Year in review: Sporting memories are made of this ...

Herald writers pick their 10 most memorable moments of the sporting year.

DAVID LEGGAT

* The Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty double act. The dream result at the Olympic triathlon. Fifteen minutes from the end you knew New Zealand would win two medals, the only question was which colour. Carter's tenacity, willpower and ability to put behind him the memory of a blown campaign four years earlier add lustre to his gold medal performance, and iron-willed Docherty simply never gave in. The double act was simply too good for the field.

* Sarah Ulmer. It's rare to see a New Zealander win an Olympic gold medal, and produce a world record at the same time. Enough said.

* Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell. It's also rare to have New Zealanders arrive at an Olympics as the hottest of favourites. The double scullers were in that position and totally justified the favouritism at Lake Schinias, holding off a fast-finishing German crew to take the gold that had their name on it for at least the past two years.

* Hicham El Guerrouj. Winner of the 1500m-5000m Olympic double, not achieved since 1924. El Guerrouj finally got Games gold after being tripped in 1996 and being run down by Bernard Lagat in 2000. This time he sneaked the shorter distance by .12s from Lagat, and murdered the 5000m field on the penultimate night, winning by 20sec. A brilliant night, when one of the nice guys got his reward.

* Mathew Sinclair's catch. Sinclair's catch off a full-blooded Matthew Hayden hook under the roof at Melbourne's Telstra Stadium takes some beating. The ball had flown past Sinclair on the backward square leg boundary. He dived and caught the ball one-handed to his left. Stunning.

* Brendon McCullum/Hamish Marshall stand. Same game, about five hours later and just when it seemed once again the game was slipping away, the two tyros showed they had cool heads and considerable cojones to win the game. A 38-run stand off 21 balls sealed a terrific four-wicket win.

* Olympic men's marathon. Not so much the race - although that had the drama of the odd former Irish priest, Cornelius Horan, crash-tackling Brazilian Vanderlei Lima out of the lead and perhaps the gold medal - but the venue. The Panathinaiko Stadium, venue of ancient Greek athletics, built in 330BC and host of the 1896 Games, epitomised the best of the Olympics. Terrific stadium, loaded with atmosphere - you could feel the history in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

* The All Blacks crushing win over France. The French can be glorious or ghastly. They were the latter at Stade de France, but then the All Blacks were outstanding, their best performance of the year, not forgetting the double trouncing of an off-colour England in June. The best qualities of All Black rugby were on offer. The trick now is to keep the pot boiling for the arrival of the Lions.

* Scott Styris century v Pakistan. Another seemingly lost cause, another caped crusader to the rescue. This time Styris, whose 101 not out off 108 balls pulled New Zealand to an unlikely last-over four-wicket victory over Pakistan at Eden Park in January. Power and placement, with the crowd roaring him on. Just like the old days. Okay, hands up, it's partly in here because the 11-year-old sitting beside me reckoned it was "wicked".

* Black Sox world champions. It almost slipped under the radar after the Olympics, but hats off to coach Don Tricker and captain Jarrod Martin and their team for completing a third successive world championship triumph. Canada were beaten in the final, 8-5. The ageless Mark Sorenson, coming out of retirement, batted .750 in the final, which was followed by a shameless group jumping hug.

WYNNE GRAY

* Anytime Adam Gilchrist bats. His stand-and-deliver batting is a magic elixir, a compelling reason to abandon whatever else needs doing to watch his cavalier approach.

* Lance Armstrong. A sixth successive Tour de France success is an extraordinary feat after his battle with cancer and he also found time to hook up with Sheryl Crow.

* All Blacks v France. To be there was special, to watch a blistering All Black performance belittle the Tricolors and silence a massive crowd.

* Balco. Any progress in the battle against drugs in sport had to be applauded and this had all the ingredients of a boilover with Victor Conte ratting on many of his former star disciples.

* Boston Red Sox. Having been to the quaint Fenway Park and heard about the Curse of the Bambino, the come-from-behind World Series win was a most dramatic way to end 84 years of torment.

* Carter-Docherty-Ulmer. This trio nailed it for me at the Olympics. Ulmer was simply the Golden Girl.

* Jonah Lomu. His successful kidney transplant was a superb result for a bloke who has never complained about his lot in life. May his good health continue.

* Phil Mickelson. His Masters triumph and first golfing major could scarcely have been more dramatic when he overhauled Ernie Els with a last hole birdie. The lefty's 59 late in the season allowed him to join a select group to have carded that PGA milestone.

* Ronnie O'Sullivan. He recovered from 0-5 to win the world snooker title 18-8. His effortless skill, either left or right-handed, makes a mockery of this most precise sport.

* Vijay Singh. Knocking Tiger off his perch was one thing, but to accrue nine PGA victories in one season against the cream of world golf was an extraordinary result.

TERRY MADDAFORD

* Boston Red Sox. The curse was buried with the Sox scoring their stunning World Series win. That they came back from 0-3 against the Yankees in the play-offs to win 4-3 made it the most memorable sporting event of the year.

