Welcome back to Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s Olympic sports series. This time, we&rsquo;ll be looking at Gymnastics: the different events, the medal contenders and famous names, as well as why you should watch. Olympic gymnastics is broadly divided into three categories: Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-artistic-gymnastics">Artistic Gymnastics</a> is what most people imagine when they think of Olympic gymnastics: an athlete performing short routines on a piece of apparatus. There are 6 different pieces of apparatus used by the men and 4 by the women. Medals are available on each piece of apparatus, as well in team and all-around events. In each event, there is a qualification stage before the top athletes compete in the final to decide the medals.

The Floor Exercise is a feature of both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s competition. In this event, gymnasts perform short routines on a 12 x 12 metre sprung floor. In their routine they will perform multiple passes and must visit each corner at least once. Points will be awarded for difficulty as well as execution. The women&rsquo;s event is performed to music and includes more dance and acrobatic skills than the men&rsquo;s event which is performed without music. Max Whitlock (GBR) won the men&rsquo;s event at Rio 2016, but will not defend his title in Tokyo. The 2019 World Championships was won by the Philippines&#39; Carlos Yulo (the youngest competitor in the top 8) ahead of the Israeli Artem Dolgopyat and they will both be looking to medal in this event in Tokyo. The women&rsquo;s event in Rio was won by Simone Biles (USA), and having won the 2019 World Championship gold, she will be expected to defend her title in Tokyo.

The Vault is the only other event to feature in both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events. Gymnasts run down a 25m runway before launching themselves off a springboard, over the platform and twist or somersault through the air before landing within a set of lines. Gymnasts must be powerful to get a good launch, and then skilful to twist and land correctly. In the men&rsquo;s event, Russian athletes have seen great success in recent years, winning silver at Rio 2016, and then taking home gold and silver at the 2019 World Championships, so their athletes are a good bet for a Tokyo medal. This is another event in which Biles will be looking to defend a Rio gold medal, and it would be surprising if she did not succeed, having won the 2019 World Championships ahead of Jade Carey (USA).

The Pommel Horse is used only by men; with their weight on their hands, gymnasts swing their legs in circular motions around the horse (a 1.6 metre form with 2 handholds in its middle), before performing a dismount. Max Whitlock (GBR) won gold in this event at Rio and having also won gold at the 2019 World Championships, he will be hoping to win again.

The Uneven Bars is a women&rsquo;s event. Two parallel bars are above the floor at different heights; gymnasts perform various rotations and twists, as well as transitions between the bars, before finishing their routine with a dismount. Aliya Mustafina (RUS) won the last 2 Olympic golds in this event, but it does not seem likely that she will compete in Tokyo. Similarly, Rio silver medallist Madison Kocian (USA) has retired, making this event hard to call. Nina Derwael (BEL) won gold at the 2019 World Championships, whilst Rio bronze medallist Sophie Scheder (GER), will also have a medal chance after injury ruled her out of the 2019 World Championships.<img alt="Still Rings event in the 2016 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4426_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Still Rings at the 2016 Summer Olympics" />

The Still Rings is a men&rsquo;s event. Two rings are suspended above the floor, so that the gymnast can swing freely below them. Routines end with a dismount and must contain at least one strength move. In Rio, Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) won gold, and having dominated the scene since, he is the favourite to win again in Tokyo.

The Parallel Bars is another event for the men. In this event, men perform short routines on two bars 1.75 metres above the floor and only shoulder-width apart, displaying swings, balances and jumps, before finishing with a dismount. This event requires both strength and precision. Joe Fraser (GBR) won gold at the 2019 World Championships and will be hoping to secure another victory in Tokyo.

The final men&rsquo;s event is the Horizontal Bar. Here, a stiff, metal bar above the ground is used for a short routine of turns, twists and releases, before an impressive dismount. Fabian Hamb&uuml;chen (GER) won gold in this event at Rio, but he has since retired, as have Rio silver and bronze medallists Leyva (USA) and Wilson (GBR), so this event is wide open, and many athletes will be looking to medal.

The Balance Beam is the final women&rsquo;s event and is one of the oldest pieces of apparatus used. On a 5 metre long and 10cm wide beam, the gymnast performs a routine lasting around 90 seconds including leaps, turns, and small dance elements. Only Romania&rsquo;s Nadia Comǎneci has won consecutive Olympic golds in this event; Sanne Wevers (NED) will hope to become the second to defend an Olympic Balance Beam title, although she will face close competition from Simone Biles (USA) who won the 2019 World Championships in this event.

<img alt="Simone Biles in the Balance Beam event at the 2016 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4428_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Simone Biles in the Balance Beam event" />Medals are also available in the All-Around for both men and women, in which athletes compete on every piece of apparatus and their scores on each are combined. This medal is perhaps regarded as the ultimate goal of Olympic gymnastics. In the men&rsquo;s event, Kōhei Uchimura (JPN) retained his 2012 gold in Rio, but he will not compete in the all-around in Tokyo. Russian athletes Nagornyy and Dalaloyan finished 1st and 2nd in the 2019 World Championships in this event and will be favourites for Olympic gold. In the women&rsquo;s event, Simone Biles (USA) won gold at Rio, and will be clear favourite to win again in Tokyo.

There is also a Team event. In Tokyo, teams of 4 will compete in both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events, where one athlete per country will compete on each piece of apparatus and their scores will be added together to produce the overall standings. In the women&rsquo;s event, the USA led by Simone Biles will be expected to defend the title they won in Rio. In the men&rsquo;s event, the Japanese team will be looking to defend their title from Rio against challengers including Russia and China who finished ahead of Japan at the 2019 World Championships.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-rhythmic-gymnastics">Rhythmic Gymnastics</a> was first introduced to the Olympics in 1984 and has appeared at every Games since. This women-only sport will feature both individual and team events in Tokyo. Gymnasts perform a routine to music with apparatus such as hoops, balls, clubs, and ribbons. Routines include typical gymnastic moves including tumbles and stands in addition to throws and other use of the apparatus. It is incredibly impressive to watch, and much of it has to be seen to be believed.

The team event is performed by teams of 5. Routines rely on not only individual gymnastic talent, but also inch-perfect teamwork and impressive choreography. Russia has won each of the last 5 gold medals in the team event, and it would be brave to bet against them.

Russia has similarly dominated the individual event and have won the last 5 gold medals in this discipline, as well as 3 silvers and 1 bronze in that time. Rio gold medallist Margarita Mamun (RUS) retired after the 2016 games, but it seems likely that one of the Russian Averina sisters will take over her title having come 1st and 2nd at the 2019 World Championships.<img alt="Israel in Rhythmic Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4427_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Israel in the Rhythmic Gymnastics event" />

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-trampoline-gymnastics">Trampoline</a> has featured at the Olympics since 2000 and in Tokyo, there will be both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events. After a number of bounces to generate height, gymnasts perform a short routine containing somersaults and twists whilst reaching heights of up to 8 metres, before they are marked on: difficulty, execution, flight time, and horizontal displacement to determine the overall winner. This is a sport in which Chinese athletes have traditionally performed well, but not one which they have dominated.

In the men&rsquo;s event, China&rsquo;s Dong Dong will be looking for his 4th Olympic medal having previously won silver (Rio 2016), gold (London 2012), and bronze (Beijing 2008). He will be competing against the Belarusian 2016 Olympic gold medallist Uladzislau Hancharou, as well as many others with medal chances. In the women&rsquo;s event, Rosie MacLennan (CAN) will be looking to win her third consecutive Olympic gold medal, although home athlete Hikaru Mori (JPN) will be hoping to build on her 2019 World Championships gold to win her first Olympic medal.

Olympic Gymnastics is always an exciting watch, and with so many different medal contenders at Tokyo, this year is sure to be no different. Be sure to use <a href="http://fixturecalendar.com">Fixture Calendar</a> to follow your favourite sports throughout the year!

Callum Farnden, June 2021

Photos by&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Competitions_in_gymnastics_at_the_Olympics_2016._Discipline_-_rings._04.jpg">Ag&ecirc;ncia Brasil</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simone_Biles_2016_Rio_beam.jpg">Danilo Borges</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_Rhythmic_gymnastics_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_(7915082100).jpg">CDE Photos</a>

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar’s Olympic sports series. This time, we’ll be looking at Gymnastics: the different events, the medal contenders and famous names, as well as why you should watch. Olympic gymnastics is broadly divided into three categories: Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline.

[**Artistic Gymnastics**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-artistic-gymnastics) is what most people imagine when they think of Olympic gymnastics: an athlete performing short routines on a piece of apparatus. There are 6 different pieces of apparatus used by the men and 4 by the women. Medals are available on each piece of apparatus, as well in team and all-around events. In each event, there is a qualification stage before the top athletes compete in the final to decide the medals.

The **Floor Exercise** is a feature of both men’s and women’s competition. In this event, gymnasts perform short routines on a 12 x 12 metre sprung floor. In their routine they will perform multiple passes and must visit each corner at least once. Points will be awarded for difficulty as well as execution. The women’s event is performed to music and includes more dance and acrobatic skills than the men’s event which is performed without music. Max Whitlock (GBR) won the men’s event at Rio 2016, but will not defend his title in Tokyo. The 2019 World Championships was won by the Philippines' Carlos Yulo (the youngest competitor in the top 8) ahead of the Israeli Artem Dolgopyat and they will both be looking to medal in this event in Tokyo. The women’s event in Rio was won by Simone Biles (USA), and having won the 2019 World Championship gold, she will be expected to defend her title in Tokyo.

The **Vault** is the only other event to feature in both men’s and women’s events. Gymnasts run down a 25m runway before launching themselves off a springboard, over the platform and twist or somersault through the air before landing within a set of lines. Gymnasts must be powerful to get a good launch, and then skilful to twist and land correctly. In the men’s event, Russian athletes have seen great success in recent years, winning silver at Rio 2016, and then taking home gold and silver at the 2019 World Championships, so their athletes are a good bet for a Tokyo medal. This is another event in which Biles will be looking to defend a Rio gold medal, and it would be surprising if she did not succeed, having won the 2019 World Championships ahead of Jade Carey (USA).

The **Pommel Horse** is used only by men; with their weight on their hands, gymnasts swing their legs in circular motions around the horse (a 1.6 metre form with 2 handholds in its middle), before performing a dismount. Max Whitlock (GBR) won gold in this event at Rio and having also won gold at the 2019 World Championships, he will be hoping to win again.

The **Uneven Bars** is a women’s event. Two parallel bars are above the floor at different heights; gymnasts perform various rotations and twists, as well as transitions between the bars, before finishing their routine with a dismount. Aliya Mustafina (RUS) won the last 2 Olympic golds in this event, but it does not seem likely that she will compete in Tokyo. Similarly, Rio silver medallist Madison Kocian (USA) has retired, making this event hard to call. Nina Derwael (BEL) won gold at the 2019 World Championships, whilst Rio bronze medallist Sophie Scheder (GER), will also have a medal chance after injury ruled her out of the 2019 World Championships.![Still Rings event in the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4426_default_big.jpeg "Still Rings at the 2016 Summer Olympics")

The **Still Rings** is a men’s event. Two rings are suspended above the floor, so that the gymnast can swing freely below them. Routines end with a dismount and must contain at least one strength move. In Rio, Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) won gold, and having dominated the scene since, he is the favourite to win again in Tokyo.

The **Parallel Bars** is another event for the men. In this event, men perform short routines on two bars 1.75 metres above the floor and only shoulder-width apart, displaying swings, balances and jumps, before finishing with a dismount. This event requires both strength and precision. Joe Fraser (GBR) won gold at the 2019 World Championships and will be hoping to secure another victory in Tokyo.

The final men’s event is the **Horizontal Bar**. Here, a stiff, metal bar above the ground is used for a short routine of turns, twists and releases, before an impressive dismount. Fabian Hambüchen (GER) won gold in this event at Rio, but he has since retired, as have Rio silver and bronze medallists Leyva (USA) and Wilson (GBR), so this event is wide open, and many athletes will be looking to medal.

The **Balance Beam** is the final women’s event and is one of the oldest pieces of apparatus used. On a 5 metre long and 10cm wide beam, the gymnast performs a routine lasting around 90 seconds including leaps, turns, and small dance elements. Only Romania’s Nadia Comǎneci has won consecutive Olympic golds in this event; Sanne Wevers (NED) will hope to become the second to defend an Olympic Balance Beam title, although she will face close competition from Simone Biles (USA) who won the 2019 World Championships in this event.

![Simone Biles in the Balance Beam event at the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4428_default_big.jpeg "Simone Biles in the Balance Beam event")Medals are also available in the **All-Around** for both men and women, in which athletes compete on every piece of apparatus and their scores on each are combined. This medal is perhaps regarded as the ultimate goal of Olympic gymnastics. In the men’s event, Kōhei Uchimura (JPN) retained his 2012 gold in Rio, but he will not compete in the all-around in Tokyo. Russian athletes Nagornyy and Dalaloyan finished 1st and 2nd in the 2019 World Championships in this event and will be favourites for Olympic gold. In the women’s event, Simone Biles (USA) won gold at Rio, and will be clear favourite to win again in Tokyo.

There is also a **Team** event. In Tokyo, teams of 4 will compete in both men’s and women’s events, where one athlete per country will compete on each piece of apparatus and their scores will be added together to produce the overall standings. In the women’s event, the USA led by Simone Biles will be expected to defend the title they won in Rio. In the men’s event, the Japanese team will be looking to defend their title from Rio against challengers including Russia and China who finished ahead of Japan at the 2019 World Championships.

[**Rhythmic Gymnastics**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-rhythmic-gymnastics) was first introduced to the Olympics in 1984 and has appeared at every Games since. This women-only sport will feature both individual and team events in Tokyo. Gymnasts perform a routine to music with apparatus such as hoops, balls, clubs, and ribbons. Routines include typical gymnastic moves including tumbles and stands in addition to throws and other use of the apparatus. It is incredibly impressive to watch, and much of it has to be seen to be believed.

The team event is performed by teams of 5. Routines rely on not only individual gymnastic talent, but also inch-perfect teamwork and impressive choreography. Russia has won each of the last 5 gold medals in the team event, and it would be brave to bet against them.

Russia has similarly dominated the individual event and have won the last 5 gold medals in this discipline, as well as 3 silvers and 1 bronze in that time. Rio gold medallist Margarita Mamun (RUS) retired after the 2016 games, but it seems likely that one of the Russian Averina sisters will take over her title having come 1st and 2nd at the 2019 World Championships.![Israel in Rhythmic Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4427_default_big.jpeg "Israel in the Rhythmic Gymnastics event")

[**Trampoline**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-trampoline-gymnastics) has featured at the Olympics since 2000 and in Tokyo, there will be both men’s and women’s events. After a number of bounces to generate height, gymnasts perform a short routine containing somersaults and twists whilst reaching heights of up to 8 metres, before they are marked on: difficulty, execution, flight time, and horizontal displacement to determine the overall winner. This is a sport in which Chinese athletes have traditionally performed well, but not one which they have dominated.

In the men’s event, China’s Dong Dong will be looking for his 4th Olympic medal having previously won silver (Rio 2016), gold (London 2012), and bronze (Beijing 2008). He will be competing against the Belarusian 2016 Olympic gold medallist Uladzislau Hancharou, as well as many others with medal chances. In the women’s event, Rosie MacLennan (CAN) will be looking to win her third consecutive Olympic gold medal, although home athlete Hikaru Mori (JPN) will be hoping to build on her 2019 World Championships gold to win her first Olympic medal.

Olympic Gymnastics is always an exciting watch, and with so many different medal contenders at Tokyo, this year is sure to be no different. Be sure to use [Fixture Calendar](http://fixturecalendar.com) to follow your favourite sports throughout the year!

***Callum Farnden, June 2021***

Photos by [Agência Brasil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Competitions_in_gymnastics_at_the_Olympics_2016._Discipline_-_rings._04.jpg), [Danilo Borges](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simone_Biles_2016_Rio_beam.jpg), [CDE Photos](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_Rhythmic_gymnastics_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_(7915082100).jpg)

A detailed look into the Gymnastics events featured at Tokyo 2020. Learn why Gymnastics is sure to excite fans and follow it with Fixture Calendar.

Olympic Sports

Gymnastics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s Olympic sports series. This week, we&rsquo;ll be looking at some of the lesser-known ball sports which will feature at the Tokyo games: the events, the medal contenders and why you should watch.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-badminton">Badminton</a> has featured as a medal sport at every Olympics since 1992. In Tokyo, there will be men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s singles and doubles, as well as a mixed doubles competition. Historically, this has been a sport in which the Chinese have excelled, winning 2 of the 5 gold medals on offer at Rio 2016, having won all 5 Badminton golds at London 2012. Badminton is an exciting, fast-paced and tactical sport, which requires agility, speed and power. Following a short preliminary stage, the medals will be decided via a knockout competition.

In the Women&rsquo;s Singles, Carolina Mar&iacute;n (ESP) will be hoping to defend her gold medal from Rio. She started 2021 strongly by winning the Thailand Open, beating Taiwan&rsquo;s world number one Tai Tzu-ying in the final. Tzu-ying will herself be hoping to win an Olympic medal for the first time, having twice gone out in the round of 16. In the Men&rsquo;s Singles, Rio silver medallist Viktor Axelsen (DEN) will be looking to medal, and seems to have started 2021 in good form, although Chen Long (CHN) will be looking to win Olympic gold again.<img alt="Fuchs and Michels for Germany against Natsir and Ahamd for Indonesia in Badminton at the 2012 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4392_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Germany v Indonesia at the 2012 Summer Olympics" />

China won the Men&rsquo;s Doubles at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics Games, and their representatives will likely be the favourites for gold again this year. Regarding the Women&rsquo;s Doubles, at Rio 2016, the Japanese pair of Matsutomo and Takahashi ended China&rsquo;s streak of 5 consecutive gold medals. Takahashi has now retired and there are multiple pairings who have a good chance to medal, so this is guaranteed to be close and exciting throughout. The Mixed Doubles has not seen the Chinese dominance that other disciplines have, and we can expect this event to be wide open yet again.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-baseball">Baseball</a> and <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-softball">Softball</a> will feature at the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008, and there will be 6 teams competing in each sport. Baseball will be contested by men, and Softball by women.

In the Baseball tournament, teams will be split into two pools of 3, and the group standings will be determined in a double round robin, before a double elimination bracket decides the medal places. The exact list of competing teams is yet to be finalised, but historically, this has been a sport in which the Cuban teams have found success, winning 3 golds and 2 silvers in baseball&rsquo;s previous Olympic appearances. We naturally associate baseball with the USA, and despite there being no current MLB players in their roster (the Olympics clashes with the MLB season), they will be looking to join Mexico, South Korea, Israel, and Japan in qualification before competing for a medal in Tokyo.

There will be six teams in the Softball competition and the medals will be decided by a single round robin, followed by gold and bronze medal matches. Softball is a sport similar to baseball but played on a smaller field with a larger ball, and with underarm pitches which makes it faster-paced, but just as tactical. The United States has been the most successful Softball country, winning 3 of the 4 previous golds. Come July, they will be competing against Australia, Mexico, Canada, Italy, and Japan (the only other country to have ever won Olympic gold) for the medals.

<img alt="South Korea playing France in Handball at the 2012 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4393_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="South Korea v France at the 2012 Summer Olympics" /><a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-handball">Handball</a> will make its 14th appearance as a men&rsquo;s competition and 12th appearance as a women&rsquo;s competition. Whilst the events have seen a variety of winning nations, there have been some periods of dominance; Denmark won 3 consecutive women&rsquo;s golds in 1996-2004, whilst in 2012 France became the first country to defend their men&rsquo;s title before losing to Denmark in the 2016 final. Handball is a fast and physical game which is exciting to watch and produces high scoring matches. It is played on an indoor court which is similar to a football pitch. At each end there is a 6 metre semi-circle in which only the goalkeeper is allowed. Each player can hold the ball for only 3 seconds and 3 steps before they must pass, dribble, or shoot.

