Memorable Moments In Sports

Memorable Moments in Sports

Sports, in essence, is all about challenging yourself & constantly striving to expand your physical capacity to exceed others. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that sports records are consistently getting broken and star athletes are often replaced with new ones. Nonetheless, we all have at least one memorable moment ingrained in our minds that no one else will ever come close to imitating.  Here are some of the most memorable moments in sports.

 

• “Thrilla in Manila” Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier III
  

Muhammad Ali, The Greatest, is one of the most notable sports figures of the past century, not only for his accomplishments as an athlete but also as a humanitarian and activist. But what truly makes him The Greatest is his determination. Muhammed Ali’s first-ever loss was against Joe Frazier in “The Fight of The Century”. This fight was widely hyped because both opponents had never been defeated. Nevertheless, Ali lost this fight but defeated Frazier later in their second fight with a unanimous decision from the judges. They met for the last time in what later became their most brutal fight “Thrilla in Manila”, which was estimated to have been watched by a billion viewers. Their match ended with Ali winning, tired out in his stool, and Frazier sporting two swollen eyes. Muhammad Ali then said that this fight was the closest thing to dying that he knew.

 

• Usain Bolt's Record-Breaking 100-Meter Dash - 2008 Summer Olympics
  

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Usain Bolt burst onto the international scene. In the 100-meter dash, he shattered the world record with a time of 9.69 seconds, beating his nearest competitor by 0.20 seconds. He astonished the crowds with his raw talent through a display of power and speed. Bolt, who became an eight-time Olympic gold medalist, is the first sprinter to have won the 100-meter and 200-meter Olympic titles in three back-to-back Games (2008, 2012, and 2016). He also won two gold medals in the 4x100 relay. He became famous all around the globe after winning two sprint events in Olympic world records in the 2008 Beijing Games, becoming the first person to accomplish so since fully automatic timing became required.

 

• Roger Federer’s Retirement Match
  

Roger Federer holds a long-standing reputation as one of tennis's all-time greats. At 36, he became the oldest man to hold the top spot in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) rankings since they were established in 1973 with 310 records. Now, at 41, he decided to retire due to several knee injuries he could not fully recover from. Since Federer is one of the most well-known and loved athletes of all time, his retirement was an emotional worldwide event. Knowing Federer and his achievements, you would have thought that his retirement match would be a Grand Slam win or against his longtime rival Rafael Nadal. Contrary to most expectations, Federer lost his last single match and lost his last doubles match, which he played alongside Rafael Nadal. Yet the outcome of all of this did not overshadow his retirement, nor did it affect him as he said “I think I feel complete. I lost my last singles match. I lost my last doubles match. I lost my voice from screaming and supporting the team. I lost the last time as a team. I lost my job, but I’m very happy. I’m good. I’m really good.”

 

 

• “Hand of God”
  

This is one of those controversial stories we all hear about and the star of the story is the one and only Diego Maradona. In the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Argentina was playing against England for the quarter finals. Comes the second half of the game and Maradona scores a goal against England with his left hand. The referee didn’t see it and there was no VAR technology to detect it so the goal was awarded. Maradona then scored another goal that would later be voted as the goal of the century. The match ended 2-1 in favor of Argentina and in an interview after the match, he said that he scored the goal “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”. Argentina then won the World Cup and Maradona was labeled the best player of the tournament as he scored and assisted five goals each. However, in 2005, 19 years later, Maradona confessed to the goal, not asking for forgiveness, just merely acknowledging that the past cannot be changed.

 

• The Shot 
  

Michael Jordan is regarded as the greatest NBA player in history. He accumulated a huge number of records and achievements and his cultural impact is unmatched. One of Jordan’s most defining moments happened during a playoff game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls. This was the last game of the best-of-five series and the teams were tied with 2 wins each. With 6 seconds left, the Cavaliers were one point ahead, the score being 99-100. In the last three seconds, Michael Jordan received a pass and scored a buzzer beater shot that earned the Bulls a 101-100 win. This was the first of many MJ buzzer beaters and ever since then it was known as The Shot. Many claim it symbolizes the Bulls’ rise to the top. It was also the first buzzer beater to happen in a winner-take-it-all playoff game. The second time this happened was in 2019, 30 years later!