* Sarah Ulmer. Pedalled her way into the record books in style many times over but without ever losing her composure even if she did come close when a microphone was stuck in her face as she gasped for air after her amazing Olympic triumph. And never, never was there any suggestion of drugs playing a part.

* Short-sighted, narrow-minded Aucklanders. Hardly a highlight but, for Aucklanders at least, the rumblings and bumblings by the few who turned motorsport in the city into a sick joke. No V8s and with speedway under threat, you must wonder what's next.

* Hicham El Guerrouj. To win one Olympic gold medal is, in itself, magnificent. To win two on the track over 1500m and 5000m almost defies belief in these times when so many athletes specialise.

* Euro 2004. The little 'uns can win as the Greeks showed in beating hosts Portugal in the finale to a memorable soccer tournament which even in New Zealand captured a huge audience and showed it surely remains the global game.

* The Maria Sharapova/Roger Federer Show. Federer continued his domination of the men's game, showing you don't need a coach or a big serve to win.

* Lance Armstrong. Forget, for a moment, any talk of drugs in sport and laud one of the truly great sporting triumphs. To win the Tour de France for a sixth time was amazing given the number of top riders who, for whatever reason, often fail to go the distance let alone stand on the dais.

* Europe's Ryder Cup triumph. Whenever they win it is against the odds. This was no different but breathed some much-needed life into the sport. US captain Hal Sutton helped them out with some crazy pairings but that should not overshadow a memorable victory on American soil.

* The All Blacks. After failing to get up in away matches in the Tri-Nations, the boys in black showed they still had it when push came to shove against France in France to cap what could have become a ho-hum year.

* Hamish Carter. A win for the good guys. His carefully orchestrated win over Bevan Docherty in only the second New Zealand Olympic quinella was surely one of the great sporting moments of the year. New Zealanders have always taken to triathlon. This one capped it and the sporting year.

CHRIS RATTUE

* Hamish Carter's Olympic triathlon gold. Carter was in despair four years ago in Sydney, feeling he let the country down after failing as a favourite. His gold in Greece was unexpected - and how many surprise Olympic gold medals do we ever win? My sporting highlight of the year.

* The All Blacks' crushing win in Paris. The All Blacks almost took the gloss of their achievement by making France second rate. Graham Henry's team spiked the French cannons, then blasted holes in their defence. Glorious.

* More drug cheats being exposed - the Greek sprinters, a top cyclist etc, etc. A double-edged sword. The deeper sport sinks into the drugs mire the more we are left questioning its validity, although many sports are thankfully untarnished. But a painful road that must be travelled.

* Watching Adam Gilchrist bat. The Aussie 'keeper regularly takes over matches in the blink of an eye. Genius. It's a pity about his holier-than-thou attitude on batsmen walking - maybe he will get caught out on that one day.

* Richie McCaw's recovery. The almost unspeakable prospect was that McCaw's head injury might end his career. He appears back on track towards the All Black captaincy, and a place among the all-time greats.

* Phil Mickelson winning a major. Mickelson plays golf with risk and flair at odds with his straight image. When he won the Masters, the sporting world cheered for the good guy - and hoped there was more to come.

* Sarah Ulmer; Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindells doing the bizzo in Greece. Unlike Hamish Carter they were expected to claim gold, dealt with this pressure, and delivered in style. New Zealand sporting legends.

* The Chiefs and Bay of Plenty finding glory, at last. A ground-breaking year for these battlers. Rugby is so orchestrated these days - with the top players funnelled into so few teams - that any breaking of the order is a welcome relief.

* The English soccer premiership. Delivers thrilling contests week after week, although a few more upsets would be nice. The skill and pace is matched by superb coverage and commentaries. Makes an alarm clock mandatory.

* Jonah finding a donor. What more can you say. A story to gladden the heart - and maybe inspire others - although he still clings to that ridiculous notion about playing in the next World Cup.

JULIE ASH

* Mark Sorenson's home run in the final of the world softball championships in Christchurch. With the score locked at 3-all Sorenson, playing in his sixth world championship, stepped up to the plate and smashed a three-run homer which secured the Black Sox a crucial 6-3 lead over Canada. The Black Sox went on to win the match 9-5 and claim their third consecutive world title.

* The Silver Ferns 3-0 series win over Australia in July. After their emphatic win over their fiercest rivals in last year's world championships the Silver Ferns proved their success was not a one-off. Unfortunately their luck ran out in November when Australia got the better of them in the return series.

* The sacking of Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts. While Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli may have had his reasons for firing Coutts, changing the rules to prevent him from competing in the next event is nothing short of ridiculous.

* Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell's gold medal-winning performance in Athens. Unbeaten in the double sculls over three years, the dominant rowers were always expected to feature on the dais. However with nothing certain in sport it was a truly memorable occasion seeing the sisters fly down the course holding out the fast-finishing Germans.

* Hamish Carter and world champion Bevan Docherty's gold-silver double in Athens. Following his disappointing 26th placing in Sydney 2000 everyone was keen to see Carter to do well. But to see two New Zealanders battling for the gold medal was something special.