In the Men&rsquo;s Handball, Denmark will be looking to retain their 2016 Olympic title. They won the 2019 World Championship, although they will face challenges from the other high-seeded teams Norway, Sweden, and France. In the Women&rsquo;s Handball, Russia will be looking to defend their Olympic title from Rio, although they will need to be at their best, being seeded only 3rd behind the Netherlands (2019 World Champions) and Spain.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-table-tennis">Table Tennis</a>, like badminton, has been dominated by Chinese athletes in recent years. A fast-paced sport, it is often noted for long rallies where one player attacks aggressively whilst the other staunchly defends. At Tokyo, there will be 4 table tennis events, men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s singles and men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s team, where teams of 3 play a series of singles and doubles matches until one team has won 3 individual matches. China won every gold on offer at the Rio games, as well as silver in both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s singles. With many of their athletes returning for Tokyo, including men&rsquo;s gold medallist Ma Long, it is hard to look past them for the medals.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-beach-volleyball">Beach Volleyball</a> at the Tokyo games will take place in a temporary stadium in Shiokaze Park which overlooks Tokyo Bay. 24 teams of 2 will play in both Men&rsquo;s and Women&rsquo;s competitions. In addition to the great surroundings, beach volleyball is quick (each team only gets 3 touches at a time), easy to understand, and exciting to watch. Beach volleyball has been an Olympic sport since 1996, and Brazil has won at least one medal at each Games. The Olympics is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the sport, and competition is sure to be intense.

The Men&rsquo;s Beach Volleyball at Rio 2016 was won by the Brazilian duo of Cerutti-Schmidt, but they will not be competing together this year, which may open up the competition for other nations, including the Norwegian world number 1s Mol and S&oslash;rum. The Women&rsquo;s Beach Volleyball in Rio was won by the German pair of Ludwig-Walkenhorst, but Walkenhorst has since retired as a result of injuries. The leading Brazilian pairings should not be overlooked for a medal, nor should the Canadian pair of Pavan-Melissa, who are the current world number 1s.

<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-volleyball">Volleyball</a> is played with 6 players per team, of whom three are at the net and three at the back. Each time a team wins a point, it wins back the serve and their players must rotate position.<img alt="China playing Serbia in Volleyball at the 2012 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4394_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="China v Serbia at the 2012 Summer Olympics" />&nbsp;

Men&rsquo;s Volleyball is a sport in which no country has ever seen sustained dominance. At Rio 2016 Brazil won their third Volleyball gold medal, and having also won the 2019 World Cup series, they will be strong medal favourites. In the Women&rsquo;s Volleyball, it is harder to predict an exact favourite. China won gold in Rio, and are number 1 in the world rankings, although the USA is close behind. Serbia won the 2018 World Championships, beating Italy in the final, so this is sure to be an event with lots of close games!

There are many exciting ball sports to watch at the Tokyo games, and you will have to tune in both to find out who wins and perhaps discover a new sport to follow! Be sure to use <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/">Fixture Calendar</a> to follow your favourite sports throughout the year!

Callum Farnden,&nbsp;June&nbsp;2021

Photos by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Badminton_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_9107.jpg">Ian Patterson</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Handball_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_703676.jpg">Los Bandito Anthony</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volleyball_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_(7913876824).jpg">CDE Photos</a>

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar’s Olympic sports series. This week, we’ll be looking at some of the lesser-known ball sports which will feature at the Tokyo games: the events, the medal contenders and why you should watch.

[**Badminton**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-badminton) has featured as a medal sport at every Olympics since 1992. In Tokyo, there will be men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as a mixed doubles competition. Historically, this has been a sport in which the Chinese have excelled, winning 2 of the 5 gold medals on offer at Rio 2016, having won all 5 Badminton golds at London 2012. Badminton is an exciting, fast-paced and tactical sport, which requires agility, speed and power. Following a short preliminary stage, the medals will be decided via a knockout competition.

In the **Women’s Singles**, Carolina Marín (ESP) will be hoping to defend her gold medal from Rio. She started 2021 strongly by winning the Thailand Open, beating Taiwan’s world number one Tai Tzu-ying in the final. Tzu-ying will herself be hoping to win an Olympic medal for the first time, having twice gone out in the round of 16. In the **Men’s Singles**, Rio silver medallist Viktor Axelsen (DEN) will be looking to medal, and seems to have started 2021 in good form, although Chen Long (CHN) will be looking to win Olympic gold again.![Fuchs and Michels for Germany against Natsir and Ahamd for Indonesia in Badminton at the 2012 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4392_default_big.jpeg "Germany v Indonesia at the 2012 Summer Olympics")

China won the **Men’s Doubles** at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics Games, and their representatives will likely be the favourites for gold again this year. Regarding the **Women’s Doubles**, at Rio 2016, the Japanese pair of Matsutomo and Takahashi ended China’s streak of 5 consecutive gold medals. Takahashi has now retired and there are multiple pairings who have a good chance to medal, so this is guaranteed to be close and exciting throughout. The **Mixed Doubles** has not seen the Chinese dominance that other disciplines have, and we can expect this event to be wide open yet again.

**[Baseball](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-baseball)** and **[Softball](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-softball)** will feature at the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008, and there will be 6 teams competing in each sport. Baseball will be contested by men, and Softball by women.

In the **Baseball** tournament, teams will be split into two pools of 3, and the group standings will be determined in a double round robin, before a double elimination bracket decides the medal places. The exact list of competing teams is yet to be finalised, but historically, this has been a sport in which the Cuban teams have found success, winning 3 golds and 2 silvers in baseball’s previous Olympic appearances. We naturally associate baseball with the USA, and despite there being no current MLB players in their roster (the Olympics clashes with the MLB season), they will be looking to join Mexico, South Korea, Israel, and Japan in qualification before competing for a medal in Tokyo.

There will be six teams in the **Softball** competition and the medals will be decided by a single round robin, followed by gold and bronze medal matches. Softball is a sport similar to baseball but played on a smaller field with a larger ball, and with underarm pitches which makes it faster-paced, but just as tactical. The United States has been the most successful Softball country, winning 3 of the 4 previous golds. Come July, they will be competing against Australia, Mexico, Canada, Italy, and Japan (the only other country to have ever won Olympic gold) for the medals.

**![South Korea playing France in Handball at the 2012 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4393_default_big.jpeg "South Korea v France at the 2012 Summer Olympics")[Handball](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-handball)** will make its 14th appearance as a men’s competition and 12th appearance as a women’s competition. Whilst the events have seen a variety of winning nations, there have been some periods of dominance; Denmark won 3 consecutive women’s golds in 1996-2004, whilst in 2012 France became the first country to defend their men’s title before losing to Denmark in the 2016 final. Handball is a fast and physical game which is exciting to watch and produces high scoring matches. It is played on an indoor court which is similar to a football pitch. At each end there is a 6 metre semi-circle in which only the goalkeeper is allowed. Each player can hold the ball for only 3 seconds and 3 steps before they must pass, dribble, or shoot.

In the **Men’s Handball**, Denmark will be looking to retain their 2016 Olympic title. They won the 2019 World Championship, although they will face challenges from the other high-seeded teams Norway, Sweden, and France. In the **Women’s Handball**, Russia will be looking to defend their Olympic title from Rio, although they will need to be at their best, being seeded only 3rd behind the Netherlands (2019 World Champions) and Spain.

[**Table Tennis**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-table-tennis), like badminton, has been dominated by Chinese athletes in recent years. A fast-paced sport, it is often noted for long rallies where one player attacks aggressively whilst the other staunchly defends. At Tokyo, there will be 4 table tennis events, men’s and women’s singles and men’s and women’s team, where teams of 3 play a series of singles and doubles matches until one team has won 3 individual matches. China won every gold on offer at the Rio games, as well as silver in both men’s and women’s singles. With many of their athletes returning for Tokyo, including men’s gold medallist Ma Long, it is hard to look past them for the medals.

[**Beach Volleyball**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-beach-volleyball) at the Tokyo games will take place in a temporary stadium in Shiokaze Park which overlooks Tokyo Bay. 24 teams of 2 will play in both Men’s and Women’s competitions. In addition to the great surroundings, beach volleyball is quick (each team only gets 3 touches at a time), easy to understand, and exciting to watch. Beach volleyball has been an Olympic sport since 1996, and Brazil has won at least one medal at each Games. The Olympics is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the sport, and competition is sure to be intense.

The **Men’s Beach Volleyball** at Rio 2016 was won by the Brazilian duo of Cerutti-Schmidt, but they will not be competing together this year, which may open up the competition for other nations, including the Norwegian world number 1s Mol and Sørum. The **Women’s Beach Volleyball** in Rio was won by the German pair of Ludwig-Walkenhorst, but Walkenhorst has since retired as a result of injuries. The leading Brazilian pairings should not be overlooked for a medal, nor should the Canadian pair of Pavan-Melissa, who are the current world number 1s.

[**Volleyball**](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-volleyball) is played with 6 players per team, of whom three are at the net and three at the back. Each time a team wins a point, it wins back the serve and their players must rotate position.![China playing Serbia in Volleyball at the 2012 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4394_default_big.jpeg "China v Serbia at the 2012 Summer Olympics")

**Men’s Volleyball** is a sport in which no country has ever seen sustained dominance. At Rio 2016 Brazil won their third Volleyball gold medal, and having also won the 2019 World Cup series, they will be strong medal favourites. In the **Women’s Volleyball**, it is harder to predict an exact favourite. China won gold in Rio, and are number 1 in the world rankings, although the USA is close behind. Serbia won the 2018 World Championships, beating Italy in the final, so this is sure to be an event with lots of close games!

There are many exciting ball sports to watch at the Tokyo games, and you will have to tune in both to find out who wins and perhaps discover a new sport to follow! Be sure to use [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/) to follow your favourite sports throughout the year!

***Callum Farnden, June 2021***

Photos by [Ian Patterson](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Badminton_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_9107.jpg), [Los Bandito Anthony](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Handball_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_703676.jpg), [CDE Photos](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volleyball_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_(7913876824).jpg)

From table tennis to handball, Olympic Ball Sports are guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat. Learn more about Ball Sports at Tokyo 2020.

Ball Sports at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s series on Olympic sports. This week, we will be taking a look at track cycling: the events, the riders, and why you should watch it in Tokyo.

Track cycling has appeared at every modern Olympics except Stockholm in 1912, because the city did not have a velodrome. Modern Olympic track cycling takes place on indoor, oval-shaped, banked velodromes which total 250m in length.

In recent years, track cycling has changed its roster of events, and for Tokyo it will be gender-balanced, with the same 6 events for men and women. Of these events, three are contested in teams, and three individually. The two most successful Olympic track cyclists of all time are the British athletes Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny, with 6 golds and 1 silver each. Laura Kenny is the most successful female track cyclist with 4 gold medals.

Some Rio gold medallists will return to defend their medals, there will be famous names seeking to improve, and Olympic debutants hoping to write themselves into the history books. We will now look at each event, and who the medal contenders are, starting with the team events.

The Men&rsquo;s Team Sprint is contested in teams of 3 over 3 laps of the velodrome.<img alt="Revolution Series Track Cycling at Lee Valley VeloPark" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4352_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Cyclists at Lee Valley VeloPark" />

Racing in a line, each rider completes one lap at the front, before pulling off, and the race finishes when the final rider crosses the line at the end of the third lap. This event requires good teamwork - it is important the rider on the front doesn&rsquo;t get away from his teammates, so they can continue to &ldquo;draft&rdquo; behind him, but he must also not hold them up. Even the smallest mistakes can cost teams gold.

In Tokyo, each team will compete initially in a time trial &ldquo;qualifier&rdquo;, and the top 8 teams will advance to the first round, where teams will race head-to-head starting on opposite sides of the track. From this, the two fastest heat winners go into a head-to-head final, and the next two fastest go into a head-to-head race for the bronze medal.

At the last Olympics, Great Britain&rsquo;s team set an Olympic record of 42.440 seconds to win gold, and they will be looking to defend their title with 2 of their 3 team members likely returning for Tokyo. The Dutch team, however, beat the British team in the 2020 World Championships final, setting a new World Record in the process. The Australians came a close third at the World Championships, and will be hoping to improve on their bronze medal from the Rio Olympics.

The Women&rsquo;s Team Sprint is contested by 2 riders over 2 laps, but is otherwise the same as the men&rsquo;s event. China&rsquo;s Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi won gold in Rio, setting a World Record in the process. With Gong Jinjie retired, Zhong Tianshi is now racing with Chen Feifei. They only came 3rd at the 2020 World Championships, where they were beaten by Germany (Grabosch-Hinze), who won the event, and Australia (McCulloch-Morton), who came 2nd.

The Team Pursuit is an endurance event, where teams of 4 compete over 4km (16 laps). They can take turns on the front, and the clock stops when the third team member crosses the line (head-to-head rounds can end before this if one team catches the other). In the first, &ldquo;qualifying&rdquo; round, teams race to set the fastest time in what is effectively a time trial. From this, the fastest 8 times qualify into the knockout rounds which determine final placings. Again, teamwork is required in addition to individual power, as riders must balance the amount of time they spend on the front, and not pull away from their teammates.

In the Men&rsquo;s Team Pursuit, Great Britain has won gold in each of the last 3 games. However, their team has undergone a lot of changes since their Rio triumph, and at the 2020 World Championships, they only came 7th. That World Championship was won by Denmark, who emphatically set a new world record of 3:46.579 in the process. 3 of the 4 cyclists who won Silver in Rio for Australia are likely to return and will be hoping to go one better in Tokyo.

<img alt="A Track Cyclist at the 2016 Summer Olympics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4353_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Cyclist at the 2016 Summer Olympics" />The Women&rsquo;s Team Pursuit was first introduced to the Olympics in 2012, and Great Britain has won the event both times it featured. They will likely be the favourites, but they came 2nd behind the US team at the 2020 World Championships, and this could well be the year that their dominance ends.

The Madison is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2008. In Tokyo there will be a men&rsquo;s event and, for the first time, a women&rsquo;s event. The men&rsquo;s event is contested over 50km and the women&rsquo;s event over 30km, both with 16 teams. Teams consist of 2 riders; generally, one is an endurance rider, and the other more of a sprinter. At any one time, one team member is resting and the other racing, and they swap over with a hand sling. Points are gained for lapping the bunch, and points are lost for being lapped by bunch. There are also sprints every 10 laps for bonus points, and the final sprint scores double points.

The last Men&rsquo;s Madison in 2008 was won by the Argentine duo of Curuchet and P&eacute;rez. The German pair of Theo Reinhardt and Roger Kluge won the World Championship in 2018 and 2019, but only came third in 2020 behind teams from Denmark and New Zealand; all these nations have a good chance to win gold.

The Women&rsquo;s Madison will see the Dutch duo of Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters enter as clear favourites having won the last two World Championships. As with all cycling events though, upsets can happen, and all competitors will be keen to write themselves into the history books as the first women&rsquo;s Madison gold medal winners.

There will also be three individual track cycling events for each gender at the Tokyo games. First, we will look at the Individual Sprint. Initially, a short time trial determines who qualifies for the heats. From the ⅛ final onwards, the event consists of close, tactical, head-to-head races over 3 laps; the riders start next to each other, and will fight for the best position for the final sprint. After the ⅛ and &frac14; finals there are also repechages providing alternative routes through to the next round.

In the Men&rsquo;s Individual Sprint, Jason Kenny will be looking to win his third successive gold medal, and despite finishing a disappointing 7th at the 2020 World Championships, he will expect to be amongst the medals. We may, however, expect it to be close between him and the Dutch riders Lavreysen and Hoogland who came 1st and 2nd at the 2020 World Championships respectively.

The Women&rsquo;s Individual Sprint has had 4 different winners in the last 4 Olympics, and it&rsquo;s hard to pinpoint an exact favourite. Emma Hinze (GER) will be looking to build on her gold medal at the 2020 World Championships, but she will need to be at her best to win gold in Tokyo.

The Keirin is contested over 8 laps. A popular betting sport in Japan, it was first introduced to the Olympics as a men&rsquo;s event in 2000, and a women&rsquo;s event in 2012. The event runs over 8 laps in total, with 6-7 competitors per race. For the first laps, the riders jostle for<img alt="Revolution 40 Event at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4354_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Cyclists at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome" /> position behind the derny (a motorised bike which laps at gradually increasing speeds), then with 2.5 laps to go, the derny pulls off and the sprinting begins. Riders need to be careful to not go too early, or they will run out of energy and be overtaken, but if they start their sprint too late, they will not have time to reach the front. At Tokyo, there will be a first round, where the top riders go through, then a repechage which finalises the semi-final competitors. The final will then be contested with 6 riders to determine the medal placings.

The Men&rsquo;s Keirin at Rio was won by Jason Kenny (GBR) in a dramatic final which had to be restarted twice, due to starting infringements. Kenny came 8th at the 2020 World Championships, which was narrowly won by Harrie Levreysen (NED). The Keirin is an unpredictable event, in which falls are frequent and this can easily lead to upsets, so it is certainly worth watching.

The Women&rsquo;s Keirin has had 2 different winners in its two Olympic appearances. 2016&rsquo;s Olympic gold medallist Elis Ligtlee (NED) has since retired, and no one medalled at both the 2019 and 2020 World Championships, so this event really is wide open.

The Omnium consists of 4 events, all raced in a single day. These events are the scratch race (points awarded by finishing order - 10km for men; 7.5km for women), tempo race (points awarded for winning sprints every 10 laps and lapping the pack; points deducted for being lapped - 10km for men; 7.5km for women), elimination race (every 500m the last placed rider is eliminated), and points race (as the tempo race, but longer at 25km for men, and 20km for women). These points are all added together to determine the overall standings.

For the Men&rsquo;s Omnium, Benjamin Thomas (FRA) is the current world champion, and he will be looking to win gold at Tokyo. The complexity and length of this event, however, means it is easy to make a mistake, so even relatively unknown competitors will be looking for gold.

In the Women&rsquo;s Omnium, Kirsten Wild (NED) won gold at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, but only came 7th in the 2020 event which was won by Yumi Kajihara (JAP). As with the men&rsquo;s event, almost all the competitors will have a chance to medal, so it is sure to be a great day&rsquo;s racing.

Having so few favourites will certainly make for exciting competition, and you will have to tune in to find out who triumphs. Be sure to use <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/">Fixture Calendar</a> to follow road and <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-track-cycling">track cycling</a> events throughout the year!

Callum Farnden, May 2021

Photos by <a href="https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/dab6e9d5-3c5d-4096-96bb-05bbad101e96">David Steadman</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Track_cycling_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_8.jpg">Javid Nikpour</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keirin_-_Glasgow_Revolution_40_(8441585814).jpg">Brian Townsley</a>

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar’s series on Olympic sports. This week, we will be taking a look at track cycling: the events, the riders, and why you should watch it in Tokyo.

Track cycling has appeared at every modern Olympics except Stockholm in 1912, because the city did not have a velodrome. Modern Olympic track cycling takes place on indoor, oval-shaped, banked velodromes which total 250m in length.

In recent years, track cycling has changed its roster of events, and for Tokyo it will be gender-balanced, with the same 6 events for men and women. Of these events, three are contested in teams, and three individually. The two most successful Olympic track cyclists of all time are the British athletes Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny, with 6 golds and 1 silver each. Laura Kenny is the most successful female track cyclist with 4 gold medals.

Some Rio gold medallists will return to defend their medals, there will be famous names seeking to improve, and Olympic debutants hoping to write themselves into the history books. We will now look at each event, and who the medal contenders are, starting with the team events.

