German players Mario Goetze (left) and Andre Schuerrle celebrate on stage at the German team victory ceremony in Berlin July 15, 2014. Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final. (EPA)
DPA/Berlin
The Olympics and football World Cup dominated the sporting year 2014 as expected, but also made big waves outside the arenas.
Hosts Russia topped the final medal table at the most expensive Winter Games ever in Sochi while Brazil ended their home World Cup battered and bruised in fourth place after a historic 7-1 thrashing by later champions Germany in the semi-finals.
But Sochi’s overall 51-billion-dollar prize tag was also one reason why cities like Oslo and Stockholm from traditional winter sport countries withdrew bids for 2022; and the IOC reacted with an Olympic Agenda 2020, approved on December 8, under which bidding is to be made easier and cheaper, and new sports to find easier entry.
The reform also includes future hosts having to abide by anti-discrimination rules, seen in connection with Russia’s controversial anti-gay legislation.
FIFA, meanwhile, was in shambles at the end of the year in connection with the probe of possible corruption in the bid process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Summary of the Michael Garcia report by ethics committee co-chairman Hans-Joachim Eckert cleared hosts Russia and Qatar of wrongdoing.
The 2014 World Cup went well and beyond all expectations from Rio’s Copacabana to the jungle of Manaus from an organising point of view.
On the field, Manuel Neuer kept a clean sheet against Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi en route to winning the World Cup with Germany, and is now challenging for the World Footballer of the Year award as well against the two who have won the famous award the past six years.
The biggest individual prize in football will not be awarded until January 12, just under six months after Neuer and his team-mates lifted the World Cup trophy in Rio de Janeiro on July 13 after beating Messi’s Argentina 1-0 in extra time.
Joachim Loew’s team opened 4-0 against Ronaldo’s Portugal but the biggest win was to come in the memorable 7-1 against hapless Brazil whose talisman Neymar could only watch injured from the sidelines.
That result was even more stunning than a Dutch 5-1 drubbing of title holders Spain who went out in the group stage while Uruguay’s Luis Suarez was banned for biting an opponent.
The World Cup raised optimism that Brazil will now be well-prepared to stage a great Olympics 2016 in Rio as well.
The Sochi Games meanwhile were hailed by Olympic supremo Thomas Bach as “The Athletes’ Games” and saw Norwegian biathlon king Ole Einrar Bjoerndalen become the most decorated Winter Olympian with two more golds for an overall tally of 8-4-1.
Compatriot cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen, Belarussian biathlete Darya Domracheva and Russian short track skater Viktor Ahn won three golds each; Tina Maze got double alpine ski gold for Slovenia; the rampant Dutch snatched 23 of the total 32 speed-skating medals; and hosts Russia topped the final medal table.
But there was also bad news for Russia when it came under fire over allegations of systematic doping in the country via a German TV documentary which has prompted investigations by the World Anti-Doping Agency and ruling athletics body IAAF.
Russia also staged its maiden Formula One race, in Sochi’s Olympic Park, where Briton Lewis Hamilton won one of his 11 season races en route to the world title in a fierce duel with team-mate Nico Rosberg from totally dominant Mercedes.
Big F1 news were also the move of ex-champion Sebastian Vettel to Ferrari for 2015, taking the place of McLaren-bound Fernando Alonso, and the financial struggles of Caterham and Marussia.
The F1 community held its breath after Jules Bianchi’s life-threatening crash in Japan, and was also hoping for good news from record champ Michael Schumacher who almost lost his life in a skiing accident in late 2013.
Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died of injuries after being hit in the head by a ball; and football legends Eusebio and Alfredo di Stefano were among other famous sports people who passed away.
Back on the football pitch, Messi smashed the Champions League and Spanish league scoring records but has Ronaldo on his heels just three goals behind in Europe.
Ronaldo helped Real claim “La Decima” in the Champions League at last, 4-1 in extra time over crosstown rivals Atletico, who however pipped Real and Barca for the Liga title. Spain also won the Europa League in the form of Sevilla.
Manchester City snatched the Premier League crown in a dramatic title race with Liverpool, Juventus got another Serie A title, while Neuer’s and Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich won another Bundesliga title in record time.
Europe won golf’s Ryder Cup in convincing fashion over the US at Gleneagles while the majors went to Rory McIlroy (PGA Championships, The Open), Bubba Watson (Masters) and Martin Kaymer (US Open).
Tennis saw new Grand Slam winners in Stanislas Wawrinka (Australian Open) and Marin Cilic (US Open), with Rafael Nadal the familiar French Open champ and top-ranked Novak Djokovic the Wimbledon winner. On the women’s side Li Na won the Australian Open before retiring later in the year, and number one Serena Williams won another US Open. Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova won French Open and Wimbledon respectively.
Frenchman Renauf Lavillenie sensationally bettered Sergey Bubka’s indoor pole vault world record to 6.16m, and Dennis Kimetto was the latest Kenyan to lower the marathon world record to now 2:02:57 hours.
Usain Bolt graced the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with his presence, helping Jamaica to relay gold; and China dominated the Asian Games in Incheon as expected.
In US sport, the San Antonio Spurs won another NBA trophy, the Seattle Seahawks a first Super Bowl, the San Francisco Giants the World Series and the Los Angeles Kings the Stanley Cup.