* Ben Fouhy's silver in the K1 1000m. Fouhy caught his international rivals by surprise when he won the world K1 1000m title last year. The fast finishing Fouhy left his run in Athens a little too late, failing to reel in Norway's Eirik Veraas Larsen who crossed the line a mere 1.5s ahead. However a silver medal is his first Olympics is something that Fouhy can be proud of.

* Sarah Ulmer's gold medal winning ride. Following on from her world championship win in May, the rock steady Ulmer cast aside Australian Katie Mactier in the final of the 3000m in Athens to claim New Zealand's third gold medal. Not only did Ulmer comfortably beat her rival she also knocked 6s off the world record. As the woman herself would say it was an "awesome" result.

* The success of Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in the 1500m and 5000m. After he tripped in Atlanta, then was run down just metres from the line in Sydney, El Guerrouj finally tasted the golden glory he had dreamed of for so long in Athens, winning the 1500m then clinching the 5000m a few days later.

* The return of Team New Zealand. With the cup now in Europe new syndicate boss Grant Dalton somehow managed to cobble together the $130 milion or so needed to mount a challenge to try to get it back. The new-look syndicate went on to beat arch rivals Alinghi and Oracle to win the 2004 America's Cup class championship, suggesting there is no reason why yachting's greatest prize cannot return to these shores.

* The All Blacks drubbing of France. The All Blacks' superb 45-6 triumph over the Six Nations Champions was, without a doubt, the team's finest performance in recent times. The evolution of players such as Daniel Carter also showed that coach Graham Henry's decision to leave some of his 'more senior' players at home had merit.

PETER JESSUP

* Olympic triathlon Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty. You can't beat gold and silver at the top of world competition. They made it look easy, the mark of real champions.

* Sarah Ulmer's gold medal ride. World champ, expectations weighing heavily and she performed and came through. Her open and honest nature adds to the attraction.

* The Evers-Swindell twins. Likewise, though their competition in the rowing was perhaps not so stiff. Full marks for consistency and hard work in a sport only in the headlines at world champs and the Olympics.

* The Kiwis' 16-all draw with Australia at North Harbour. Any close contest with the world champs is always going to involve pride, passion and some individual brilliance from Kiwis playing well above themselves. This match was no exception.

* All Blacks demolish England at the start of the season; All Blacks demolish France at the end of the season. Are they back? I'll reserve judgment on that, but the end-of-year tour promised much.

* Bay of Plenty win the Ranfurly Shield, defend it against big brother Waikato against all odds and take a Canterbury side stacked with All Blacks into the late minutes of the game. Classic underdog stuff. * Tall Blacks upset the world basketball champions at the Athens Olympics and push other powers to the last minutes to prove their 2002 campaign in Indianapolis was no fluke.

* The Black Sox win the world championship to continue a long-term domination of their sport.

* Great Britain upsets the Kangaroos in the Tri-Nations. Shame they couldn't do it again in the final, but the round-robin win was a cracker of a contest.

* Makybe Diva wins the Melbourne Cup with Vinnie Roe second; for once I had money on the right ones.

RICHARD BOOCK

* Scott Styris' spellbinding 170 against South Africa, in the second test at Eden Park. You could wait a lifetime to see a more influential innings, or one that meant so much to his team.

* Greece wins Euro 2004. Could have once been a joke headline but not this year, not this team. The side who were expected to be jettisoned at the end of pool play instead shocked the footballing world with one of the greatest upsets in Europe. .

* Whenever Richie McCaw walks on a rugby field. It is as if some mad scientist has spliced together DNA from Kirkpatrick, Mourie, Jones and Kronfeld to create the perfect flanker. Compulsive viewing.

* Arsenal win the premiership. An extremely difficult choice for a dyed-in-the-wool Manchester United fan, but all power to any side who can dominate one of world football's toughest competitions to such an extent.

* The Christmas Eve story about the Allies playing football against the Axis troops on the front line in World War I. It's been suggested that, if the world had been able to see the exchange then, as they can view international events now, the war would have ended there and then. All power to sport.

* The Boston Red Sox' World Series title. Any triumph that makes us look back over 86 years of sporting history must be special, and the lifting of the "Bambino Curse" turned this year's play-offs into a sporting epic across the world.

* Mathew "Skippy" Sinclair's boundary catch at Melbourne. No one could believe the New Zealander had made the catch, and particularly batsman Matthew Hayden, who walked off looking confused and bewildered.

* The re-emergence of the England cricket team after being absent without leave for about 15 years. The usual laughing stock of British sport, the England side roared back into life during 2004, and this week just missed posting their ninth consecutive win, at Durban.

* Sarah Ulmer. Olympic champion, world champion, and world record-holder; it's a hard act to follow. For the lazy, overfed couch potatoes, it was nice to hear that her body was screaming in pain at the end of her gold medal winning ride. And it was even better to know that she did it all by eating McDonald's.

* The Bay of Plenty rugby team. Another great example of how an unfashionable team can make a difference if they work hard, trust each other, and share a dream.