The **Men’s Team Sprint** is contested in teams of 3 over 3 laps of the velodrome.![Revolution Series Track Cycling at Lee Valley VeloPark](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4352_default_big.jpeg "Cyclists at Lee Valley VeloPark")

Racing in a line, each rider completes one lap at the front, before pulling off, and the race finishes when the final rider crosses the line at the end of the third lap. This event requires good teamwork - it is important the rider on the front doesn’t get away from his teammates, so they can continue to “draft” behind him, but he must also not hold them up. Even the smallest mistakes can cost teams gold.

In Tokyo, each team will compete initially in a time trial “qualifier”, and the top 8 teams will advance to the first round, where teams will race head-to-head starting on opposite sides of the track. From this, the two fastest heat winners go into a head-to-head final, and the next two fastest go into a head-to-head race for the bronze medal.

At the last Olympics, Great Britain’s team set an Olympic record of 42.440 seconds to win gold, and they will be looking to defend their title with 2 of their 3 team members likely returning for Tokyo. The Dutch team, however, beat the British team in the 2020 World Championships final, setting a new World Record in the process. The Australians came a close third at the World Championships, and will be hoping to improve on their bronze medal from the Rio Olympics.

The **Women’s Team Sprint** is contested by 2 riders over 2 laps, but is otherwise the same as the men’s event. China’s Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi won gold in Rio, setting a World Record in the process. With Gong Jinjie retired, Zhong Tianshi is now racing with Chen Feifei. They only came 3rd at the 2020 World Championships, where they were beaten by Germany (Grabosch-Hinze), who won the event, and Australia (McCulloch-Morton), who came 2nd.

The **Team Pursuit** is an endurance event, where teams of 4 compete over 4km (16 laps). They can take turns on the front, and the clock stops when the third team member crosses the line (head-to-head rounds can end before this if one team catches the other). In the first, “qualifying” round, teams race to set the fastest time in what is effectively a time trial. From this, the fastest 8 times qualify into the knockout rounds which determine final placings. Again, teamwork is required in addition to individual power, as riders must balance the amount of time they spend on the front, and not pull away from their teammates.

In the **Men’s Team Pursuit**, Great Britain has won gold in each of the last 3 games. However, their team has undergone a lot of changes since their Rio triumph, and at the 2020 World Championships, they only came 7th. That World Championship was won by Denmark, who emphatically set a new world record of 3:46.579 in the process. 3 of the 4 cyclists who won Silver in Rio for Australia are likely to return and will be hoping to go one better in Tokyo.

![A Track Cyclist at the 2016 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4353_default_big.jpeg "Cyclist at the 2016 Summer Olympics")The **Women’s Team Pursuit** was first introduced to the Olympics in 2012, and Great Britain has won the event both times it featured. They will likely be the favourites, but they came 2nd behind the US team at the 2020 World Championships, and this could well be the year that their dominance ends.

The **Madison** is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2008. In Tokyo there will be a men’s event and, for the first time, a women’s event. The men’s event is contested over 50km and the women’s event over 30km, both with 16 teams. Teams consist of 2 riders; generally, one is an endurance rider, and the other more of a sprinter. At any one time, one team member is resting and the other racing, and they swap over with a hand sling. Points are gained for lapping the bunch, and points are lost for being lapped by bunch. There are also sprints every 10 laps for bonus points, and the final sprint scores double points.

The last **Men’s Madison** in 2008 was won by the Argentine duo of Curuchet and Pérez. The German pair of Theo Reinhardt and Roger Kluge won the World Championship in 2018 and 2019, but only came third in 2020 behind teams from Denmark and New Zealand; all these nations have a good chance to win gold.

The **Women’s Madison** will see the Dutch duo of Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters enter as clear favourites having won the last two World Championships. As with all cycling events though, upsets can happen, and all competitors will be keen to write themselves into the history books as the first women’s Madison gold medal winners.

There will also be three individual track cycling events for each gender at the Tokyo games. First, we will look at the **Individual Sprint**. Initially, a short time trial determines who qualifies for the heats. From the ⅛ final onwards, the event consists of close, tactical, head-to-head races over 3 laps; the riders start next to each other, and will fight for the best position for the final sprint. After the ⅛ and ¼ finals there are also repechages providing alternative routes through to the next round.

In the **Men’s Individual Sprint**, Jason Kenny will be looking to win his third successive gold medal, and despite finishing a disappointing 7th at the 2020 World Championships, he will expect to be amongst the medals. We may, however, expect it to be close between him and the Dutch riders Lavreysen and Hoogland who came 1st and 2nd at the 2020 World Championships respectively.

The **Women’s Individual Sprint** has had 4 different winners in the last 4 Olympics, and it’s hard to pinpoint an exact favourite. Emma Hinze (GER) will be looking to build on her gold medal at the 2020 World Championships, but she will need to be at her best to win gold in Tokyo.

The **Keirin** is contested over 8 laps. A popular betting sport in Japan, it was first introduced to the Olympics as a men’s event in 2000, and a women’s event in 2012. The event runs over 8 laps in total, with 6-7 competitors per race. For the first laps, the riders jostle for![Revolution 40 Event at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4354_default_big.jpeg "Cyclists at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome") position behind the derny (a motorised bike which laps at gradually increasing speeds), then with 2.5 laps to go, the derny pulls off and the sprinting begins. Riders need to be careful to not go too early, or they will run out of energy and be overtaken, but if they start their sprint too late, they will not have time to reach the front. At Tokyo, there will be a first round, where the top riders go through, then a repechage which finalises the semi-final competitors. The final will then be contested with 6 riders to determine the medal placings.

The **Men’s Keirin** at Rio was won by Jason Kenny (GBR) in a dramatic final which had to be restarted twice, due to starting infringements. Kenny came 8th at the 2020 World Championships, which was narrowly won by Harrie Levreysen (NED). The Keirin is an unpredictable event, in which falls are frequent and this can easily lead to upsets, so it is certainly worth watching.

The **Women’s Keirin** has had 2 different winners in its two Olympic appearances. 2016’s Olympic gold medallist Elis Ligtlee (NED) has since retired, and no one medalled at both the 2019 and 2020 World Championships, so this event really is wide open.

The **Omnium** consists of 4 events, all raced in a single day. These events are the scratch race (points awarded by finishing order - 10km for men; 7.5km for women), tempo race (points awarded for winning sprints every 10 laps and lapping the pack; points deducted for being lapped - 10km for men; 7.5km for women), elimination race (every 500m the last placed rider is eliminated), and points race (as the tempo race, but longer at 25km for men, and 20km for women). These points are all added together to determine the overall standings.

For the **Men’s Omnium**, Benjamin Thomas (FRA) is the current world champion, and he will be looking to win gold at Tokyo. The complexity and length of this event, however, means it is easy to make a mistake, so even relatively unknown competitors will be looking for gold.

In the **Women’s Omnium**, Kirsten Wild (NED) won gold at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, but only came 7th in the 2020 event which was won by Yumi Kajihara (JAP). As with the men’s event, almost all the competitors will have a chance to medal, so it is sure to be a great day’s racing.

Having so few favourites will certainly make for exciting competition, and you will have to tune in to find out who triumphs. Be sure to use [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/) to follow road and [track cycling](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-track-cycling) events throughout the year!

***Callum Farnden,* *May 2021***

Photos by [David Steadman](https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/dab6e9d5-3c5d-4096-96bb-05bbad101e96), [Javid Nikpour](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Track_cycling_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_8.jpg), [Brian Townsley](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keirin_-_Glasgow_Revolution_40_(8441585814).jpg)

Explore Track Cycling events at Tokyo 2020. Whether working as a team or fighting for individual glory, the competition is sure to be heated.

Track Cycling at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Welcome to Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s new series which will give a quick overview of a variety of Olympic sports and why you should watch them at the Tokyo games. First up: Sailing.

Sailing has been an Olympic sport since the first modern Olympics in 1896, only missing out in 1904, and in 2016 it became one of the first sports to include a compulsory mixed gender event. For the Tokyo Olympics, sailing events will take place on the scenic waters off Enoshima, Japan. Historically, Great Britain has been the most successful nation with 28 gold medals (including 4 for Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor ever), followed by the USA with 19.<img alt="Rio 2016 Finn Sailing Competition" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4327_default_big.png" style="float:right" title="Finn Sailing at Rio 2016" />

In Tokyo, we can look forward to 10 different sailing events. Each event will consist of 10 or 12 races for all competitors, with each scoring points according to their placing (1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, etc.). At the end of this series, the top 10 qualify for a double points medal race, which is added to the opening series to produce the final standings.

Some Rio gold medallists are back to try to win again, whilst a number of World Champions and previous Olympic medallists will also be competing for gold. The pandemic has clearly affected the sailors&rsquo; preparations and this has the potential to throw many events wide open. We will now look at the events and some of the sailors who will be fighting for gold.

The 470 Men&rsquo;s event is sailed in 470 dinghies, a double-hander with a single trapeze for the crew and a symmetric spinnaker. Rio silver medallists and 2019 World Champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS), had been dominating the circuit up until the pandemic, and many will expect them to take home gold. However, we should expect it to be close between them, the current world champions from Sweden (Dahlberg-Bergsrom), and the Rio silver medalists and current world no. 1s from Spain (Xammar-Rodriguez). If the conditions suit them, the British duo of Patience (London 2012 silver medallist) and Grube could also challenge for a medal.

I<img alt="Ready Steady Tokyo Sailing 2019 in the Women's 470" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4328_default_big.png" style="float:left" title="Women's 470 Sailing" />n the 470 Women&rsquo;s event, Hannah Mills (GBR) is returning to defend her gold medal from Rio with a new crew, Eilidh Mcintyre. They are currently world number 1, although they were beaten at the 2019 test event by the French duo Lecointre-Retornaz, who would expect to be hot on their heels this summer.

The Laser is a one-design single-handed, one sail hiking dinghy for men. The last 2 events have been won by 2 different Australians, and Matthew Wearn (AUS), will be looking to continue that streak at his first Olympics. Over the years, the Laser has produced many dramatic finishes: in the 2016 medal race, Tom Burton (AUS) needed to beat Tonči Stipanović (CRO) by 5 places to claim gold. Burton went aggressive in the pre-start, and slowly picked his way through the fleet to finish third in the race, before nervously watching as Stipanović finished only 9th, to leave Burton with the gold medal.

In the Laser Radial (the women&rsquo;s equivalent of the Laser, using the same hull but a slightly smaller sail), Marit Bouwmeester (NED) will be looking to defend her gold medal from Rio against challengers including both Rio&rsquo;s Silver medallist Murphy (IRE) and Bronze medallist Rindom (DEN).

The Finn - a single-hander for larger men - is making its last appearance at the Olympics, having debuted in 1952; each of the last 5 gold medals in this class ave gone to Britain. Giles Scott (GBR) dominated the class in the build-up to Rio, and was rewarded with gold, but since then he has been focused on Ineos&rsquo; America&rsquo;s Cup campaign. Competition in the class looks close this year; Josh Junior (NZL) won the Finn Gold Cup in 2019, and the 2021 Gold Cup is coming in May, which should give us a clearer picture of what to expect.

In the 49er - a fast, double-handed, twin-trapeze skiff - Burling and Tuke (NZL) will be looking to defend their Gold medal from Rio, and with long-time rival Nathan Outteridge (AUS) moving on from Olympic sailing, they should be strong favourites. The British pair, Fletcher and Bithell came second at the Olympic Test event in 2019 whilst Croatia&rsquo;s Sime Fantela, having won gold in the 470 at Rio, will be sailing his first Olympics in the 49er. The 49er has produced many memorable moments. Most notably, at Beijing 2008, the Danish pair Warren-Ibsen needed to only finish 8th in the medal race to guarantee themselves gold. However, in incredibly challenging conditions, their mast broke before the race. Having hurried ashore, the Danish team were lent the Croatian team&rsquo;s boat, and started last, only 4 seconds inside the time limit. Throughout the fleet, competitors were fighting not just each other but the wind, and there were many capsizes. The Danes battled to finish 7th, and their gold medal was only confirmed the next day following a protest hearing.

The women&rsquo;s 49er FX is the same as the 49er, but with a smaller rig. This class made its first appearance at Rio, where Grael-Kunze (BRA) won gold, and they will be looking to defend their title this year.

The Nacra 17 is the only foiling class in this year&rsquo;s Games. A catamaran, it is sailed by a mixed crew, and was introduced for the first time at Rio 2016. Rio gold medallist, the experienced Santiago Lange (ARG) will attempt to defend his title with crew Cecilia Carranza Saroli. The British World Champions Gimson-Burnet, and the Australian silver medallists from Rio 2016, Waterhouse-Darmanin, will both be looking to challenge.<img alt="Ready Steady Tokyo Sailing 2019 in RS:X Men's" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4329_default_big.png" style="float:right" title="Men's RS:X Windsurfing" />

In windsurfing, the RS:X is used for both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events. In the Men&rsquo;s event, all 3 medallists from Rio have since retired and the test event was incredibly close, so we can be sure of nail-biting competition. Kiran Badloe (NED) will probably be the slight favourite, having recently won the World Championships. In the Women&rsquo;s event, Rio gold medallist. Charline Picon (FRA), will be looking to win again, despite being narrowly beaten to first by Lu (CHN) at the test event. Lilian de Geus (NED) will be hoping to improve on her 4th place at Rio, having just won the World Championships.

The Olympics is the pinnacle of small boat sailing/windsurfing, and many years of effort and investment have been put into getting the sailors and their boats ready for this event. Improved technology has made the sport easier to watch, follow and understand than ever before, and the delays to the games will have made the competitors hungrier than ever.

One thing is clear: there is no safe bet for the upcoming Olympics <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-sailing">sailing</a> events, and we should expect close racing. Be sure to use <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-sailing">Fixture Calendar</a> to ensure you don&rsquo;t miss any sailing events throughout the year!

Callum Farnden, May 2021

Photos by <a href="https://worldsailing.photoshelter.com/index">World Sailing</a>

Welcome to Fixture Calendar’s new series which will give a quick overview of a variety of Olympic sports and why you should watch them at the Tokyo games. First up: Sailing.

Sailing has been an Olympic sport since the first modern Olympics in 1896, only missing out in 1904, and in 2016 it became one of the first sports to include a compulsory mixed gender event. For the Tokyo Olympics, sailing events will take place on the scenic waters off Enoshima, Japan. Historically, Great Britain has been the most successful nation with 28 gold medals (including 4 for Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor ever), followed by the USA with 19.![Rio 2016 Finn Sailing Competition](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4327_default_big.png "Finn Sailing at Rio 2016")

In Tokyo, we can look forward to 10 different sailing events. Each event will consist of 10 or 12 races for all competitors, with each scoring points according to their placing (1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, etc.). At the end of this series, the top 10 qualify for a double points medal race, which is added to the opening series to produce the final standings.

Some Rio gold medallists are back to try to win again, whilst a number of World Champions and previous Olympic medallists will also be competing for gold. The pandemic has clearly affected the sailors’ preparations and this has the potential to throw many events wide open. We will now look at the events and some of the sailors who will be fighting for gold.

The **470 Men’s** event is sailed in 470 dinghies, a double-hander with a single trapeze for the crew and a symmetric spinnaker. Rio silver medallists and 2019 World Champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS), had been dominating the circuit up until the pandemic, and many will expect them to take home gold. However, we should expect it to be close between them, the current world champions from Sweden (Dahlberg-Bergsrom), and the Rio silver medalists and current world no. 1s from Spain (Xammar-Rodriguez). If the conditions suit them, the British duo of Patience (London 2012 silver medallist) and Grube could also challenge for a medal.

I![Ready Steady Tokyo Sailing 2019 in the Women's 470](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4328_default_big.png "Women's 470 Sailing")n the **470 Women’s** event, Hannah Mills (GBR) is returning to defend her gold medal from Rio with a new crew, Eilidh Mcintyre. They are currently world number 1, although they were beaten at the 2019 test event by the French duo Lecointre-Retornaz, who would expect to be hot on their heels this summer.

The **Laser** is a one-design single-handed, one sail hiking dinghy for men. The last 2 events have been won by 2 different Australians, and Matthew Wearn (AUS), will be looking to continue that streak at his first Olympics. Over the years, the Laser has produced many dramatic finishes: in the 2016 medal race, Tom Burton (AUS) needed to beat Tonči Stipanović (CRO) by 5 places to claim gold. Burton went aggressive in the pre-start, and slowly picked his way through the fleet to finish third in the race, before nervously watching as Stipanović finished only 9th, to leave Burton with the gold medal.

In the **Laser Radial** (the women’s equivalent of the Laser, using the same hull but a slightly smaller sail), Marit Bouwmeester (NED) will be looking to defend her gold medal from Rio against challengers including both Rio’s Silver medallist Murphy (IRE) and Bronze medallist Rindom (DEN).

The **Finn** - a single-hander for larger men - is making its last appearance at the Olympics, having debuted in 1952; each of the last 5 gold medals in this class ave gone to Britain. Giles Scott (GBR) dominated the class in the build-up to Rio, and was rewarded with gold, but since then he has been focused on Ineos’ America’s Cup campaign. Competition in the class looks close this year; Josh Junior (NZL) won the Finn Gold Cup in 2019, and the 2021 Gold Cup is coming in May, which should give us a clearer picture of what to expect.

In the **49er** - a fast, double-handed, twin-trapeze skiff - Burling and Tuke (NZL) will be looking to defend their Gold medal from Rio, and with long-time rival Nathan Outteridge (AUS) moving on from Olympic sailing, they should be strong favourites. The British pair, Fletcher and Bithell came second at the Olympic Test event in 2019 whilst Croatia’s Sime Fantela, having won gold in the 470 at Rio, will be sailing his first Olympics in the 49er. The 49er has produced many memorable moments. Most notably, at Beijing 2008, the Danish pair Warren-Ibsen needed to only finish 8th in the medal race to guarantee themselves gold. However, in incredibly challenging conditions, their mast broke before the race. Having hurried ashore, the Danish team were lent the Croatian team’s boat, and started last, only 4 seconds inside the time limit. Throughout the fleet, competitors were fighting not just each other but the wind, and there were many capsizes. The Danes battled to finish 7th, and their gold medal was only confirmed the next day following a protest hearing.

The women’s **49er FX** is the same as the 49er, but with a smaller rig. This class made its first appearance at Rio, where Grael-Kunze (BRA) won gold, and they will be looking to defend their title this year.

The **Nacra 17** is the only foiling class in this year’s Games. A catamaran, it is sailed by a mixed crew, and was introduced for the first time at Rio 2016. Rio gold medallist, the experienced Santiago Lange (ARG) will attempt to defend his title with crew Cecilia Carranza Saroli. The British World Champions Gimson-Burnet, and the Australian silver medallists from Rio 2016, Waterhouse-Darmanin, will both be looking to challenge.![Ready Steady Tokyo Sailing 2019 in RS:X Men's](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4329_default_big.png "Men's RS:X Windsurfing")

In windsurfing, the **RS:X** is used for both men’s and women’s events. In the **Men’s** event, all 3 medallists from Rio have since retired and the test event was incredibly close, so we can be sure of nail-biting competition. Kiran Badloe (NED) will probably be the slight favourite, having recently won the World Championships. In the **Women’s** event, Rio gold medallist. Charline Picon (FRA), will be looking to win again, despite being narrowly beaten to first by Lu (CHN) at the test event. Lilian de Geus (NED) will be hoping to improve on her 4th place at Rio, having just won the World Championships.

The Olympics is the pinnacle of small boat sailing/windsurfing, and many years of effort and investment have been put into getting the sailors and their boats ready for this event. Improved technology has made the sport easier to watch, follow and understand than ever before, and the delays to the games will have made the competitors hungrier than ever.

One thing is clear: there is no safe bet for the upcoming Olympics [sailing](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics/competition-olympic-sailing) events, and we should expect close racing. Be sure to use [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-sailing) to ensure you don’t miss any sailing events throughout the year!

***Callum Farnden, May 2021***

Photos by [World Sailing](https://worldsailing.photoshelter.com/index)

A detailed look into the most exciting Sailing events at the Tokyo Olympics. Learn about the highly competitive sport and what makes Sailing so thrilling.

