was clear then that he felt he had it in him to make history and make the world take notice.
He had narrowly missed out by 26 seconds previously in Monza, but in Vienna, he absolutely smashed it. Yes, he had phenomenal pacemakers. Yes, he had expensively designed running shoes and a car-guided laser beam at 13.1mph to guide him home. But he still had to run at most average runners’ sprint speed, the entire marathon distance.
The buzz along the route was so special, everyone willing him to succeed. I remember talking to the cyclist Chris Froome and he was just in awe of Kipchoge. “He doesn’t even look like he’s breaking a sweat,” the four-time Tour de France winner told me.
And then there were the pacemakers, all 41 of them. The image of them grinning their heads off and falling back to allow Kipchoge to cross the line in 1:59:40 will stay with me forever. It was wonderful, it was teamwork and sport at its brilliant, most beautiful best.
Also read:
0 Comments
Lets play.