At the end of a year which has seen viewers around the world tune in to the Winter Olympics, the Ryder Cup, FIFA’s World Cup and various British successes across the sporting spectrum it seemed like the perfect moment to recap some of the most memorable achievements of 2010.
Sport.co.uk takes a walk down memory lane and picks its top ten...do you agree?
( To read part one, click here)
5. England win their first cricket world title
What better way to be crowned champions of the world in cricket’s youngest and most electrifying format than by hammering an old enemy? Having defeated Australia last year to win back the Ashes, England continued their dominance over the men from Down Under with a thunderous victory in the Caribbean which delivered a first ever world title to the ‘green and pleasant land’ in whose fields the game was created. Led by Andy Flower, captained by Paul Collingwood and powered by Craig Kieswetter, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan the boys in blue put together a miraculous win which was as exciting as it was cosmopolitan. Player of the series went to KP but as Collingwood stressed, “the guys have played a brand of cricket that is unlike England in the past and a lot of credit goes to every player in the dressing room to go out there and have no regrets and give it a shot.” Long may it continue.
4. Amy Williams takes Skeleton gold in Vancouver
Shackled by the constraints of training in a country which experiences relatively little snowfall and with the shadow of Eddie the Eagle looming large, not much is expected of those plucky few competitors who don Union Jack spandex and qualify to represent Britain at the Winter Olympics. That may, however, be about to change after the “surreal” exploits (her words not mine) of Amy Williams and a trusty sledge named Arthur. Having vowed to win a gold medal after watching the Salt Lake City Games as a teenager, the 27-year-old stayed true to her word in Vancouver by racing to victory in the Skeleton event much to the delight of a starved public back home who had waited 30 years since figure-skater Robin Cousins triumphed in 1980. An open top bus through Bath, an invitation to present an award at the Baftas, an evening spent on the sofa with Jonathan Ross and a nomination for BBC Sports Personality of the Year all followed in the aftermath of Williams’ success; a just reward for a young woman who still considers herself, “a little geek of an athlete.”
3. Spain show the world how to play football
As Andres Iniesta found the bottom corner of the net with the extra-time goal which won Spain their first ever World Cup, there were few outside Holland who felt that La Roja were anything but worthy winners of FIFA’s flagship tournament. While individuals such as Messi, Rooney, Kaka and Ronaldo failed to live up to individual expectations Vicente del Bosque’s squad played ‘futbol’ the way it was supposed to be played thus proving once and for all that artistry with a ball can win trophies, as well as hearts and minds. Travelling to South Africa as favourites having secured European glory in 2008, the Spanish had to overcome a shock opening game defeat to Switzerland before fully asserting their eye-catching passing game over Honduras, Chile, Paraguay, Portugal, Germany and ultimately Bert Van Marwijk’s vicious Dutch. Four consecutive 1-0 wins summed up a tournament which struggled from the outset for goal action, but with the brilliance of Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso, Fabregas and Villa on show, Nou Camp quality and Bernabeu brilliance was never far away.
2. Nadal lives the American dream
If Spain’s football team are upholders of style and panache the country’s number one racquet-wielder, Rafael Nadal, continued to prove in 2010 that brute strength is still a formidable basis for success on the tennis court. While nemesis Roger Federer opened the year by taking the Australian Open it was the 24-year-old Majorcan who retained the number one ranking by winning a fifth title at Roland Garros, second Wimbledon trophy and his first ever US Open in a sensational eleven month spell. The win over Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows, described in charming broken English by the ‘King of Clay’ as, “more than what I dreamt,” confirmed Nadal as one of the game’s greatest players and saw him join Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi and the aforementioned Federer as one of only six men to own all four grand slam titles. While the latter still leads the young pretender by seven major titles it would take a brave man to bet against the effervescent Spaniard from one day usurping his Swiss rival once and for all.
1. Graeme McDowell steers Europe to Ryder Cup success
It will go on record as the most memorable Monday afternoon that golf has ever witnessed. After a sopping wet weekend in Wales the fourth day of the 2010 Ryder Cup was forced, for the first time in its history, into unfamiliar weekday territory despite the desperate efforts of the organising committee. Did it make any difference to the quality of play or to the viewing figures? Not one jot. For 370 exhilarating minutes, the eyes of the sporting world were focused on Newport as twenty-four men battled it out in twelve matches at Celtic Manor
Leading 9 ½ - 6 ½ over their American counterparts at the start of play, Europe captain Colin Montgomerie sent Lee Westwood into battle first against Steve Stricker only to see his in-form veteran defeated 2 and 1. Rory McIlroy was subsequently held to a half by Stuart Cink before Luke Donald and Ian Poulter and Miguel Angel Jimenez steadied the ship with wins over Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson respectively. Nevertheless, battling to the last Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton, Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson and Tiger Woods all secured points meaning a nail-biting finish was in the offing for both parties.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man and for Colin Montgomerie there was no better man than Graeme McDowell. After a spectacular year in which he had become the first European since Tony Jacklin to win the US Open, the Northern Irishman was charged with closing out proceedings against Hunter Mahan, a situation brought about after Rickie Fowler had given the Americans hope by snatching a half from Edoardo Molinari having looked dead and buried.
Calm as you like, the 31-year-old went about his business. At the 16th green he punched the air with delight as he sunk a 12 foot putt to birdie and extend his lead to two with three to play. He then tightened the screw on the 17th safely executing his shot to the green before leaving Mahan to fluff a chip, miss the decisive putt and, at 3.20pm, finally concede to the jubilant Europeans 14 ½ - 13 ½ . It had been an epic contest and one which left McDowell to reflect:
“The US Open felt like nine holes with my dad back in Portrush compared to that. The putt on 16 was the best putt I've ever hit in my life. The fans are magnificent, I love them, I love them a lot! Monty was amazing, to be able to do that for him today was extremely special."
There’s not much more you can add.
To read part two of Sport.co.uk's Top Ten: Sporting Moments of 2010, click here.
To read Sport.co.uk's Top Ten: Sporting Moments of 2009, click here.
To read Sport.co.uk's Top Ten: Sporting Moments of 2008, click here.