Sailing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

After the 2020 sporting calendar was hammered by Covid-19, sport is back with an absolute vengeance in 2021. There is the usual serving of all the annual major events, plus the added extras of rescheduled matches and tournaments, making 2021 a bumper sporting year.

Here are the three standout sporting weeks of 2021 - jam-packed with more mouth-watering fixtures than you can shake a stick at.

Which week would you pick? Remember - use <a href="http://fixturecalendar.com">Fixture Calendar</a> to check sports in your local times and make sure these dates are in your diary!

Sunday 23rd May 2021 - Saturday 29th May 2021

<img alt="Ferrari at the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4045_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Monaco Grand Prix" />Formula 1

This seven-day stretch kicks off with the prestigious Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday 23rd May. The race is considered one of the most illustrious, glamorous and important races, not just in formula one, but in the entirety of motorsport. The pandemic meant that the Monaco GP was not held in 2020 - the first time it has not gone ahead for 66 years - making the 2021 race even more special.

Football

Sunday 23rd May also sees three of the top football divisions in Europe reach their climax as the 2020/21 Premier League, La Liga and Serie A campaigns all conclude. With title destinations, European football places and relegation spots to be decided, the final day of a league season always guarantees a dose of drama. Three of the most elite leagues in world football should throw up plenty to get excited about.

Wednesday 26th May sees the Europa League reach its hotly-anticipated conclusion, as the competition&rsquo;s 50th final takes place at the Stadion Energa Gdańsk in Poland. Despite being the secondary domestic cup competition in European football, the Europa League final has played host to some of the continent&rsquo;s biggest sides down the years. Sevilla, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United have all been crowned champions in the past five seasons. The Europa League final also has a reputation for delivering on the entertainment front, with just one of the last 20 finals finishing goalless.

Wednesday&rsquo;s Europa League final is the perfect warm-up for Saturday 29th May&rsquo;s showpiece event: the Champions League Final. Two of European football&rsquo;s upmost elite will go head to head at the Atat&uuml;rk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, in a bid to get their hands on the most illustrious honour in club football. Will Bayern Munich defend their crown, can Real Madrid lift a record extending 14th European title, or will there be a new name on the trophy?

Tennis

Day One of the second tennis grand slam of the year - the French Open - also gets underway on 23rd May at Roland Garros, and the first week of the tournament continues across the subsequent seven days. The King of Clay Rafael Nadal will be vying for a record-extending 14th title, while in the women&rsquo;s draw, 2020 teenage champion, Iga Świątek, will be aiming to defend her crown.

Cycling

The Giro D&rsquo;Italia - one of world cycling&rsquo;s most prestigious multi stage events - also takes place across the week. The cream of the cycling crop will tackle 21 gruelling stages, and with the race concluding on 30 May, these seven days could be particularly crucial in determining the destination of the pink jersey.

Disability Sport

Saturday 29 May also signals the beginning of the 2021 Invictus Games in the Hague in the Netherlands. The seven-day competition sees wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women compete in various events, using the power of sport to inspire recovery.

Monday 5th July 2021 - Sunday 11th July 2021

<img alt="Wimbledon Championships" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4046_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Wimbledon Championships" />Tennis

Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time in 75 years due to the pandemic, but makes its welcome return in the summer of 2021. The All England Club plays host to the most illustrious Grand Slam on the tennis tour, which enters its highly-competitive second week on Monday 5th July. The women&rsquo;s final takes place on Saturday 10th July, and the fortnight concludes with the Wimbledon men&rsquo;s final on Sunday 11th July.

Cycling

The most prestigious race in world cycling also takes place across the week, with stage 10 of the Tour de France commencing in Albertville on Tuesday 6th July. Riders will tackle 1,142km over the six days, finishing up in Andorra on Sunday 11th July with just six stages remaining to determine the owner of the yellow jersey.

Rugby Union

There are two fixtures in the Great British and Irish Lions&rsquo; tour of South Africa to look forward to across the seven days. The Lions take on a South Africa Invitational side on Wednesday 7th July at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, before facing Super Rugby side Sharks on Saturday 10th July at Jonsson Kings Park in Durban in preparation for their three-game series against world champions South Africa.

Football

The Copa America - the oldest international tournament in world football - enters the business stage during the opening weeks of July. The Copa America Semifinals take place on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th July, followed by the third place playoff and the final on 10 July. With the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Sergio Ageuro and more of the very best talent in South American football on display, the Copa America is always a terrific spectacle.

Further international football action comes in the form of the rescheduled European Championships, which also reach boiling point over said seven days. The Semifinals take place on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th July, before the showpiece final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 11th July. With giants of world football Belgium, France and Spain all poised to be in action, the Euros always produce a superb serving of the beautiful game.

Monday 20th September 2021 - Sunday 26th September 2021

Rugby Union

The 2021 Women&rsquo;s Rugby World Cup takes place throughout the seven days. Day three of the tournament gets underway on Monday 20th September, with a fixture occurring each day of the week.

New Zealand are the host nation for the first time in the competition&rsquo;s history, and with home advantage the reigning champions will be an even more formidable opponent as they vie for their record-extending sixth world title.

<img alt="Ryder Cup" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4047_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Ryder Cup" />Golf

The Ryder Cup - golf&rsquo;s flagship competition - commences on Friday 24th September at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. Days one and two see four foursome matches and four fourball matches, before the tournament concludes on Sunday 26th September with 12 singles matches. Europe go into the competition as defending champions, but have not won in the United States since the famous 2012 Miracle at Medinah. Gripping, dramatic and steeped in tradition, the Ryder Cup is a headline event on any sporting calendar.

Baseball

Friday 24th September also sees two of the greatest rivals in American sport go toe to toe as the Boston Red Sox embark on a three-game MLB series with the New York Yankees. The two teams enjoy one of the oldest, fiercest rivalries in American sport, and will thrash it out over three games at Fenway Park on 24th, 25th and 26th September.

Australian Rules Football

The pinnacle of Aussie Rules Football takes place at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday 25th September; the AFL Grand Final. The fixture is the highlight of the Australian sporting calendar. Characterised by six-figure crowds, huge TV audiences and whacky traditions, it is a blockbuster event.

Athletics

There is also athletics action to look forward to over the weekend, as the Berlin Marathon takes place on Sunday 26 September. Berlin is famed for being a fast course, with the marathon world record being broken on 11 separate occasions in the German capital - most recently in 2018 by Eliud Kipchoge in the men&rsquo;s race, as the Kenyan posted a time of 2:01:39.

As we have learnt this past year all details can change at a moment&rsquo;s notice, so keep up to date and check details using the <a href="http://fixturecalendar.com">Fixture Calendar</a>.

Alice Rampling, November 2021

Photos by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B97LHhMJFFY/">FORMULA 1&reg;</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz5rJv-FKOb/">Wimbledon</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CI3HoVRl923/">Ryder Cup Europe</a>

After the 2020 sporting calendar was hammered by Covid-19, sport is back with an absolute vengeance in 2021. There is the usual serving of all the annual major events, plus the added extras of rescheduled matches and tournaments, making 2021 a bumper sporting year.

Here are the three standout sporting weeks of 2021 - jam-packed with more mouth-watering fixtures than you can shake a stick at.

Which week would you pick? Remember - use [Fixture Calendar](http://fixturecalendar.com) to check sports in your local times and make sure these dates are in your diary!

**Sunday 23rd May 2021 - Saturday 29th May 2021**

*![Ferrari at the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4045_default_big.jpeg "Monaco Grand Prix")Formula 1*

This seven-day stretch kicks off with the prestigious Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday 23rd May. The race is considered one of the most illustrious, glamorous and important races, not just in formula one, but in the entirety of motorsport. The pandemic meant that the Monaco GP was not held in 2020 - the first time it has not gone ahead for 66 years - making the 2021 race even more special.

*Football*

Sunday 23rd May also sees three of the top football divisions in Europe reach their climax as the 2020/21 Premier League, La Liga and Serie A campaigns all conclude. With title destinations, European football places and relegation spots to be decided, the final day of a league season always guarantees a dose of drama. Three of the most elite leagues in world football should throw up plenty to get excited about.

Wednesday 26th May sees the Europa League reach its hotly-anticipated conclusion, as the competition’s 50th final takes place at the Stadion Energa Gdańsk in Poland. Despite being the secondary domestic cup competition in European football, the Europa League final has played host to some of the continent’s biggest sides down the years. Sevilla, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United have all been crowned champions in the past five seasons. The Europa League final also has a reputation for delivering on the entertainment front, with just one of the last 20 finals finishing goalless.

Wednesday’s Europa League final is the perfect warm-up for Saturday 29th May’s showpiece event: the Champions League Final. Two of European football’s upmost elite will go head to head at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, in a bid to get their hands on the most illustrious honour in club football. Will Bayern Munich defend their crown, can Real Madrid lift a record extending 14th European title, or will there be a new name on the trophy?

*Tennis*

Day One of the second tennis grand slam of the year - the French Open - also gets underway on 23rd May at Roland Garros, and the first week of the tournament continues across the subsequent seven days. The King of Clay Rafael Nadal will be vying for a record-extending 14th title, while in the women’s draw, 2020 teenage champion, Iga Świątek, will be aiming to defend her crown.

*Cycling*

The Giro D’Italia - one of world cycling’s most prestigious multi stage events - also takes place across the week. The cream of the cycling crop will tackle 21 gruelling stages, and with the race concluding on 30 May, these seven days could be particularly crucial in determining the destination of the pink jersey.

*Disability Sport*

Saturday 29 May also signals the beginning of the 2021 Invictus Games in the Hague in the Netherlands. The seven-day competition sees wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women compete in various events, using the power of sport to inspire recovery.

**Monday 5th July 2021 - Sunday 11th July 2021**

*![Wimbledon Championships](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4046_default_big.jpeg "Wimbledon Championships")Tennis*

Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time in 75 years due to the pandemic, but makes its welcome return in the summer of 2021. The All England Club plays host to the most illustrious Grand Slam on the tennis tour, which enters its highly-competitive second week on Monday 5th July. The women’s final takes place on Saturday 10th July, and the fortnight concludes with the Wimbledon men’s final on Sunday 11th July.

*Cycling*

The most prestigious race in world cycling also takes place across the week, with stage 10 of the Tour de France commencing in Albertville on Tuesday 6th July. Riders will tackle 1,142km over the six days, finishing up in Andorra on Sunday 11th July with just six stages remaining to determine the owner of the yellow jersey.

*Rugby Union*

There are two fixtures in the Great British and Irish Lions’ tour of South Africa to look forward to across the seven days. The Lions take on a South Africa Invitational side on Wednesday 7th July at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, before facing Super Rugby side Sharks on Saturday 10th July at Jonsson Kings Park in Durban in preparation for their three-game series against world champions South Africa.

*Football*

The Copa America - the oldest international tournament in world football - enters the business stage during the opening weeks of July. The Copa America Semifinals take place on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th July, followed by the third place playoff and the final on 10 July. With the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Sergio Ageuro and more of the very best talent in South American football on display, the Copa America is always a terrific spectacle.

Further international football action comes in the form of the rescheduled European Championships, which also reach boiling point over said seven days. The Semifinals take place on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th July, before the showpiece final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 11th July. With giants of world football Belgium, France and Spain all poised to be in action, the Euros always produce a superb serving of the beautiful game.

**Monday 20th September 2021 - Sunday 26th September 2021**

*Rugby Union*

The 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup takes place throughout the seven days. Day three of the tournament gets underway on Monday 20th September, with a fixture occurring each day of the week.

New Zealand are the host nation for the first time in the competition’s history, and with home advantage the reigning champions will be an even more formidable opponent as they vie for their record-extending sixth world title.

*![Ryder Cup](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/05/thumb_4047_default_big.jpeg "Ryder Cup")Golf*

The Ryder Cup - golf’s flagship competition - commences on Friday 24th September at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. Days one and two see four foursome matches and four fourball matches, before the tournament concludes on Sunday 26th September with 12 singles matches. Europe go into the competition as defending champions, but have not won in the United States since the famous 2012 Miracle at Medinah. Gripping, dramatic and steeped in tradition, the Ryder Cup is a headline event on any sporting calendar.

*Baseball*

Friday 24th September also sees two of the greatest rivals in American sport go toe to toe as the Boston Red Sox embark on a three-game MLB series with the New York Yankees. The two teams enjoy one of the oldest, fiercest rivalries in American sport, and will thrash it out over three games at Fenway Park on 24th, 25th and 26th September.

*Australian Rules Football*

The pinnacle of Aussie Rules Football takes place at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday 25th September; the AFL Grand Final. The fixture is the highlight of the Australian sporting calendar. Characterised by six-figure crowds, huge TV audiences and whacky traditions, it is a blockbuster event.

*Athletics*

There is also athletics action to look forward to over the weekend, as the Berlin Marathon takes place on Sunday 26 September. Berlin is famed for being a fast course, with the marathon world record being broken on 11 separate occasions in the German capital - most recently in 2018 by Eliud Kipchoge in the men’s race, as the Kenyan posted a time of 2:01:39.

As we have learnt this past year all details can change at a moment’s notice, so keep up to date and check details using the [Fixture Calendar](http://fixturecalendar.com).

***Alice Rampling, November 2021***

Photos by [FORMULA 1®](https://www.instagram.com/p/B97LHhMJFFY/), [Wimbledon](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz5rJv-FKOb/), [Ryder Cup Europe](https://www.instagram.com/p/CI3HoVRl923/)

A look into what is expected to be the most exciting weeks of sport in 2021. After the 2020 calendar was hammered by Covid-19 sport is back with vengeance.

Sport in Focus

2021's Three Most Unmissable Sporting Weeks

Welcome back to Fixture&rsquo;s Iconic Sporting Moments Series.&nbsp;Next up it&rsquo;s cricket. From incredible Test series to moments of individual brilliance, dramatic comebacks to thrilling underdog triumphs, here are a selection of moments that prove why cricket is one of the most compelling sports in the world.

<img alt="Cricket Ashes Urn 1882" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3665_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Ashes Urn" />The Birth of the Ashes, 1882

England and Australia played a&nbsp;one-off&nbsp;Test match in 1882, and the reaction to the result was the catalyst for the most illustrious Test series in world cricket. After Australia inflicted a shock seven-run defeat on England, journalist&nbsp;Reginald Shirley Brooks&nbsp;wrote:&nbsp;&ldquo;In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval,&nbsp;29th August&nbsp;1882&hellip; The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.&rdquo;&nbsp;The pair met again the following winter in a three-Test series, which England won 2-1. According to legend, a small urn containing the ashes of a bail used in the third test was presented to England captain&nbsp;Ivo Bligh. England and Australia have since competed for the Ashes every couple of years in the highlight of the&nbsp;cricketing&nbsp;calendar&nbsp;and a replica of the urn has been awarded to the series&rsquo;&nbsp;winners since 1999. The original urn was donated to the Marleybone Cricket Club at Lord&rsquo;s in 1927, where it has remained ever since.&nbsp;

Underdogs India&nbsp;Win the World Cup&nbsp;and Trigger&nbsp;Country&rsquo;s&nbsp;Love&nbsp;Affair with&nbsp;Cricket,&nbsp;1983

India were 50-1 outsiders at the beginning of the 1983 World Cup&nbsp;-&nbsp;during the previous two World Cups they had recorded one solitary victory. They looked as if they could be heading for their usual early exit when they found themselves&nbsp;9/4&nbsp;against&nbsp;Zimbabwe&nbsp;in their penultimate group match, only for captain Kapil Dev to score a mammoth 175 in an astonishing innings to secure a 31-run victory. It was a turning point in India&rsquo;s tournament, as they comprehensively beat Australia in their final group match, before eliminating hosts England in the&nbsp;semifinals.&nbsp;In the final, India&nbsp;faced an imperious West Indies side,&nbsp;captained by the great Viv&nbsp;Richards,&nbsp;who were&nbsp;on the hunt for their third successive World Cup crown. The West Indies were on track to secure it after India were bowled all out for 183&nbsp;but the India bowling&nbsp;line-up&nbsp;were in inspired form, and the Windies were all out for 140 and India were crowned world champions. It was a tournament that transformed Indian cricket, the nation became transfixed and this inaugural World Cup victory was the first step towards the dominance they would go onto enjoy in the game.

Shane Warne&rsquo;s&nbsp;Ball of the&nbsp;Century -&nbsp;Australia v England,&nbsp;1993 Ashes

Australia bowler Shane Warne retired from international cricket in 2006, safe in the knowledge that he had forged a legacy as one of the greatest bowlers to ever grace the field. Warne announced himself on the international stage during the 1993 Ashes series. It was the then 23-year-old&rsquo;s Ashes debut, and yet he finished the series as the leading wicket taker. On the second day of the first Test at Old Trafford, in the very first ball Warne ever bowled in the Ashes, he dismissed England batsman Mike Gatting for four, with&nbsp;one of the finest pieces of spin bowling the game has ever seen.&nbsp;The ball pitched several inches wide of Gatting&rsquo;s leg stump, before sharply swerving inside and clipping it, leaving the England batsman completely deceived by the outrageous spin on the ball. An absolutely mesmerising piece of bowling.

<img alt="English Cricket Team celebrate winning the Cricket World Cup 2019" longdesc="" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3666_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="English Cricket Team" />England Win World Cup With Dramatic Super Over, 2019

Sport is all about fine margins, and the 2019 Cricket World Cup final was decided by the very finest. Hosts,&nbsp;England,&nbsp;looked to be on course to secure a maiden World Cup title after being set a modest 241 by New Zealand, but the Black Caps fared better with the ball, stifling the England batsmen and leaving them requiring 46 with five overs remaining. With a bit of Ben Stokes&rsquo; brilliance - hitting 86 to drag England back into contention - and a slice of fortune - Stokes scored an extra four runs as he dived for the crease and Martin Guptill&rsquo;s attempted return to the wicketkeeper&rsquo;s end deflected off his bat&nbsp;-&nbsp;England drew level to send the final to a Super Over, the first time an ODI had to be settled by such a means. Remarkably, the two sides were still level after the Super Over, having scored 15 runs a piece, but England were crowned world champions by virtue of scoring more boundaries. Cricket&rsquo;s showpiece event delivered one of the tightest, most enthralling games the sport has ever seen.

<img alt="Brian Lara playing for the West Indies National Cricket team against England in 1994 Test Series" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3667_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Brian Lara" />Brian Lara&nbsp;Hits Record Breaking&nbsp;375&nbsp;Against England,&nbsp;1994

In April 1994, West Indies batsman Brian Lara broke a 36-year-old world record courtesy of a stunning individual display. The West Indies had already won the Test series against England when Lara took to the crease in the fifth Test with the score 11-1&nbsp;and&nbsp;where he would remain for an outstanding 12 hours and 46 minutes. He hit 45 fours on his way to scoring a record breaking 375 runs off 538 balls. When Lara hit a four to surpass compatriot&nbsp;Garfield Sobers&rsquo;&nbsp;record of 365, fans clambered over the fence and poured onto the pitch in celebration. This record would stand for nearly a decade, before Australia&rsquo;s Matthew Hayden came along and eclipsed it in 2003 with a score of 380. However, just six months later, the record was Lara&rsquo;s once more, when he hit an unbeaten 400 against the very same opponent in the very same venue - St John&rsquo;s Antigua - to re-confirm his place in the Test cricket history books.

