Sporting News and Events

The year 2009 brought to our fields, courts, tracks and screens many edge-of-the seat moments charged with anxiety, amazement, and triumph. We cheered on as world records were smashed and sporting history was written. Never before seen feats of human endurance, athletic ability and performance filled our hearts and memories. Here is a countdown of 2009’s most cherished sports moments.

Motorsport maestro revealed

Jenson Button’s inaugural Formula One title came as a surprise to the racing world. Button, seen as an outsider for the title spot at the start of the season, seized the podium an astonishing six times in the first seven championship races. The technical prowess of his Brawn team certainly aided the British driver and it was this advantage that proved to be decisive throughout the season.

Consistence was essential, and throughout the season the steely competitor captured key points as the title race developed. The Constructers Championship Title was added to his individual triumph but, could not stop Button’s move to McLaren at the end of the year. As his performances proved, this young man is willing to experiment in his quest for further F1 glory.

Sports moments of 2009 – highlighting some of the best action

UEFA Cup glory

The football field delivered up its fair share of ups and downs, but the prestigious UEFA Champions League once again topped its rivals in bringing together the best clubs, footballers and match ups in world soccer to produce classic sports moments.

The 2009 Final was no exception, with a build-up as memorable as any other, Manchester United and Barcelona having battled their way to the deciding round. Barcelona beat Chelsea, firm favourites, in their semi-final tie. Barcelona in the end just had too much star power for United in Rome, Lionel Messi being instrumental in their 2-0 victory.

Marathon match on grass

Wimbledon was stage for one of the most closely fought tennis matches of the last decade. Once again Roger Federer was present, his opponent hard-working Andy Roddick. 2009 proved to be the year Federer reasserted his dominance at the top of the WTA after briefly losing his number one spot to Rafael Nadal the previous season. A marathon battle ensued, with Roddick pushing Federer to the end. The match ended in the fifth set, with Federer edging ahead 16-14. A record fifteenth Grand Slam for Federer added to his French Open title earlier in the season.

100m star smashes world record

Our top spot goes to an unlikely disciple – athletics and the sprinting magic of Jamaican born Usain Bolt. Now a household name after the Beijing Olympics, Bolt went one step further at the twelfth World Athletics Championships in Berlin. The young man secured his place in both the 100m and 200m finals and produced a perfect performance to beat the best line up in sprinting with ease. Sheer sprinting elegance put him metres ahead of rival Tyson Gay and under the world record mark by 0.11 seconds, running a phenomenal 9.58 seconds in the 100m.

2010 promises to be just as exciting for sports fans as 2009 was, with loads of exciting sports moments. Events to look forward to this summer include Wimbledon, the Commonwealth Games in India, The Formula One Grand Prix and, of course, the Fifa world cup in South Africa.