Sporting Moments of the Year 2016
Juan Martín del Potro’s stunning comeback to win the Davis Cup
When we talk about athletes who everyone likes, a few names spring to mind: Lionel Messi in football, AB De Villiers in cricket and of course, the ever elegant Roger Federer in tennis. Another player who endears himself to the public is the Argentine Juan Martín del Potro. A succession of injuries and consistent misfortune has stopped him from adding to that stunning US Open victory back in 2009. His comeback this year was welcomed by everyone and he showed how much of a talent he is. An Olympic final against Andy Murray was probably the most emotional match of his career, but his crowning moment came right at the end of 2016. Down two sets to love against the ferocious Marin Cilic in the vital rubber in the Davis Cup final, everything was stacked against Del Potro, like so many times before. But champions never give up without a fight. Not only did he fight, he won a remarkable match in five sets to level the tie and hand team mate Federico Delbonis the chance to win, which he did. No one deserved a victory more than del Potro in 2016.
Yashas Mudumbai
England 1-2 Iceland
In a year packed with sporting success, it may seem odd to choose a sporting moment full of such disappointment and shock – but I think that’s what makes it so memorable. Nobody ever realistically expected England to win the Euros this year (for all our sporting success, we seem to be so poor at our national game) and after a rather limp showing in the group stages (a win and two draws), I doubt any people changed their minds. Still, in the first stage of the knockouts, we were up against Iceland – they’d never even qualified for the Euros before! How hard was this going to be? We soon found out. An early penalty by Wayne Rooney was England’s only moment in the sun – Iceland quickly scored two and finished as victors. The England players wept as they were booed of the pitch and Roy Hodgson was finished as England manager. They were mocked and criticized by many of football’s famous faces after having given one of the national team’s worst performances ever. And that’s why this is my moment. The sheer unexpectedness of it is proof that you can’t take anything for granted in the world of sport.
Reece Goodall
Pakistan triumph at Lord’s on Amir’s return
I’ve been fortunate enough to see Pakistan play test cricket twice. On the first occasion, Mohammad Amir committed a cardinal sin. On the second, I witnessed his resurrection.
The significance of Pakistan’s victory at the Home of Cricket should not be constricted to just their mercurial seam bowler though. This was a team that had not played a Test Match in 2016. Many of their star players are old enough to be Haseeb Hameed’s father, and then some. England’s home Test record is strong, and came into the first Test of the series off the back of a comfortable series win over Sri Lanka. To win, and to win well at such an iconic location, was not only impressive, but genuinely emotive.
Moreover, this was a tremendous test match in its own right, even without the Hollywood-esque background narrative. Yasir Shah’s leg spin seemed unplayable, picking up 10 wickets in the match, Misbah-ul-Haq excelled with the bat, and a healthy number of Pakistan supporters helped create a fantastic, competitive yet amicable, atmosphere. England more than played their part, Chris Woakes enjoying a feel-good story of his own. Though there had been talk of the local crowd being hostile to Amir before the game, even the most hard-nosed of MCC members were compelled to at least raise a smile as Misbah and co. celebrated in incomparable fashion.
Alex Jennings
Alistair Brownlee hauls his brother across the finish line
Jonny Brownlee was running on empty. His legs wobbled as the Mexican heat sapped his last reserves of energy. Dizzied and depleted, his body swerved across the road like an intoxicated driver, each turn risking a crash. Fatigue smothered him, seizing his legs so that he could run no longer. His gaze sunk to the ground.
Henri Schoeman swept past the exhausted Brownlee to win the final triathlon of the World Series. As he turned his head back to survey the race, Schoeman was met with an act of sportsmanship that impressed the world. Alistair Brownlee had hauled his brother’s arm over his shoulder and was dragging him towards the finish line, forfeiting his own chance at winning.
In all likelihood, the supremely competitive Brownlee brothers would have much preferred their Olympic success to be held aloft as the sporting moment of the year – Alistair won gold in Rio, Jonny won silver. Indeed, having just witnessed his brother fall at the final hurdle and miss out on victory in the World Series, Alistair half-joked ‘I wish the flippin’ idiot had paced it right and crossed the finish line first’.
Yet, in what was an act lauded as much for familial loyalty as for sportsmanship, the image of the Brownlee brothers finishing the triathlon in each other’s arms will surely endure, not just as a lasting image of sport in 2016, but as the defining image of their careers.
Matthew Richardson
Oxford United win promotion to League One
You may laugh at my sporting moment of 2016, but for me nothing else came close. Since attending my first Oxford United match aged 7, I hadn’t seen my local team play above League Two. Until this season highlights were few and far between, but in 2015-16 everything changed. An FA Cup giant-killing of Swansea City and a trip to Wembley with 35,000 other yellows were unforgettable, but the main aim was promotion to League One.
Despite occupying an automatic promotion place for most of the campaign, Oxford needed to beat Wycombe at home on the final day to seal the deal. I was understandably a nervous wreck, but the best home atmosphere I had experienced (not difficult at the much-maligned Kassam Stadium) gave me the feeling that it could be our day. Despite being the better side for the first 45 minutes, at half time the score was 0-0 – my nerves exacerbated by a torrential downpour midway through the first half. Yet nine minutes into the second half, big centre back Chey Dunkley met a corner to power a header past the visiting keeper. From this moment on it never looked in doubt, with Chris Maguire’s penalty and a last minute effort from local boy Callum O’Dowda sealing a 3-0 win. I filmed the moment the final whistle blew and I’m only slightly ashamed to say that I still go back and watch it to this day.
But my sporting moment isn’t entirely personal. Fans of AFC Wimbledon (who reached the same division as MK Dons for the first time), Middlesbrough (returning to the Premier League after seven years) and of course Leicester City will have similar memories of 2016. Though few supporters will share my personal choice, the vast majority can relate to the feelings it evoked.
James Roberts
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