<img alt="Australian Cricket team in the 1999 World Cup Semi Final against South Africa" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3668_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Australian Cricket Team in the 1999 World Cup Semi Final" />Australia&nbsp;Beat&nbsp;South Africa&nbsp;in&nbsp;Dramatic World Cup&nbsp;Semi&nbsp;Final, 1999

With a place in the Cricket World Cup final at stake, South Africa and Australia served up one of the greatest ODI matches in the sport&rsquo;s history. The Australian top order initially struggled, but&nbsp;Steve Waugh and&nbsp;Michael&nbsp;Bevan&nbsp;stepped up to steady the Australia ship, and their side eventually finished with a respectable but catchable 213. After getting off to a similarly slow start with the bat,&nbsp;Jacque Kallis and Jonty Rhodes&rsquo;&nbsp;84-run partnership dragged South Africa back into contention. They were left requiring nine runs from the final over to reach their maiden World Cup final.&nbsp;Lance Klusner&nbsp;hit two boundaries from the first two balls to leave South Africa within one run of making history. On the fourth delivery, Klusner tapped the ball and set off for a single, but non-striker&nbsp;Allan Doland&nbsp;remained rooted to the crease. He ran too late and was run out, leaving the match tied at 213 runs each. Australia made it to the final on the virtue of having beaten South Africa earlier in the tournament; an elimination in the cruelest, most dramatic fashion.

The Gripping&nbsp;2005 Ashes&nbsp;Series&nbsp;

Steeped in history, tradition and ancient rivalry, Test series do not come any bigger than the Ashes. The 2005 series more than lived up to its billing, producing two and a half months of pulsating cricket. Australia had possessed one of the sport&rsquo;s greatest ever sides throughout the 90s and early 2000s, and as a result had held the urn for 16 years. It looked as if the 2005 series was going to follow a similar pattern after they won the first Test by 239 runs. However, England fought back in the second Test at Edgbaston, an enthralling match that ebbed and flowed, momentum swinging one way and then the other, with the hosts eventually winning by two runs - the smallest margin of victory in Ashes history. A solid draw at Old Trafford followed, before England secured yet another nail-biting win in a thrilling fourth Test at Trent Bridge, as the lower order of&nbsp;Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard&nbsp;edged them over the line. Bad light meant the fifth Test ended in a draw, and the most dramatic series in Ashes history concluded with England regaining the urn for the first time since 1987.

<img alt="Laxman and Dravid playing for the Indian Cricket team in 2001 Test Series against Australia" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3682_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid" />India&nbsp;Complete Comeback Victory Over&nbsp;Australia,&nbsp;2001

Australia looked in prime position to take a 2-0 lead in their 2001 Test series against India, after hitting 445 runs and bowling the hosts all out for just 171. Australia&nbsp;captain, Steve&nbsp;Waugh, then&nbsp;opted to enforce the follow on - meaning India went back in to bat - and the fightback began.&nbsp;VVS Laxman&nbsp;hit a huge 281, and the hosts eventually declared on&nbsp;657&nbsp;for seven in the morning of the final day, leaving the tourists two and a half sessions to bat through to secure a draw. Australia looked on course to be doing just that, putting on 74 runs for the first wicket.&nbsp;However, once&nbsp;that fell, the wickets started tumbling. Captain Waugh briefly steadied the ship, but after he was dismissed&nbsp;the Australia resistance started crumbling.&nbsp;Glenn McGrath&nbsp;and&nbsp;Michael Kasprowicz&nbsp;kept India at bay for a good half an hour, until&nbsp;the former was eventually trapped in front of the stumps to complete a famous India comeback victory from the jaws of near-certain defeat.

<img alt="Ben Stokes playing for the England Cricket team in 2019 Ashes" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3670_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Ben Stokes in the 2019 Ashes" />Ben Stokes&rsquo;&nbsp;Headingley Innings, 2019 Ashes

Ben Stokes enjoyed quite the year in 2019. Just 41 days after guiding his country to World Cup glory, he produced one of the most astounding individual performances to singlehandedly draw England level in the third test of the 2019 Ashes. England were staring down the barrel of defeat after being bowled out for a mere 67 in the first innings, leaving them chasing a seemingly insurmountable 359 in the second innings. When Stokes came to the crease, England still required another 218. In a stunning solo display, he hit an unbeaten 135, forming a partnership of 76 with Jack Leach (who scored one) to lead England to victory and keeping their Ashes hopes alive. Stokes hit eleven fours&nbsp;and&nbsp;eight sixes, hope growing among the home crowd with each boundary that the near impossible could be achieved. His final&nbsp;84 runs came from&nbsp;just&nbsp;67 balls. It was fearless, heroic and utterly&nbsp;breath-taking.&nbsp;

South Africa&nbsp;belittle Australia&rsquo;s&nbsp;434, 2006

South Africa and Australia have a history of producing spectacular ODI encounters. In the final match of the five-game series in 2006, Australia captain Ricky Pointing hit&nbsp;164 off 105 balls&nbsp;to help his side break the 400 mark for the first time in ODI history. Australia set South Africa a seemingly unattainable 434, but the hosts rose to the challenge,&nbsp;Herschelle Gibbs hitting an astonishing&nbsp;175 off 111.&nbsp;Mark Boucher&nbsp;sent the penultimate ball to the boundary to leave South Africa 438-4, securing an astounding win and giving them a 3-2 series victory. Prior to the match, no ODI side had ever broken the 400 barrier in the history of the game. Australia and South Africa both pulled off the remarkable feat on the same day, treating the crowd to a staggering&nbsp;872 runs. It was cricket at its most unpredictable and mesmerising best.

These are just a selection of cricket&rsquo;s most iconic moments, with the sport serving up various other pieces of magic throughout history; from moments of individual brilliance such as Don Bradman&rsquo;s incredible 334 for Australia against England in the 1930 Ashes, to Sachin Tendulkar making history as the first man to score 200 in an ODI against South Africa in 2010. From great teams, such as the brilliant Pakistan side of 1992 who triumphed in the World Cup for the first time in their history, to&nbsp;the plucky Sri Lanka underdogs who shocked the cricketing world as they won the&nbsp;same competition four years later. Also including thrilling Tests, such as Ian Botham&rsquo;s inspired performance in England&rsquo;s astonishing 1981 comeback victory over Australia at Edgbaston. Cricket always has and always will enthral, entertain and amaze. Make sure you never miss a Test, ODI or T20 with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/?sport=Cricket" target="_blank">Fixture Calendar.</a>

Written in July 2020

Photos by <a href="https://www.lords.org/mcc/heritage-collections/what-we-do">Lord&#39;s Cricket Ground</a>, <a href="https://www.cricketworldcup.com/media-releases/1300772">Cricket World Cup 2019</a>, <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1663784">ICC Cricket</a>, <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/724735">ICC Cricket</a>, <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/755306">ICC Cricket</a>, <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/photos/1326425">ICC Cricket</a>

Welcome back to Fixture’s Iconic Sporting Moments Series. Next up it’s cricket. From incredible Test series to moments of individual brilliance, dramatic comebacks to thrilling underdog triumphs, here are a selection of moments that prove why cricket is one of the most compelling sports in the world.

**![Cricket Ashes Urn 1882](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3665_default_big.jpeg "Ashes Urn")The Birth of the Ashes, 1882**

England and Australia played a one-off Test match in 1882, and the reaction to the result was the catalyst for the most illustrious Test series in world cricket. After Australia inflicted a shock seven-run defeat on England, journalist Reginald Shirley Brooks wrote: “In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29th August 1882… The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.” The pair met again the following winter in a three-Test series, which England won 2-1. According to legend, a small urn containing the ashes of a bail used in the third test was presented to England captain Ivo Bligh. England and Australia have since competed for the Ashes every couple of years in the highlight of the cricketing calendar and a replica of the urn has been awarded to the series’ winners since 1999. The original urn was donated to the Marleybone Cricket Club at Lord’s in 1927, where it has remained ever since.

**Underdogs India Win the World Cup and Trigger Country’s Love Affair with Cricket, 1983**

India were 50-1 outsiders at the beginning of the 1983 World Cup - during the previous two World Cups they had recorded one solitary victory. They looked as if they could be heading for their usual early exit when they found themselves 9/4 against Zimbabwe in their penultimate group match, only for captain Kapil Dev to score a mammoth 175 in an astonishing innings to secure a 31-run victory. It was a turning point in India’s tournament, as they comprehensively beat Australia in their final group match, before eliminating hosts England in the semifinals. In the final, India faced an imperious West Indies side, captained by the great Viv Richards, who were on the hunt for their third successive World Cup crown. The West Indies were on track to secure it after India were bowled all out for 183 but the India bowling line-up were in inspired form, and the Windies were all out for 140 and India were crowned world champions. It was a tournament that transformed Indian cricket, the nation became transfixed and this inaugural World Cup victory was the first step towards the dominance they would go onto enjoy in the game.

**Shane Warne’s Ball of the Century - Australia v England, 1993 Ashes**

Australia bowler Shane Warne retired from international cricket in 2006, safe in the knowledge that he had forged a legacy as one of the greatest bowlers to ever grace the field. Warne announced himself on the international stage during the 1993 Ashes series. It was the then 23-year-old’s Ashes debut, and yet he finished the series as the leading wicket taker. On the second day of the first Test at Old Trafford, in the very first ball Warne ever bowled in the Ashes, he dismissed England batsman Mike Gatting for four, with one of the finest pieces of spin bowling the game has ever seen. The ball pitched several inches wide of Gatting’s leg stump, before sharply swerving inside and clipping it, leaving the England batsman completely deceived by the outrageous spin on the ball. An absolutely mesmerising piece of bowling.

**![English Cricket Team celebrate winning the Cricket World Cup 2019](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3666_default_big.jpeg "English Cricket Team")England Win World Cup With Dramatic Super Over, 2019**

Sport is all about fine margins, and the 2019 Cricket World Cup final was decided by the very finest. Hosts, England, looked to be on course to secure a maiden World Cup title after being set a modest 241 by New Zealand, but the Black Caps fared better with the ball, stifling the England batsmen and leaving them requiring 46 with five overs remaining. With a bit of Ben Stokes’ brilliance - hitting 86 to drag England back into contention - and a slice of fortune - Stokes scored an extra four runs as he dived for the crease and Martin Guptill’s attempted return to the wicketkeeper’s end deflected off his bat - England drew level to send the final to a Super Over, the first time an ODI had to be settled by such a means. Remarkably, the two sides were still level after the Super Over, having scored 15 runs a piece, but England were crowned world champions by virtue of scoring more boundaries. Cricket’s showpiece event delivered one of the tightest, most enthralling games the sport has ever seen.

**![Brian Lara playing for the West Indies National Cricket team against England in 1994 Test Series](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3667_default_big.jpeg "Brian Lara")Brian Lara Hits Record Breaking 375 Against England, 1994**

In April 1994, West Indies batsman Brian Lara broke a 36-year-old world record courtesy of a stunning individual display. The West Indies had already won the Test series against England when Lara took to the crease in the fifth Test with the score 11-1 and where he would remain for an outstanding 12 hours and 46 minutes. He hit 45 fours on his way to scoring a record breaking 375 runs off 538 balls. When Lara hit a four to surpass compatriot Garfield Sobers’ record of 365, fans clambered over the fence and poured onto the pitch in celebration. This record would stand for nearly a decade, before Australia’s Matthew Hayden came along and eclipsed it in 2003 with a score of 380. However, just six months later, the record was Lara’s once more, when he hit an unbeaten 400 against the very same opponent in the very same venue - St John’s Antigua - to re-confirm his place in the Test cricket history books.

**![Australian Cricket team in the 1999 World Cup Semi Final against South Africa](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3668_default_big.jpeg "Australian Cricket Team in the 1999 World Cup Semi Final")Australia Beat South Africa in Dramatic World Cup Semi Final, 1999**

With a place in the Cricket World Cup final at stake, South Africa and Australia served up one of the greatest ODI matches in the sport’s history. The Australian top order initially struggled, but Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan stepped up to steady the Australia ship, and their side eventually finished with a respectable but catchable 213. After getting off to a similarly slow start with the bat, Jacque Kallis and Jonty Rhodes’ 84-run partnership dragged South Africa back into contention. They were left requiring nine runs from the final over to reach their maiden World Cup final. Lance Klusner hit two boundaries from the first two balls to leave South Africa within one run of making history. On the fourth delivery, Klusner tapped the ball and set off for a single, but non-striker Allan Doland remained rooted to the crease. He ran too late and was run out, leaving the match tied at 213 runs each. Australia made it to the final on the virtue of having beaten South Africa earlier in the tournament; an elimination in the cruelest, most dramatic fashion.

**The Gripping 2005 Ashes Series**

Steeped in history, tradition and ancient rivalry, Test series do not come any bigger than the Ashes. The 2005 series more than lived up to its billing, producing two and a half months of pulsating cricket. Australia had possessed one of the sport’s greatest ever sides throughout the 90s and early 2000s, and as a result had held the urn for 16 years. It looked as if the 2005 series was going to follow a similar pattern after they won the first Test by 239 runs. However, England fought back in the second Test at Edgbaston, an enthralling match that ebbed and flowed, momentum swinging one way and then the other, with the hosts eventually winning by two runs - the smallest margin of victory in Ashes history. A solid draw at Old Trafford followed, before England secured yet another nail-biting win in a thrilling fourth Test at Trent Bridge, as the lower order of Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard edged them over the line. Bad light meant the fifth Test ended in a draw, and the most dramatic series in Ashes history concluded with England regaining the urn for the first time since 1987.

**![Laxman and Dravid playing for the Indian Cricket team in 2001 Test Series against Australia](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3682_default_big.jpeg "VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid")India Complete Comeback Victory Over Australia, 2001**

Australia looked in prime position to take a 2-0 lead in their 2001 Test series against India, after hitting 445 runs and bowling the hosts all out for just 171. Australia captain, Steve Waugh, then opted to enforce the follow on - meaning India went back in to bat - and the fightback began. VVS Laxman hit a huge 281, and the hosts eventually declared on 657 for seven in the morning of the final day, leaving the tourists two and a half sessions to bat through to secure a draw. Australia looked on course to be doing just that, putting on 74 runs for the first wicket. However, once that fell, the wickets started tumbling. Captain Waugh briefly steadied the ship, but after he was dismissed the Australia resistance started crumbling. Glenn McGrath and Michael Kasprowicz kept India at bay for a good half an hour, until the former was eventually trapped in front of the stumps to complete a famous India comeback victory from the jaws of near-certain defeat.

**![Ben Stokes playing for the England Cricket team in 2019 Ashes](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3670_default_big.jpeg "Ben Stokes in the 2019 Ashes")Ben Stokes’ Headingley Innings, 2019 Ashes**

Ben Stokes enjoyed quite the year in 2019. Just 41 days after guiding his country to World Cup glory, he produced one of the most astounding individual performances to singlehandedly draw England level in the third test of the 2019 Ashes. England were staring down the barrel of defeat after being bowled out for a mere 67 in the first innings, leaving them chasing a seemingly insurmountable 359 in the second innings. When Stokes came to the crease, England still required another 218. In a stunning solo display, he hit an unbeaten 135, forming a partnership of 76 with Jack Leach (who scored one) to lead England to victory and keeping their Ashes hopes alive. Stokes hit eleven fours and eight sixes, hope growing among the home crowd with each boundary that the near impossible could be achieved. His final 84 runs came from just 67 balls. It was fearless, heroic and utterly breath-taking.

**South Africa belittle Australia’s 434, 2006**

South Africa and Australia have a history of producing spectacular ODI encounters. In the final match of the five-game series in 2006, Australia captain Ricky Pointing hit 164 off 105 balls to help his side break the 400 mark for the first time in ODI history. Australia set South Africa a seemingly unattainable 434, but the hosts rose to the challenge, Herschelle Gibbs hitting an astonishing 175 off 111. Mark Boucher sent the penultimate ball to the boundary to leave South Africa 438-4, securing an astounding win and giving them a 3-2 series victory. Prior to the match, no ODI side had ever broken the 400 barrier in the history of the game. Australia and South Africa both pulled off the remarkable feat on the same day, treating the crowd to a staggering 872 runs. It was cricket at its most unpredictable and mesmerising best.

These are just a selection of cricket’s most iconic moments, with the sport serving up various other pieces of magic throughout history; from moments of individual brilliance such as Don Bradman’s incredible 334 for Australia against England in the 1930 Ashes, to Sachin Tendulkar making history as the first man to score 200 in an ODI against South Africa in 2010. From great teams, such as the brilliant Pakistan side of 1992 who triumphed in the World Cup for the first time in their history, to the plucky Sri Lanka underdogs who shocked the cricketing world as they won the same competition four years later. Also including thrilling Tests, such as Ian Botham’s inspired performance in England’s astonishing 1981 comeback victory over Australia at Edgbaston. Cricket always has and always will enthral, entertain and amaze. Make sure you never miss a Test, ODI or T20 with the [Fixture Calendar.](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/?sport=Cricket)

*Written in July 2020*

Photos by [Lord's Cricket Ground](https://www.lords.org/mcc/heritage-collections/what-we-do), [Cricket World Cup 2019](https://www.cricketworldcup.com/media-releases/1300772), [ICC Cricket](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1663784), [ICC Cricket](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/724735), [ICC Cricket](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/755306), [ICC Cricket](https://www.icc-cricket.com/photos/1326425)

A detailed look into 10 of the greatest moments in cricket history. Explore the Birth of the Ashes to England’s win over New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup.

Iconic Sporting Moments

Iconic Moments in Cricket History

At the heart of great sport is a great narrative and the very best sport involves these narratives being completely torn up and discarded. There is nothing in sport quite as captivating, compelling and wholesome as an underdog defying the odds, and succeeding in the face of adversity on the biggest stage of all. Let&rsquo;s take a look at some of the best underdog stories that history has served up.

<img alt="Leicester City celebrating winning the Premier League in 2016" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3636_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Leicester City celebrate winning the Premier League" />Leicester City Win the Premier League, 2016

By 2016 just five teams had won the Premier League in its 24-year history. Since the turn of the millennium, the chasm between the top flight&rsquo;s elite and the rest of the division had become seismic - few sides looked capable of breaching the top six, let alone mounting a title challenge. However, during the 2015/16 season, minnows Leicester - who had narrowly avoided relegation the previous season and were 5,000-1 outsiders to win the league at the start of the campaign - emerged as surprise title contenders. Pundits and experts insisted that they would eventually falter and the pressure would get to them, but week after week the Foxes kept on winning. Confirmation that they had achieved the unthinkable came when second place Tottenham were held to a draw by Chelsea, handing victory to hard work and togetherness, as Claudio Ranieri&rsquo;s plucky underdogs were crowned champions of England.

<img alt="Mark Edmondson at the Australian Open in 1976" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3637_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Mark Edmondson" />Mark Edmondson Wins the Australian Open, 1976

A matter of weeks before the 1976 Australian Open, Mark Edmondson was washing windows but, by the end of the tournament, he was a Grand Slam champion. Edmondson was a late entry to the tournament, only qualifying in the first place because other players had dropped out. The powerful serving 21-year-old steadily made his way to the semifinals, where he faced eight-time Grand Slam champion and world number two Ken Rosewall and having previously never got past the second round at a major, Edmondson emerged victorious in four sets to book his place in the Australian Open final.&nbsp; Seven-time Grand Slam champion John Newcombe stood between Edmondson and the perfect fairytale ending. In a match dubbed the &lsquo;Battle of the Moustaches&rsquo; due to the pair&rsquo;s matching, fetching facial hair, Edmondson fought back from a set down to win 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1. Ranked 212 in the world at the time, he remains the lowest ranked player to ever win a Grand Slam.

<img alt="US Men's Ice Hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3638_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="US Men's Ice Hockey team" />The Miracle on Ice: USA Beat the USSR, 1980 Winter Olympics

When the USA met the USSR in the ice hockey final medal round at the 1980 Winter Olympics, it was billed as a David versus Goliath encounter with the USSR as unquestionable favourites, having taken gold at four successive Winter Olympic games. They had won nothing but gold since the 1964 games, had not lost a match at the Winter Olympics since 1968 and&nbsp;boasted a team brimming with experienced, full-time professionals. In&nbsp;contrast, the USA side was made up of amateurs and college players. With Jim Craig pulling off save after save in the USA&rsquo;s goal, the USSR took a slender 2-1 lead into the final third. The opponents drew level, and short after&nbsp;Mike Eruzione&nbsp;unleashed a 25-foot wrist shot into the USSR goal, to which the underdogs hung on to to secure a remarkable 3-2 victory. They claimed the gold medal, and the USSR had to settle for silver.

