Sporting Highlights 2009

The BBCs's Sports Personality of the Year was a real highlight for me as a child - it's a shame that for whatever reason its format just doesn't work any more. Even I chose to watch the X-Factor this year. But this is as much to do with the poor choice of finalists, and this year with the absurd choice of Ryan Giggs winning the trophy - I may never watch it again.

So here are my sporting heroes and moments of 2009. This in some ways reflects my involvement with spectating the events - the ones that spring to mind are events I have watched or eagerly followed on "internet live text" or Radio.

Alistair Brownlee - Triathlon God and truly nice guy
The 21-year-old local lad has been in stunning form this year, dominating the Triathlon world at the "standard" distance. He has won five of the ITU World Championship Series races, including the grand final in the Gold Coast on his way to being crowned world champion. How on earth he was not in the top ten for Sports Personality I will never know. He has been this country's greatest competitor during 2009. The other wonderful thing about Alistair is that he has not forgotten his roots and still competes in local races. For example he took part in the Chevin Chase and will also compete in the Auld Lang Syne fell race alongside me! In fact he also ran at Fell relay champs - on that day his team was disqualified for missing a checkpoint, and our Ilkley team therefore finished ahead of him. I am claiming that as a victory over one of the greatest sportsmen on the planet!

Darutu Tulu - NY Marathon winner at age 37
I watched this race on the BBCi Internet broadcast. I was following the great Paula Radcliffe, but even at 15 miles she looked out of it and Tulu, who I have watched in many races over the years, grew increasingly strong. I could really see it in her that she began to realise she could win. With a mile to go she went - the fastest mile of the race - to win. And at 37 it shows all this running stuff is not a young person's game. It really inspired me.

Usain Bolt - An unbelievable WR
This is the only event on this list I didn't watch or listen to live. But I love to watch it on YouTube. This guy has up'd the game. Few sportsman ever do that - normally it it is about incremental change. But perhaps Tiger Woods, Johah Lomu and a few others have been examples where their physical prowess has step-changed the sport. I hope the same fall from grace doesn't happen to Usain that's happened to them.

David Hayes - Heavyweight champion against all the odds
This was a bout I had eagerly awaited. I love boxing - it is the ultimate extreme sport. It is a careful measure of risk against taking your chances in a very similar to a "classic" extreme sport such as rock-climbing (which was once my main sporting love).

In this fight, I thought Hayes had no chance. I was wrong. People often talk about how valid "age-group" categories are in amateur sport. In boxing, one of the oldest of sports, there has always been a way of matching those in competition. Through weight. But in this case Hayes had stepped up from cruiserweight and then took on one of the biggest heavyweights of all time. And he did it. It was truly outstanding. He broke his hand in the third round but went on to win on points after 12 rounds. Breathtaking.

See the Stars and Kauto Star - The greatest racehorses ever?

Now I've had some problems with this - I felt it wrong to include two racehorses, but Kauto Star's achievement in winning the the King George VI chase on boxing day (his 4th straight) mirrored See The Stars epic vistory at the "Prix" earlier in the year. So I've felt the need to credit them both. Kauto Star actually seemed to have it easy this week - but jump racing is never easy and things can go wrong. But he'd won it when he went clear with 4f to go.

See The Stars victory was special in a different way. Despite enormous expectation that he could follow up his earlier clean sweep of victories, half way through the race he found himself boxed and no clear way through.
But his jockey Mick Kinane manoeuvered well to find a line and the when asked See The Stars hit the overdrive switch to power his way through to win.

Barcelona - Worthy European Champions

Barcelona were such worthy winners - completely outplaying Man Utd. It is great in football when the truly talented teams actually win.




Bradley Wiggins - A breathtaking performance in the high mountains


I'm a huge fan of the TdF, and to see a British rider able to compete at the very highest level is a wonderful sight. Bradley really took on the big guns and gave it all he had in the mountains. Truly an amazing effort, and again not rewarded with a top-ten SPOTY. Yes I know I've left off Mark Cavendish but his petulance sometimes annoys me, and I thought he was wrong over his disagreements with Hushovd this year.



So there we go - my sporting heroes for 2009!