David Leggat: Year in review

How should we remember the last 12 sporting months?

More importantly, who should we remember?

In these days when little has any permanency attached to it, where the sports world - let alone the everyday world - appears to fly along with no time for pause, thought or recollection, who will we be talking about in another year?

Precious little affixes itself to the conscious longer than the time it takes for the next magic moment to come along and rub it out. All sorts of people made a contribution to the year, good, bad and ugly.

Some you don't want to remember; some are worth mentally bookmarking for future thoughts and inspiration.

So, with apologies to those who do not appear here, but did their bit in 2004, here are some people whose contribution, for better or worse, is worth remembering:

* Our Olympic champions, Sarah Ulmer, Hamish Carter and Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell. In an Olympic year there's nowt to touch gold. We don't get them that often, so when we do savour them. They will be remembered, in the same way Jack Lovelock, the Munich 8, Ian Ferguson and co, and Danyon Loader will always have a special place.

* Bevan Docherty and Ben Fouhy, the silver medallists in Athens. It can be a bit like being vice-president. Quick now, hands up anyone who knows the name of Dubya's deputy. Theirs were outstanding achievements, especially Docherty, who also won the world championship title in Madeira.

* The Black Sox, for making it three men's world softball championships on the bounce. Because it was an Olympic year, and they did their stuff at one turn of the calendar, their effort tends to be forgotten. Shame on us all for that.

* The disgraced Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, who brought shame to their nation with their repeated attempts to cheat the drug-testing system before the Olympics in Athens. Why remember them? Because the Greeks deserved better; they survived months of character assassination from the Americans and Brits who in best down-their-noses tradition reckoned Greece had no chance of running a good Olympics. How wrong they were.

* Ron Artest, who gamely rose from a prone position where he was conducting a courtside interview to whack a Detroit Pistons fan, thereby lighting the flames of the year's ugliest bustup in sport. For showing us how low American sport has sunk, thanks Ron.

* But on the flipside of sport in Stars and Stripesville, remember the Boston Red Sox. No World Series since 1918, talk of curses dating back to Babe Ruth. But it was their year, on the way coming from 0-3 down to nail the hated New York Yankees 4-3 in the league championship. Brilliant, compelling television.

* Arthur Lydiard, the Godfather of New Zealand running, who died shortly before Christmas, aged 87. He could be crusty, he didn't use five words when three would suffice, but a strong case could be made that he has made New Zealand's greatest contribution to world sport.

* Sonny Bill Williams, who hit the National Rugby League with a wallop and backed it up for the Kiwis. Real star quality, and not yet 20. He shows all the signs of making as big an impact on the game as those bellringing shoulder hits of his.

* Sally Robbins. Who, I hear you say? Try Lay Down Sally. Now you're all with me. The Australian rower who just stopped rowing in the eights final at the Olympics. A wonderful moment. The best offbeat story of the Olympics, hands down. What you wouldn't give to have been a fly on the bow of that boat at that moment.

* And finally Victor Conte, boss of the Balco Laboratories in California, purveyors of the finest illegal drugs to athletes this side of the Black Stump. It was Conte who claimed he taught and watched Marion Jones inject herself with steroids. A first-rate slimeball - it's the pencil moustache which is the first giveaway - who is seeking credit for spilling the beans. There's a warped logic in there but we should remember Conte for what he and his type bring to the modern sporting age.

Happy New Year.