<img alt="Sri Lankan Cricket team at the 1996 Cricket World Cup" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3639_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Sri Lankan Cricket Team" />Sri Lanka win the Cricket World Cup, 1996

Before the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka were 100-1 outsiders, with a team consisting primarily of semi-professionals. Despite their underdog status, Sri Lanka had a swagger about them and got their World Cup campaign off to a flying start, stunning India en route to topping their group. They progressed to the semi finals, after a five wicket victory over England, where they faced the daunting task of playing hosts India once more in front of a 100,000-strong partisan crowd at Eden Gardens. India were left chasing 251, and when Sri Lanka bowled talisman Sachin Tendulkar out for 65 and the India batsmen began to crumble, the home crowd turned and began to riot. With India 120 for 8, the match was awarded to Sri Lanka. In the tournament&rsquo;s final,&nbsp;Aravinda de Silva&nbsp;turned in a man of the match performance, hitting 107 as Sri Lanka successfully chased down Australia&rsquo;s 241. Having long lived in the shadows of India and Pakistan, this team of bankers, salesmen and clerical workers got their hands on the greatest prize in cricket.

<img alt="Karne Hesketh bring Japan's Rugby team the Brave Blossoms to victory over South Africa's Springbok" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3719_default_big.png" style="float:left" title="Karne Hesketh scoring for Japan" />Japan Beat South Africa, Rugby World Cup, 2015

Prior to&nbsp;2015, Japan&nbsp;had featured at the Rugby World Cup on seven occasions and had never qualified from the pool stages. With this statistic preceding them, they faced a South Africa side who had won more World Cup titles (two) than Japan had won World Cup matches (one). All odds stacked against them, the Brave Blossoms played with an infectious energy and fearlessness. In an inspired Japanese performance, full-back Ayumu Goromaru&nbsp;scored 24 points as the Brave Blossoms went toe to toe with South Africa. However, Japan still found themselves narrowly trailing as the clock ticked down. They probed and probed and eventually in the final minute the South Africa resistance was broken by&nbsp;Karne Hesketh, scoring a last gasp try to secure a famous 34-32 victory and create the greatest upset in the sport&rsquo;s history.

<img alt="Angelos Charisteas celebrates Greece winning the European Championships in 2004" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3640_default_big.png" style="float:right" title="Angelos Charisteas celebrating Greece's win" />Greece Win Euro 2004

Greece had never won a game at a major tournament when they travelled to Portugal for the 2004 European Championships. They pulled off the tournament&rsquo;s first major shock in their opening group game, beating the much fancied hosts 2-1. However, it appeared they had peaked too soon after drawing and losing their final two group fixtures, scraping into the quarterfinals with four points. But it was in the knockout stages where Greece really flourished. &lsquo;Exciting&rsquo; was not a word you would use to describe this Greece side, but resolute, robust and hugely effective certainly&nbsp;are certainly words that you would. Otto Rehhagel built his team on a solid defensive foundation, and Greece kept clean sheets in both the quarterfinals and semifinals as they first knocked out holders France, and secondly the favourites, the Czech Republic. Greece finished the tournament as they began it - against hosts Portugal - and recorded a trademark 1-0 victory to be crowned champions of Europe.

<img alt="New England Patriots celebrate winning the 2002 Super Bowl" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3641_default_big.png" style="float:left" title="New England Patriots after winning the 2002 Super Bowl" />Tom Brady and the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl, 2002

It&rsquo;s difficult to imagine the New England Patriots as plucky underdogs. Over the past two decades, they have sent NFL records tumbling - most Super Bowl crowns, longest winning streak, greatest number of consecutive division titles won, to name but a handful - but at the beginning of the millennium, they were considered an ageing team not capable of challenging for the Super Bowl. Coach Bill Belichick&rsquo;s previous position had been an underwhelming stint at the Cleveland Browns, while quarterback Tom Brady had been the 199th pick in the draft the year before. The Patriots started the season slowly, losing their opening two fixtures. The unknown Brady was introduced in the third game of the season, and the Patriots won 11-3 with the 24-year-old quarterback on their side. They won the AFC Conference Championship and sailed into the Super Bowl, where Brady delivered an MVP performance. The Patriots beat the St Louis Rams 20-17 as the improbable became reality.

John Daly Wins the US&nbsp;PGA&nbsp;Championship, 1991

John Daly was not due to play at the 1991 US PGA Championship until the&nbsp;Wednesday morning&nbsp;before the event. Nick Price dropped out at the last minute as his wife was about to give birth and Daly was the ninth and final alternative for the tournament. He drove halfway across the country through the night to play on a course he had never set foot on - let alone practiced on - before. Despite his rookie status and less than ideal preparation, Daly captured the nations attention with his enthusiastic, easy going nature and exceptionally long drives, which enabled him to consistently surpass most obstacles on the course. The 25-year-old scored&nbsp;69-67-69-71, taking the lead in the second round and holding his nerve to win by three shots, claiming his first of two majors in the process.

<img alt="Holly Holm facing Ronda Rousey in 2015 UFC 193" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3642_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Holly Holm facing Ronda Rousey" />Holly Holm defeats Ronda Rousey in UFC 193, 2015

UFC 193 was headlined by Holly Holm versus Ronda Rousey. The latter was the reigning UFC Women&rsquo;s Bantamweight world champion, yet undefeated, seemingly unbeatable and the overwhelming&nbsp;favourite. The former was a highly decorated ex-boxing world champion, who had only made her mixed martial arts debut in March 2011. Prior to her fight with Holm, Rousey&rsquo;s last three fights had lasted 34, 16 and 14 seconds. Not only did Holm become just the second fighter in UFC history to take Rousey past the first round, she actually controlled the fight from start to finish. The 33-year-old hit the favourite with jab after jab, before knocking Rousey out in the second round with a fierce kick to the neck to end her three-year reign as champion, and record one of the biggest shocks in the history of combat sport.

<img alt="Cassius Clay in 1964 battle with Sonny Liston" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3454_default_big.png" style="float:left" title="Cassius Clay" />Cassius Clay Defeats&nbsp;Sonny Liston, 1964

Cassius Clay (pre-Muhammad&nbsp;Ali) was the 7-1 outsider when he took on Sonny Liston in the pair&rsquo;s inaugural bout in 1964. Liston was regarded as one of the finest heavyweight boxers of all time, and the most intimidating, daunting fighter of his day. He was the reigning World Heavyweight Champion after two emphatic first round victories over Floyd Patterson in the space of 10 months. On the other hand, Clay was the plucky 22-year-old underdog, regarded as agile and nippy but too lightweight for the sheer might of Liston. However, Clay&rsquo;s razor sharp reflexes proved too much for Liston, hitting him with a flurry of combinations in the third round and inflicting the first cut of Liston&rsquo;s career. Despite struggling with his eye sight in the fourth, Clay hung on and Liston, nursing a shoulder injury spat out his mouth guard and retired before the seventh. Rank outsider Clay was declared the winner on a technical knockout, claiming his first world title.

Villanova Defeats Georgetown for the NCAA Championship, 1985

Villanova produced one of college basketball&rsquo;s greatest ever upsets during the 1985 NCAA Championship. To this day, they remain the lowest seed (eight) to win a national championship. The Wildcats had endured a mixed season, going into the NCAA Championship with a meek 19-10 record. However, things started to pick up during the tournament as Villanova knocked out top seeded&nbsp;Michigan&nbsp;in the second round. They overcame a five-point halftime deficit against North Carolina Tar Heels to book their place in the Final Four, where they progressed to the final with a 52-45 victory over Memphis State. Opponents Georgetown were nine-point favourites going into the final, with a staggering 35-2 record. However, Villanova&rsquo;s underdog spirit saw them complete their fairytale with a 66-64 victory. Dwayne McClain sunk to his knees clutching the ball as the buzzer sounded in an iconic image that captures the enormity of what Villanova had just achieved.

Wimbledon Beat Liverpool to Lift the FA Cup, 1988

When Liverpool were celebrating successive top flight titles under Bob Paisley in 1977, Wimbledon were still plying their trade in the fifth tier of English football. The Dons enjoyed a remarkable rise up the footballing ladder, climbing from Non-league obscurity to Division One in the space of nine years. In 1988 - just their 11th season in the football league - Wimbledon reached the FA Cup final. They faced a Liverpool side who had been crowned champions of England six times in the last 10 years. But the swashbuckling brilliant 1980s Liverpool side were undone by a dogged, resilient Wimbledon. Lawrie Sanchez struck in the first half, before Dave Beasant saved John Aldridge&rsquo;s spot kick in the second to secure a remarkable 1-0 win for the Dons. The FA Cup is famed for upsets and underdog triumphs, but seldom in the final on the biggest stage of all.

A romantic underdog story can take place in any sport, in any country, at any time. Make sure you don&rsquo;t miss the next one with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/" target="_blank">Fixture Calendar</a>.

Alice Rampling, June 2020

Photos by <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/news/143055">Premier League</a>, <a href="https://ausopen.com/history/hall-fame/mark-edmondson">Australian Open</a>, <a href="https://www.olympic.org/news/snapped-the-moment-that-proved-miracles-do-happen">Olympics</a>, <a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/657430">ICC Cricket</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BGoIqw9qBwj/">Japan Rugby</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/025e-0fbca81ba9a6-bf25132b3cde-1000/angelos_charisteas_greece_.jpeg">UEFA</a>, <a href="https://www.nfl.com/photos/best-of-super-bowl-xxxvi-0ap3000001014978">NFL</a>, <a href="https://www.ufc.com/news/behind-lens-ufc-photogs-favorite-kos">UFC</a>

At the heart of great sport is a great narrative and the very best sport involves these narratives being completely torn up and discarded. There is nothing in sport quite as captivating, compelling and wholesome as an underdog defying the odds, and succeeding in the face of adversity on the biggest stage of all. Let’s take a look at some of the best underdog stories that history has served up.

**![Leicester City celebrating winning the Premier League in 2016](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3636_default_big.jpeg "Leicester City celebrate winning the Premier League")Leicester City Win the Premier League, 2016**

By 2016 just five teams had won the Premier League in its 24-year history. Since the turn of the millennium, the chasm between the top flight’s elite and the rest of the division had become seismic - few sides looked capable of breaching the top six, let alone mounting a title challenge. However, during the 2015/16 season, minnows Leicester - who had narrowly avoided relegation the previous season and were 5,000-1 outsiders to win the league at the start of the campaign - emerged as surprise title contenders. Pundits and experts insisted that they would eventually falter and the pressure would get to them, but week after week the Foxes kept on winning. Confirmation that they had achieved the unthinkable came when second place Tottenham were held to a draw by Chelsea, handing victory to hard work and togetherness, as Claudio Ranieri’s plucky underdogs were crowned champions of England.

**![Mark Edmondson at the Australian Open in 1976](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3637_default_big.jpeg "Mark Edmondson")Mark Edmondson Wins the Australian Open, 1976**

A matter of weeks before the 1976 Australian Open, Mark Edmondson was washing windows but, by the end of the tournament, he was a Grand Slam champion. Edmondson was a late entry to the tournament, only qualifying in the first place because other players had dropped out. The powerful serving 21-year-old steadily made his way to the semifinals, where he faced eight-time Grand Slam champion and world number two Ken Rosewall and having previously never got past the second round at a major, Edmondson emerged victorious in four sets to book his place in the Australian Open final. Seven-time Grand Slam champion John Newcombe stood between Edmondson and the perfect fairytale ending. In a match dubbed the ‘Battle of the Moustaches’ due to the pair’s matching, fetching facial hair, Edmondson fought back from a set down to win 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1. Ranked 212 in the world at the time, he remains the lowest ranked player to ever win a Grand Slam.

**![US Men's Ice Hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3638_default_big.jpeg "US Men's Ice Hockey team")The Miracle on Ice: USA Beat the USSR, 1980 Winter Olympics**

When the USA met the USSR in the ice hockey final medal round at the 1980 Winter Olympics, it was billed as a David versus Goliath encounter with the USSR as unquestionable favourites, having taken gold at four successive Winter Olympic games. They had won nothing but gold since the 1964 games, had not lost a match at the Winter Olympics since 1968 and boasted a team brimming with experienced, full-time professionals. In contrast, the USA side was made up of amateurs and college players. With Jim Craig pulling off save after save in the USA’s goal, the USSR took a slender 2-1 lead into the final third. The opponents drew level, and short after Mike Eruzione unleashed a 25-foot wrist shot into the USSR goal, to which the underdogs hung on to to secure a remarkable 3-2 victory. They claimed the gold medal, and the USSR had to settle for silver.

**![Sri Lankan Cricket team at the 1996 Cricket World Cup](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3639_default_big.jpeg "Sri Lankan Cricket Team")Sri Lanka win the Cricket World Cup, 1996**

Before the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka were 100-1 outsiders, with a team consisting primarily of semi-professionals. Despite their underdog status, Sri Lanka had a swagger about them and got their World Cup campaign off to a flying start, stunning India en route to topping their group. They progressed to the semi finals, after a five wicket victory over England, where they faced the daunting task of playing hosts India once more in front of a 100,000-strong partisan crowd at Eden Gardens. India were left chasing 251, and when Sri Lanka bowled talisman Sachin Tendulkar out for 65 and the India batsmen began to crumble, the home crowd turned and began to riot. With India 120 for 8, the match was awarded to Sri Lanka. In the tournament’s final, Aravinda de Silva turned in a man of the match performance, hitting 107 as Sri Lanka successfully chased down Australia’s 241. Having long lived in the shadows of India and Pakistan, this team of bankers, salesmen and clerical workers got their hands on the greatest prize in cricket.

**![Karne Hesketh bring Japan's Rugby team the Brave Blossoms to victory over South Africa's Springbok](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3719_default_big.png "Karne Hesketh scoring for Japan")Japan Beat South Africa, Rugby World Cup, 2015**

Prior to 2015, Japan had featured at the Rugby World Cup on seven occasions and had never qualified from the pool stages. With this statistic preceding them, they faced a South Africa side who had won more World Cup titles (two) than Japan had won World Cup matches (one). All odds stacked against them, the Brave Blossoms played with an infectious energy and fearlessness. In an inspired Japanese performance, full-back Ayumu Goromaru scored 24 points as the Brave Blossoms went toe to toe with South Africa. However, Japan still found themselves narrowly trailing as the clock ticked down. They probed and probed and eventually in the final minute the South Africa resistance was broken by Karne Hesketh, scoring a last gasp try to secure a famous 34-32 victory and create the greatest upset in the sport’s history.

**![Angelos Charisteas celebrates Greece winning the European Championships in 2004](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3640_default_big.png "Angelos Charisteas celebrating Greece's win")Greece Win Euro 2004**

Greece had never won a game at a major tournament when they travelled to Portugal for the 2004 European Championships. They pulled off the tournament’s first major shock in their opening group game, beating the much fancied hosts 2-1. However, it appeared they had peaked too soon after drawing and losing their final two group fixtures, scraping into the quarterfinals with four points. But it was in the knockout stages where Greece really flourished. ‘Exciting’ was not a word you would use to describe this Greece side, but resolute, robust and hugely effective certainly are certainly words that you would. Otto Rehhagel built his team on a solid defensive foundation, and Greece kept clean sheets in both the quarterfinals and semifinals as they first knocked out holders France, and secondly the favourites, the Czech Republic. Greece finished the tournament as they began it - against hosts Portugal - and recorded a trademark 1-0 victory to be crowned champions of Europe.

**![New England Patriots celebrate winning the 2002 Super Bowl](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3641_default_big.png "New England Patriots after winning the 2002 Super Bowl")Tom Brady and the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl, 2002**

It’s difficult to imagine the New England Patriots as plucky underdogs. Over the past two decades, they have sent NFL records tumbling - most Super Bowl crowns, longest winning streak, greatest number of consecutive division titles won, to name but a handful - but at the beginning of the millennium, they were considered an ageing team not capable of challenging for the Super Bowl. Coach Bill Belichick’s previous position had been an underwhelming stint at the Cleveland Browns, while quarterback Tom Brady had been the 199th pick in the draft the year before. The Patriots started the season slowly, losing their opening two fixtures. The unknown Brady was introduced in the third game of the season, and the Patriots won 11-3 with the 24-year-old quarterback on their side. They won the AFC Conference Championship and sailed into the Super Bowl, where Brady delivered an MVP performance. The Patriots beat the St Louis Rams 20-17 as the improbable became reality.

**John Daly Wins the US PGA Championship, 1991**

John Daly was not due to play at the 1991 US PGA Championship until the Wednesday morning before the event. Nick Price dropped out at the last minute as his wife was about to give birth and Daly was the ninth and final alternative for the tournament. He drove halfway across the country through the night to play on a course he had never set foot on - let alone practiced on - before. Despite his rookie status and less than ideal preparation, Daly captured the nations attention with his enthusiastic, easy going nature and exceptionally long drives, which enabled him to consistently surpass most obstacles on the course. The 25-year-old scored 69-67-69-71, taking the lead in the second round and holding his nerve to win by three shots, claiming his first of two majors in the process.

**![Holly Holm facing Ronda Rousey in 2015 UFC 193](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3642_default_big.jpeg "Holly Holm facing Ronda Rousey")Holly Holm defeats Ronda Rousey in UFC 193, 2015**

UFC 193 was headlined by Holly Holm versus Ronda Rousey. The latter was the reigning UFC Women’s Bantamweight world champion, yet undefeated, seemingly unbeatable and the overwhelming favourite. The former was a highly decorated ex-boxing world champion, who had only made her mixed martial arts debut in March 2011. Prior to her fight with Holm, Rousey’s last three fights had lasted 34, 16 and 14 seconds. Not only did Holm become just the second fighter in UFC history to take Rousey past the first round, she actually controlled the fight from start to finish. The 33-year-old hit the favourite with jab after jab, before knocking Rousey out in the second round with a fierce kick to the neck to end her three-year reign as champion, and record one of the biggest shocks in the history of combat sport.

![Cassius Clay in 1964 battle with Sonny Liston](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3454_default_big.png "Cassius Clay")**Cassius Clay Defeats Sonny Liston, 1964**

Cassius Clay (pre-Muhammad Ali) was the 7-1 outsider when he took on Sonny Liston in the pair’s inaugural bout in 1964. Liston was regarded as one of the finest heavyweight boxers of all time, and the most intimidating, daunting fighter of his day. He was the reigning World Heavyweight Champion after two emphatic first round victories over Floyd Patterson in the space of 10 months. On the other hand, Clay was the plucky 22-year-old underdog, regarded as agile and nippy but too lightweight for the sheer might of Liston. However, Clay’s razor sharp reflexes proved too much for Liston, hitting him with a flurry of combinations in the third round and inflicting the first cut of Liston’s career. Despite struggling with his eye sight in the fourth, Clay hung on and Liston, nursing a shoulder injury spat out his mouth guard and retired before the seventh. Rank outsider Clay was declared the winner on a technical knockout, claiming his first world title.

**Villanova Defeats Georgetown for the NCAA Championship, 1985**

Villanova produced one of college basketball’s greatest ever upsets during the 1985 NCAA Championship. To this day, they remain the lowest seed (eight) to win a national championship. The Wildcats had endured a mixed season, going into the NCAA Championship with a meek 19-10 record. However, things started to pick up during the tournament as Villanova knocked out top seeded Michigan in the second round. They overcame a five-point halftime deficit against North Carolina Tar Heels to book their place in the Final Four, where they progressed to the final with a 52-45 victory over Memphis State. Opponents Georgetown were nine-point favourites going into the final, with a staggering 35-2 record. However, Villanova’s underdog spirit saw them complete their fairytale with a 66-64 victory. Dwayne McClain sunk to his knees clutching the ball as the buzzer sounded in an iconic image that captures the enormity of what Villanova had just achieved.

**Wimbledon Beat Liverpool to Lift the FA Cup, 1988**

When Liverpool were celebrating successive top flight titles under Bob Paisley in 1977, Wimbledon were still plying their trade in the fifth tier of English football. The Dons enjoyed a remarkable rise up the footballing ladder, climbing from Non-league obscurity to Division One in the space of nine years. In 1988 - just their 11th season in the football league - Wimbledon reached the FA Cup final. They faced a Liverpool side who had been crowned champions of England six times in the last 10 years. But the swashbuckling brilliant 1980s Liverpool side were undone by a dogged, resilient Wimbledon. Lawrie Sanchez struck in the first half, before Dave Beasant saved John Aldridge’s spot kick in the second to secure a remarkable 1-0 win for the Dons. The FA Cup is famed for upsets and underdog triumphs, but seldom in the final on the biggest stage of all.

A romantic underdog story can take place in any sport, in any country, at any time. Make sure you don’t miss the next one with the [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/).

***Alice Rampling, June 2020***

Photos by [Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/news/143055), [Australian Open](https://ausopen.com/history/hall-fame/mark-edmondson), [Olympics](https://www.olympic.org/news/snapped-the-moment-that-proved-miracles-do-happen), [ICC Cricket](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/657430), [Japan Rugby](https://www.instagram.com/p/BGoIqw9qBwj/), [UEFA](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/025e-0fbca81ba9a6-bf25132b3cde-1000/angelos_charisteas_greece_.jpeg), [NFL](https://www.nfl.com/photos/best-of-super-bowl-xxxvi-0ap3000001014978), [UFC](https://www.ufc.com/news/behind-lens-ufc-photogs-favorite-kos)

A detailed look into 12 of the greatest underdog stories in sport's history. Discover athletes who defied the odds and succeeded in the face of adversity.

Sport's Greatest Underdog Stories

Next up in our Sporting Rivalries Series is football.

Football rivalries are often layered and multi-faceted but never defined by just one single factor. Location, history, supporters, players, politics, social class, religion and success can all contribute to the fiercest of rivalries in the game. From the passionate to the profound, the bitter to the simply bonkers, here are five of the greatest rivalries from the world of football.

**![Fans watching football in Celtic Park](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3652_default_big.jpeg "Celtic Park")Celtic versus Rangers**

One of football’s biggest rivalries comes from Scotland’s second city, Glasgow. Coined the Old Firm, Celtic versus Rangers has all the ingredients for a fierce footballing rivalry - close geographic proximity, a rife competition for success and religious and political factors.

Just four miles separate Celtic Park in the East and Rangers’ home Ibrox in the West of Glasgow. The pair are the two most successful sides in Scotland by quite a margin and in a display of remarkable dominance, they have 104 Scottish Premier League titles between them. No team outside of Celtic and Rangers have won the league since Aberdeen way back in 1985.

They may share the same city, but that is where the similarities come to an end. Catholics versus Protestants, Loyalists versus Republicans, Irish-Scots versus Ulster-Scots, Conservatism versus Socialism - the rivalry is embroiled with a political, religious, and ideological edge. So much so that Rangers had an unspoken policy of not signing Roman Catholic players, which continued until 1989.

The Old Firm earned its name in the 20th Century, when the two sides were then considered ‘old, firm friends’ but throw in sectarianism (the First and Second World Wars and the Troubles in Ireland) and 120 years on there is not a lot of love between the two sets of supporters. Whilst the political and religious differences have simmered down in recent years, it has not eased the bitterness, resulting in Derby day in Glasgow being a feisty affair.

On the football pitch, Celtic and Rangers have been involved in some epic encounters as the pair battle it out to be crowned top dog in Scotland. Rangers enjoyed extensive success in the 1990s as they boasted a fabulous side - Ally McCoist, Terry Butcher, Paul Gascoigne, Brian Laudrup, etc. – resulting in 11 Scottish topflight titles out of a possible 12 between 1989 and 2000 but Celtic hit back. They famously won the title in 1998 to deny Rangers an unprecedented tenth league championship in a row, and three years later Martin O’Neil assembled a squad, spearheaded by Swedish icon Henrik Larsson, that would claim the treble.

Rangers were relegated to the fourth tier in 2012 after falling into administration, leaving Celtic to dominate the Scottish football scene in recent years. However, Rangers have rebuilt themselves and climbed back to the top. The pair’s meeting in the 2019 Scottish League Cup final - which Celtic edged 1-0 - suggests that the gap is beginning to close once more.

Due to the dominance that the pair enjoy, the Old Firm Derby can take place up to six times a season. The quantity of meetings between the two cannot dampen the intensity and sheer competitiveness of a Celtic versus Rangers fixture.

**![Boca Junior's home stadium, La Bombonera](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3653_default_big.jpeg "La Bombonera")Boca Juniors versus River Plate**

The two biggest clubs in Argentina are separated by just seven kilometers. Boca Juniors - from the docklands in Buenos Aires with a traditionally working class following - and River Plate, who originate from a more affluent part of the city and have a slightly more middle class following, meet in the fixture dubbed Superclásico, and it is quite the spectacle.

Soon after the teams formed, in the early 20th century, River Plate confirmed their reputation as the wealthy side by splashing out on Carlos Peucelle and Bernabe Ferreyra for a combined $45,000 - a lofty transfer fee in 1931. This earned River Plate the nickname *Los Millonarios.* Boca also call River Plate *Gallinas* (chickens) after they bottled a 2-0 lead in the 1966 Copa Libertadores final, while River Plate reserve the nicknames *Chanchitos* (little pigs) and *Bosteros* (manure collectors) for Boca.

The pair have a proud history in producing the very best Argentinian footballing talent. Diego Maradona’s illustrious career was bookended by spells at Boca and Gabriel Batistuta and Carlos Tevez both started out at the club, whilst Alfredo de Stefano, Hernán Crespo and Gonzalo Higuaín all began their careers at River Plate.

Boca and River Plate have tussled for the Primera División title throughout the course of their history with Boca having been crowned league champions on 34 occasions versus River Plate’s 36. No other team in Argentina come close - the third most is Racing with 18.

Derby day is absolute chaos. The colours, flags and flares give the occasion a carnival feel, but thousands of police are required to line the inside of the stadium to prevent fights breaking out. In the 2012 Derby, the second half was delayed by a giant flying inflatable pig in Boca colours. The madness transcends onto the pitch. It is quite a feisty affair - in a *friendly* between the two in 2016, five players were sent off, there were 40 fouls and a further nine bookings.

The passion, competitiveness, and utter madness of the Superclásico make it one of the most unique rivalries in world football.

**![Barcelona FC facing Real Madrid in El Clasico](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3701_default_big.jpeg "Barcelona FC facing Real Madrid")Barcelona versus Real Madrid**

Spain’s top tier has been dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid for years. The two are not just La Liga titans; they are juggernauts of world football.

They are two of the richest, most successful, and most iconic football teams on the planet. Combined, they have 59 topflight titles - Real Madrid (33), Barcelona (26) - and have won the Champions League on 18 occasions - Real Madrid (13), Barcelona (5). The teams’ meeting is dubbed El Clásico, and it is one of the most colossal football fixtures in the sporting calendar, pulling in a huge global audience.

El Clásico is the battle of two modern, cosmopolitan, but still vastly different cities. The pair differ on culture and politics, with Real Madrid representing traditional Spanish nationalism and Barcelona representing Catalonia and Catalan culture. Madrid are traditionally viewed as the more right wing, conservative club, supported by the royals, whilst Barcelona have a history of being a more left wing, anti-establishment club.

Despite their differences off it, it is on the football pitch where the Barcelona versus Real Madrid rivalry really comes to life. A collection of the finest players to ever grace the game have lined up on opposite sides during El Clásico - Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta versus Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale in the 2010s, to David Beckham Luís Figo, and Zinedine Zidane versus Ronaldinho, Carles Puyol and Samuel Eto’o in the 2000s - making it an absolute blockbuster of a fixture.

Portuguese midfielder Figo caused quite a stir in 2000 when, after five years at Barcelona, he controversially switched allegiances, moving to Real Madrid for €62m. Barcelona fans did not take too kindly to his decision - although both sides have ultras, El Clásico is not renowned for fan unrest, but they made an exception for Figo’s return. Banners bearing the words ‘traitor’ and ‘Judas’ decked Camp Nou, missiles were flung in his direction and despite being Real’s regular corner taker, Figo was off corner duty for El Clásico to prevent him getting too close to the furious Barcelona supporters.

When Figo left, Barcelona’s recruitment strategy adapted, and they began pooling more resources into their world famous La Masia academy. This is a common theme in El Clásico. The pair play off one another and the longevity of their success is determined by the other side’s reaction.

**Fenerbahçe versus Galatasaray**

The very pinnacle of Turkish football is a rivalry spread across one city and two continents. Istanbul sides Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray are separated by 17 kilometres, the Bosphorus, and substantially differing football philosophies.

Fenerbahçe are located in the Asian side of the Turkish capital. They are perceived as the ‘people’s club’ having been formed by locals for locals. In contrast, Galatasaray are from the European half of Istanbul and were founded by members of Galatasaray High School, the city’s illustrious educational institution attended by those from the capital’s wealthiest families.

Things could have panned out so differently were it not for the Balkan Wars. In fact, there would not be a rivalry at all. In 1912, the presidents of both sides met and proposed combining to form one giant Turkish super club to compete with the rest of Europe’s elite. An agreement was reached, but war intervened and the rest, as they say, is history.

A 1934 meeting on the pitch between the pair really set the tone for what the rivalry is today. Although the initial class differences have become blurred as the two sides have blossomed into the two biggest, richest, and most successful clubs in Turkey, the raw passion and hatred has remained a constant.

In 1934, the ferocious intensity of a game spilled into the stands, and the fighting both on and off the pitch got so severe that the game was forced to be abandoned. Fan antics have since become a common theme during the Derby - pyrotechnics, banners, and rioting are a frequent occurrence.

Although it is a local Derby, the rivalry is felt across the entire country. The pair are Turkey’s most decorated sides, Galatasaray have 22 Süper Lig titles to Fenerbahçe’s 19 and meetings between the pair are tight, tense affairs. However, during the 1995/96 season, while Fenerbahçe were competing for the title, Galatasaray were struggling to finish in the top three and qualify for the UEFA Cup. The two sides met in the final of the Turkish Cup, with Fenerbahçe expected to comfortably emerge victorious but instead, Galatasaray scored an extra time winner, and manager Graeme Souness strolled to the middle of the Fenerbahçe pitch and planted a giant Galatasaray flag in the center circle.

This unpredictability on the pitch, coupled with the wild behaviour off it, makes Fenerbahçe versus Galatasaray truly special.

**![Francesco Totti playing for Roma FC](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3703_default_big.jpeg "Francesco Totti playing for Roma")Lazio versus Roma**

For the four rivalries above, Derby day is about a bigger picture. For Celtic and Rangers, Boca Juniors and River Plate, Barcelona and Real Madrid and Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, getting one over their archrivals is often about getting points on the board and making ground in the title race. This is not the case for the Derby della Capitale. There are no other pretenses; it is a battle for bragging rights in Rome where pride and pride alone is at stake.

The rivalry’s starting point can be traced back to when Roma were originally formed in 1927. Dictator Benito Mussolini wanted to create a single, unified team to represent the Italian capital and to do so, four teams from Rome were merged - Alba, Fortitudo, Pro Roma and Roman - to form Roma. Lazio were also pressured to join but they opposed.

Both Roma and Lazio have their own set of ultras - sometimes controversial, occasionally violent, always passionate. This manifests itself in all sorts of ways, from riots to extravagant, colourful firework and banner displays, as both sets of supporters attempt to outdo the other.

Football wise, the two sides have lived in the shadows of Northern Italy’s footballing giants: Juventus, Inter and AC Milan. Roma and Lazio have acquired just five Serie A titles between them, but this only adds to the rivalry. There is less of an international spotlight on the Derby (the ramifications of the result are usually not felt outside of Rome), but an incredibly rooted local feel to it - the two sides even share a stadium. The Derby is the pinnacle of Roma and Lazio’s season, winning can often mean more to supporters than their teams’ final league standing.

The two enjoyed patches of success in the late 90s and early 2000s thanks to presidents with substantial financial backing. At the turn of the millennium, Lazio won Serie A for the first time in 26 years with a squad blessed with the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron, Pavel Nedved, Alessandro Nesta, Diego Simeone and Hernan Crespo. Roma followed suit the following year under the guidance of Fabio Capello, as Gabriel Batistuta, Cafu, Emerson, Walter Samuel, Francesco Totti - the fixture’s all-time top scorer - and co stormed to the league title. However, financial troubles soon caught up with the two teams, and Northern Italy’s big three returned to the Serie A summit.

Since their brief spells at the top of Italian football, the Derby della Capitale has returned to its roots. At its very core, the rivalry is a battle for territory, identity, and local pride.

**Not forgetting…**

![Manchester United's Romelu Lukaku chases after Liverpool's Emre Can](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3699_default_big.jpeg "Romelu Lukaku chases after Emre Can")Despite not sharing a city, Manchester United and Liverpool share one of English football’s biggest rivalries as they are the country’s two most successful sides. United have the edge domestically, whilst Liverpool hold the bragging rights in European competitions. Throughout history, momentum and success has swung this way and that along the M62. The pair tussled for top spot during the 1960s, as Bill Shankly’s Liverpool took on Matt Busby’s Manchester United and ever since, the rivalry has been a game of cat and mouse. Liverpool were the team to beat throughout the 70s and 80s under Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalgish, before Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United knocked them off their perch in the 1990s. The tides have begun to turn once more thanks to the Jurgen Klopp revolution on Merseyside, as Liverpool attempt to hunt down United’s unprecedented haul of 20 top-flight titles.

Both Manchester United and Liverpool also have Derbies with their respective city rivals: Manchester United with Manchester City and Liverpool with Everton. The latter was always portrayed as a ‘friendly rivalry’, forged in camaraderie and solidarity - but the friendliness has made way for a more competitive edge in recent seasons. Meanwhile the Manchester Derby was never a friendly affair but it was primarily a lop-sided one. United largely dominated proceedings until City’s 2008 takeover and since then, the noisy neighbours have been making an absolute racket, famously snatching the Premier League title on the final day of the 2011/12 season from under their rival’s noses with a last gasp winner.

![Amsterdam's Ajax playing Rotterdam's Feyenoord](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3680_default_big.png "Ajax playing Feyenoord")Elsewhere in Europe, Ajax versus Feyenoord is Holland’s most iconic rivalry. This is a battle between two cities of contrast - Amsterdam, the cultural, artistic, touristy city, and Rotterdam, Holland’s hard working, industrial heartbeat. The differences in culture and attitude transcends to the stands, with violence, riots and fights not uncommon between fans. Visiting supporters have been banned from attending derby matches on numerous occasions. Ajax are the more successful side, with 34 Eredivisie titles to Feyenoord’s 15 - and it is this jealousy, and contempt at living in their rival’s shadows that continues to fuel the Derby.

Two teams who have never lived in one another’s shadow are Benfica and Porto**.** This is the battle of Portugal’s two most decorated sides, from the country’s two largest cities and who have a combined 65 Primeira Liga titles - Benfica edging it 37 to 28. Bragging rights have swung between the capital and Porto, with Eusébio’s magnificent Benfica side dominant in the 1950s and 60s on both the domestic and European front, whilst Porto won a record five league titles on the bounce between 1994 and 1999. This closeness, competitiveness and sheer quality make the game the hottest fixture in the Portuguese football calendar.

South America is a continent with a real love affair with football, no more so than in Brazil. Their headline Derby comes from Rio de Janiero sides Flamengo and Fluminense who are not separated by a religious or political divide but by a fight for pride and identity. Derby day is played out at the Maracana - the spiritual home of Brazilian football - and it is quite the spectacle. Streamers, banners and drums give the game a carnival feel and although the rivalry is world famous because of the raucous crowd, a selection of greats – like Zico, Romario, Ronaldinho, and Rivelino - have graced the pitch during the Fla-Flu Derby, demonstrating the star quality and entertainment on the pitch in addition to that in the stands.

The pinnacle of Uruguayan domestic football is Derby day between Nacional and Peñarol**.** The two sides have enjoyed outrageous dominance, with 97 Primera División titles between them. Nobody else won the league between 1932 and 1975. The sides first met in 1900, making the Uruguayan Clásico the oldest rivalry in world football outside the UK. The longevity is matched by a fiery intensity on and off the pitch. During a 2014 encounter, four players were sent off for their part in a post-match brawl whilst nine spent the night in a prison cell.

Football fans are fortunate to enjoy the rivalries of all different shapes and sizes that rage across the globe.

To track football from around the world, head to the [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/?sport=Football).

*Written in May 2020*

Photos by [Guillaume Gogo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Celtic_park_inside.jpg), [Boca Juniors](https://www.bocajuniors.com.ar/socios/boca-entradas-superclasico?lang=en), [FC Barcelona](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/1494562/barca-v-madrid-on-december-18-at-800pm-cet), [UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01d4-0e70aad9b3a7-f53cdb3e5d1c-1000--totti-doubtful-for-arsenal-tie/), [Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/match/22637), [Ajax](https://streams.ajax.nl/streams/wedstrijden/ajax-neemt-revanche-op-feyenoord-mijlpalen-voor-schone-en-de-ligt.htm)

A detailed look at 5 of the greatest football rivalries of all time, from the passionate to the profound, the bitter to the simply bonkers.

Sporting Rivalries

Football Rivalries through the Ages

The 2020 NFL draft is set to contain an incredibly strong stock of quarterbacks, and these collegiate signal-callers could prove to make a difference for several teams. But who will be available? And which teams might be in the market for a quarterback?

<div>
The Quarterbacks

<img alt="Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3403_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Tua Tagovailoa" />Entering the 2019 season, the top quarterback prospect was Alabama&rsquo;s Tua Tagovailoa. The 6-1, 218-pound junior from Ewa Beach, Hawaii first entered draft talks in January 2018 after making a spectacular 41-yard touchdown pass to secure the 2018 College National Championship. He followed that with a 3966-yard 2018 season, where he led Alabama to another National Championship game and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting. Tua is an aggressive passer with exceptional athletic ability. The latter is an invaluable skill in a faster NFL that pushes defences to attack the quarterback more often. Despite these upsides, Tua comes with injury concerns that could affect his standing with NFL teams. A serious hip injury ended his 2019 season early, leaving questions as to how he might fare in the hard-hitting NFL.

However, a new frontrunner emerged in the wake of November 9th&rsquo;s Alabama-LSU rivalry game. Iowa-born LSU quarterback Joe Burrow saw his draft stock skyrocket in the wake of the 46-41 win, a definite highlight in what was a fantastic season for the Tigers. Burrow is known for his good arm and solid accuracy.&nbsp;While draft experts initially had Burrow going in the second or third round, he quickly jumped to the top of many mid-season mock drafts. He cemented those predictions by leading LSU to an undefeated season and a National Championship. With 5671 passing yards and 60 touchdowns, he was the natural choice for the Heisman Trophy. Though there may be concerns about his versatility, anyone who can take down Alabama and have a season like he has just had is certainly one to watch.

Another potential&nbsp;draft pick&nbsp;out of the SEC is Georgia&rsquo;s Jake Fromm.&nbsp;He led a strong season by the Bulldogs, as they reached the SEC Championship game. However, he broke many hearts in Athens by declaring for the draft. Fromm was one of the best decision-makers at the college level and put up solid numbers over the 2019 season. His sturdy 219-pound frame make him perfect for absorbing the sort of physical play one can expect in the NFL. With a slight lack of arm strength, Fromm would be perfect for any team that doesn&rsquo;t rely on the deep pass.

<img alt="Washington’s Jacob Eason playing in the NFL" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3404_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Jacob Eason" />Also forgoing the rest of his NCAA eligibility to join the NFL is Washington&rsquo;s Jacob Eason. Eason also began at Georgia until he was replaced by Fromm following an injury. After Eason lost the starting role, he transferred to the Pac-12 and Washington. While he has limited experience under centre, he has displayed good field vision and one of the best big arms in the NCAA. He has great potential to be the next great pocket passer of the NFL. However, he is certainly one of the bigger draft risks in the quarterback category.

Senior Justin Herbert made the Oregon Ducks a top-10 team in 2019 and now looks to take his talents to the NFL.&nbsp;Herbert is known for his strong arm and deadly accuracy but has problems under pressure. With defences growing increasing vicious across the league, and pockets collapsing quicker, being able to handle the pressure is a vital skill. Despite this, Herbert is a talented player and would be a great asset to any team around the league.

The mobile and accurate Jordan Love from Utah State, has begun to gain a lot of interest from several teams in the NFL.&nbsp;Love combines excellent skills with a big arm and impressive athletic ability and is capable of making plays when things break up around him. However his play was definitely inconsistent in 2019, which could cause teams to have doubts about picking him.

The wild card this year will be Jalen Hurts out of Oklahoma. Hurts transferred to the Sooners for his senior year after three years at Alabama, having lost the starting QB spot to Tua. In Norman, Hurts showed everyone just what he was capable of.&nbsp;Whilst&nbsp;some scouts have dropped him to the late rounds of the draft, Hurts&rsquo; versatility gives him a major upside.&nbsp;His tendency to keep the ball and run is reminiscent of Lamar Jackson, Baltimore&rsquo;s MVP-winning quarterback. Now that Jackson has shown what a run-heavy QB can do, teams will be lot less averse to drafting a player like Hurts.

The later rounds of the draft are also going to have solid quarterback talent. Steven Montez is a small school QB who did well at Colorado but needs development. He could turn into an excellent backup with a few years in the league. Finally there is also Nate Stanley, the versatile passer out of Iowa who is generating interested across the league. &nbsp;

The Teams

There are two teams who will most likely draft a quarterback with their first pick, and two more teams who are widely projected to pick up a quarterback in the first round.

Cincinnati Bengals: The team widely expected to pick first overall at the draft have made moves indicating that they intend to move on from eight-year starter Andy Dalton. While they have two young quarterbacks already on their roster, the consensus is that they&nbsp;will not&nbsp;pass up the opportunity to draft a franchise player like Burrow or Tua first overall.

Miami Dolphins: Miami is looking to rebuild without tanking, as has been evidenced by numerous quotes from head coach Brian Flores. However, they have amassed large amounts of draft capital and hold three first-round picks. With quarterback being a position of need, the Dolphins are likely to take the best prospect available after Cincinnati make their pick.

Los Angeles Chargers: After losing Phillip Rivers, the Chargers will be looking for the next QB to lead the franchise. With the 6th pick in the draft, the Chargers are in prime position to take a franchise talent who could either start come the fall or develop behind Tyrod Taylor. They could be set to take the likes of Herbert, as many mock drafts are predicting.

New England Patriots: The age of Brady is over. With TB12 headed to Tampa Bay, the Patriots may be looking to use the draft to work with their limited cap space. One option could be Jordan Love, who the Patriots have expressed interest in over the offseason.

However it is important to remember that there are plenty of veteran quarterbacks on the market and at new teams. Cam Newton, Jameis Winston are still free agents at the time of writing and&nbsp;Andy Dalton clearly available via trade. Meanwhile, teams like Carolina and Tennessee have announced their intentions for the near-future through their free agent signings.

<img alt="Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3402_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Joe Burrow" />While Tua and Burrow will be the big names of the quarterback pool, the class is one of the most talented of the last few years. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if there are numerous QBs called on April 25th and throughout the rest of the draft proceedings. Keep up to date of the timings of the 2020 <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-american-football">NFL</a> Draft with&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.fixturecalendar.com">Fixture Calendar</a>.<img alt="" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/54e2a3e0e034e49d674fdf4cf551785741425dd2.jpeg" />

Benjamin Mock, March 2020&nbsp;

Photos by <a href="https://www.nfl.com/">NFL</a>
</div>

The 2020 NFL draft is set to contain an incredibly strong stock of quarterbacks, and these collegiate signal-callers could prove to make a difference for several teams. But who will be available? And which teams might be in the market for a quarterback?

<div>**The Quarterbacks**

![Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3403_default_big.jpeg "Tua Tagovailoa")Entering the 2019 season, the top quarterback prospect was Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. The 6-1, 218-pound junior from Ewa Beach, Hawaii first entered draft talks in January 2018 after making a spectacular 41-yard touchdown pass to secure the 2018 College National Championship. He followed that with a 3966-yard 2018 season, where he led Alabama to another National Championship game and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting. Tua is an aggressive passer with exceptional athletic ability. The latter is an invaluable skill in a faster NFL that pushes defences to attack the quarterback more often. Despite these upsides, Tua comes with injury concerns that could affect his standing with NFL teams. A serious hip injury ended his 2019 season early, leaving questions as to how he might fare in the hard-hitting NFL.

However, a new frontrunner emerged in the wake of November 9th’s Alabama-LSU rivalry game. Iowa-born LSU quarterback Joe Burrow saw his draft stock skyrocket in the wake of the 46-41 win, a definite highlight in what was a fantastic season for the Tigers. Burrow is known for his good arm and solid accuracy. While draft experts initially had Burrow going in the second or third round, he quickly jumped to the top of many mid-season mock drafts. He cemented those predictions by leading LSU to an undefeated season and a National Championship. With 5671 passing yards and 60 touchdowns, he was the natural choice for the Heisman Trophy. Though there may be concerns about his versatility, anyone who can take down Alabama and have a season like he has just had is certainly one to watch.

Another potential draft pick out of the SEC is Georgia’s Jake Fromm. He led a strong season by the Bulldogs, as they reached the SEC Championship game. However, he broke many hearts in Athens by declaring for the draft. Fromm was one of the best decision-makers at the college level and put up solid numbers over the 2019 season. His sturdy 219-pound frame make him perfect for absorbing the sort of physical play one can expect in the NFL. With a slight lack of arm strength, Fromm would be perfect for any team that doesn’t rely on the deep pass.

![Washington’s Jacob Eason playing in the NFL](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3404_default_big.jpeg "Jacob Eason")Also forgoing the rest of his NCAA eligibility to join the NFL is Washington’s Jacob Eason. Eason also began at Georgia until he was replaced by Fromm following an injury. After Eason lost the starting role, he transferred to the Pac-12 and Washington. While he has limited experience under centre, he has displayed good field vision and one of the best big arms in the NCAA. He has great potential to be the next great pocket passer of the NFL. However, he is certainly one of the bigger draft risks in the quarterback category.

Senior Justin Herbert made the Oregon Ducks a top-10 team in 2019 and now looks to take his talents to the NFL. Herbert is known for his strong arm and deadly accuracy but has problems under pressure. With defences growing increasing vicious across the league, and pockets collapsing quicker, being able to handle the pressure is a vital skill. Despite this, Herbert is a talented player and would be a great asset to any team around the league.

The mobile and accurate Jordan Love from Utah State, has begun to gain a lot of interest from several teams in the NFL. Love combines excellent skills with a big arm and impressive athletic ability and is capable of making plays when things break up around him. However his play was definitely inconsistent in 2019, which could cause teams to have doubts about picking him.

The wild card this year will be Jalen Hurts out of Oklahoma. Hurts transferred to the Sooners for his senior year after three years at Alabama, having lost the starting QB spot to Tua. In Norman, Hurts showed everyone just what he was capable of. Whilst some scouts have dropped him to the late rounds of the draft, Hurts’ versatility gives him a major upside. His tendency to keep the ball and run is reminiscent of Lamar Jackson, Baltimore’s MVP-winning quarterback. Now that Jackson has shown what a run-heavy QB can do, teams will be lot less averse to drafting a player like Hurts.

The later rounds of the draft are also going to have solid quarterback talent. Steven Montez is a small school QB who did well at Colorado but needs development. He could turn into an excellent backup with a few years in the league. Finally there is also Nate Stanley, the versatile passer out of Iowa who is generating interested across the league.

**The Teams**

There are two teams who will most likely draft a quarterback with their first pick, and two more teams who are widely projected to pick up a quarterback in the first round.

**Cincinnati Bengals:** The team widely expected to pick first overall at the draft have made moves indicating that they intend to move on from eight-year starter Andy Dalton. While they have two young quarterbacks already on their roster, the consensus is that they will not pass up the opportunity to draft a franchise player like Burrow or Tua first overall.

**Miami Dolphins:** Miami is looking to rebuild without tanking, as has been evidenced by numerous quotes from head coach Brian Flores. However, they have amassed large amounts of draft capital and hold three first-round picks. With quarterback being a position of need, the Dolphins are likely to take the best prospect available after Cincinnati make their pick.

**Los Angeles Chargers:** After losing Phillip Rivers, the Chargers will be looking for the next QB to lead the franchise. With the 6th pick in the draft, the Chargers are in prime position to take a franchise talent who could either start come the fall or develop behind Tyrod Taylor. They could be set to take the likes of Herbert, as many mock drafts are predicting.

**New England Patriots:** The age of Brady is over. With TB12 headed to Tampa Bay, the Patriots may be looking to use the draft to work with their limited cap space. One option could be Jordan Love, who the Patriots have expressed interest in over the offseason.

However it is important to remember that there are plenty of veteran quarterbacks on the market and at new teams. Cam Newton, Jameis Winston are still free agents at the time of writing and Andy Dalton clearly available via trade. Meanwhile, teams like Carolina and Tennessee have announced their intentions for the near-future through their free agent signings.

![Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3402_default_big.jpeg "Joe Burrow")While Tua and Burrow will be the big names of the quarterback pool, the class is one of the most talented of the last few years. Don’t be surprised if there are numerous QBs called on April 25th and throughout the rest of the draft proceedings. Keep up to date of the timings of the 2020 [NFL](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-american-football) Draft with the [Fixture Calendar](http://www.fixturecalendar.com).![](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/54e2a3e0e034e49d674fdf4cf551785741425dd2.jpeg)

***Benjamin Mock, March 2020***

Photos by [NFL](https://www.nfl.com/)

</div>

A detailed look into the 2020 NFL draft which is set to contain a strong stock of quarterbacks. These athletes could make a difference for several teams.

Quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft

According to available records, there are three teams who have won six trophies in a single Association Football&nbsp;season. One is the Maltese side Valletta, who completed the feat in the 2000-01 season; another is&nbsp;the&nbsp;Northern Irish side Linfield, who have won seven trophies on two occasions; and the third is Arsenal Ladies, now known as Arsenal WFC. This piece looks at the 2006-07 Arsenal Ladies&rsquo; unbeaten season and their journey to six titles.

<img alt="Alex Scott playing for Arsenal " src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3439_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Alex Scott" />Entering the season, Arsenal Ladies were defending three consecutive league titles and&nbsp;under&nbsp;team legend Vic Akers, the team had become a tour de force. Up front was the tandem of Kelly Smith and Lianne Sanderson, who had finished first and second in scoring the season prior,&nbsp;whilst the&nbsp;defense&nbsp;included fan favourite Alex Scott, defensive stalwart Ciara Grant and goalkeeper Emma Byrne. The defense had conceded forty-four goals across the entirety of the last three seasons, a period that saw only a single league loss for the team. The team had also added a young, exciting star in midfielder Karen Carney who joined from Birmingham, where she had earned two FA Young Player of the Year awards. Overall, this was a team with no major weaknesses, and they were truly the team to beat.

<img alt="Katie Chapman playing for England against Germany in 2015 FIFA World Cup" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3397_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Katie Chapman playing for England" />The season started in July, with the team undertaking a two-game tour of Germany, where&nbsp;Arsenal won both matches, outscoring SC 07 Bad Neuenahr and SC Sand, 7-1. These matches were followed by the team&rsquo;s first trophy of the season on&nbsp;August 2nd&nbsp;as they contested the Women&rsquo;s Community Shield against Everton&nbsp;where they&nbsp;beat&nbsp;the&nbsp;Liverpudlian side 3-0 with goals from Kelly Smith, Karen Carney, and fellow new signing Katie Chapman. Eighteen days later, they began their league campaign at newly promoted&nbsp;Blackburn.&nbsp;Smith scored twice in an easy 3-0 victory for the Gunners, followed by a 14-0 rout of Fulham in Arsenal&rsquo;s home opener. Across their first five games of the season, Arsenal outscored their opponents 36-1. During this time, they also began their UEFA Cup campaign, handily winning their qualifying group before dominating Icelandic side Brei&eth;ablik 9-1 in a mid-October, two-leg Quarter-final. As they continued their winning ways, they suffered their first non-win of the season&nbsp;which&nbsp;came in the form of a 2-2 draw with Br&oslash;ndby in the first leg of their UEFA Cup Semi-final, however they rallied to win the second leg (3-0) and earned their first berth to the UEFA Cup Final.&nbsp;The year&nbsp;ended with a 4-0 win against Blackburn. Between July and December, Arsenal had gone 20-1-0 across all competitions, scoring ninety-nine goals and conceding&nbsp;only&nbsp;nine&nbsp;with almost&nbsp;half of&nbsp;the&nbsp;conceded goals&nbsp;coming&nbsp;from a single match, a 5-4 win against WFC Rossiyanka in UEFA Cup qualifying.

2007 began with a 4-1 victory over Stockport in the Fourth Round of the Women&rsquo;s FA Cup, following a 1-0 league victory against Birmingham four days later. Arsenal proceeded to score thirty-nine goals in their next five matches&nbsp;which,&nbsp;for reference,&nbsp;is&nbsp;more than Brighton, Cardiff, Fulham and Huddersfield each managed&nbsp;to score&nbsp;across the entirety of the 2018-19 Premier League season.&nbsp;Arsenal&nbsp;would&nbsp;suffer only&nbsp;one more non-win across the entire season, which came in the second leg of the UEFA Cup Final against&nbsp;the&nbsp;Swedish side Ume&aring; following a goalless draw,&nbsp;but&nbsp;still, they would lift the trophy thanks to a 1-0 victory in the first leg. They beat Leeds 1-0 to win the League Cup, and secured the League title on&nbsp;April 24th&nbsp;following a 5-1 win against rivals Chelsea, and beat Charlton 4-1 in early-May to take home the FA Cup. During the season they also won the London Women&rsquo;s Cup.

The final game of the season came at home against Leeds on&nbsp;May 20th, which Arsenal won 6-0. Arsenal&rsquo;s season record across all competitions was 40-2-0&nbsp;- they&nbsp;scored over 200 goals&nbsp;whilst&nbsp;conceding&nbsp;only 21.&nbsp;In the league, they went 22-0-0 with 119 goals scored and ten allowed, making for a goal difference of 109 - the best goal difference in Premier League history is 79 (Manchester City, 2017-18). Lianne Sanderson (29) and Kelly Smith (19) once again&nbsp;led&nbsp;the league in scoring, with&nbsp;Lianne&nbsp;being the top scorer for the club with 40 goals. As previously mentioned, their six titles (League, League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, London Women&rsquo;s Cup, Community Shield) is a feat only three other teams have managed.&nbsp;Arsenal&nbsp;won another five consecutive titles, the streak ending with a third-place finish in the 2012-13 season.&nbsp;Today, the club remains one of the best in English women&rsquo;s football, boasting talent like Kim Little, Dani&euml;lle van de Donk, and Vivianne Miedema.

<img alt="Emma Byrne plays goalkeeper for Arsenal" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3398_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Emma Byrne" />Vic Akers managed the team until 2009 and is currently the team&rsquo;s Honorary President and assistant manager at National League side Boreham Wood. Lianne Sanderson made fifty appearances for England and is still active, most recently having played for Juventus in the 2018-19 season. Kelly Smith retired in 2017 after a second five-year stint at Arsenal following time in the US. Alex Scott retired in 2018 following her third spell at Arsenal. Emma Byrne played for Arsenal until 2016 and joined Brighton for a season before announcing her retirement in 2017&nbsp;aged&nbsp;28. However, she currently plays for the Spanish side Terrassa FC after announcing she was coming out of retirement in August 2019. Karen Carney left Arsenal in 2008 and played for the Chicago Red Stars, Birmingham City, and Chelsea until her retirement in 2019. Her final international match was England&rsquo;s 2-1 loss to Sweden in the third-place match of the 2019 Women&rsquo;s World Cup.&nbsp; She retired as England&rsquo;s all-time most capped women&rsquo;s player.

The story of the 2006-07 Arsenal Ladies&rsquo; season is one of pure dominance, showing off the very best of English women&rsquo;s football at the time.&nbsp;It is&nbsp;a feat that is unlikely to ever be repeated and will go down in history as a truly spectacular moment in the sport.&nbsp;Ensure you never miss a <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-football">Football</a> match with the <a href="https://www.fixturecalendar.com/">Fixture Calendar</a>.

Benjamin&nbsp;Mock, January 2020

Photos by <a href="https://www.arsenal.com/">Arsenal</a>, <a href="https://www.uefa.com/">UEFA</a>

According to available records, there are three teams who have won six trophies in a single Association Football season. One is the Maltese side Valletta, who completed the feat in the 2000-01 season; another is the Northern Irish side Linfield, who have won seven trophies on two occasions; and the third is Arsenal Ladies, now known as Arsenal WFC. This piece looks at the 2006-07 Arsenal Ladies’ unbeaten season and their journey to six titles.

![Alex Scott playing for Arsenal ](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3439_default_big.jpeg "Alex Scott")Entering the season, Arsenal Ladies were defending three consecutive league titles and under team legend Vic Akers, the team had become a tour de force. Up front was the tandem of Kelly Smith and Lianne Sanderson, who had finished first and second in scoring the season prior, whilst the defense included fan favourite Alex Scott, defensive stalwart Ciara Grant and goalkeeper Emma Byrne. The defense had conceded forty-four goals across the entirety of the last three seasons, a period that saw only a single league loss for the team. The team had also added a young, exciting star in midfielder Karen Carney who joined from Birmingham, where she had earned two FA Young Player of the Year awards. Overall, this was a team with no major weaknesses, and they were truly the team to beat.

![Katie Chapman playing for England against Germany in 2015 FIFA World Cup](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3397_default_big.jpeg "Katie Chapman playing for England")The season started in July, with the team undertaking a two-game tour of Germany, where Arsenal won both matches, outscoring SC 07 Bad Neuenahr and SC Sand, 7-1. These matches were followed by the team’s first trophy of the season on August 2nd as they contested the Women’s Community Shield against Everton where they beat the Liverpudlian side 3-0 with goals from Kelly Smith, Karen Carney, and fellow new signing Katie Chapman. Eighteen days later, they began their league campaign at newly promoted Blackburn. Smith scored twice in an easy 3-0 victory for the Gunners, followed by a 14-0 rout of Fulham in Arsenal’s home opener. Across their first five games of the season, Arsenal outscored their opponents 36-1. During this time, they also began their UEFA Cup campaign, handily winning their qualifying group before dominating Icelandic side Breiðablik 9-1 in a mid-October, two-leg Quarter-final. As they continued their winning ways, they suffered their first non-win of the season which came in the form of a 2-2 draw with Brøndby in the first leg of their UEFA Cup Semi-final, however they rallied to win the second leg (3-0) and earned their first berth to the UEFA Cup Final. The year ended with a 4-0 win against Blackburn. Between July and December, Arsenal had gone 20-1-0 across all competitions, scoring ninety-nine goals and conceding only nine with almost half of the conceded goals coming from a single match, a 5-4 win against WFC Rossiyanka in UEFA Cup qualifying.

2007 began with a 4-1 victory over Stockport in the Fourth Round of the Women’s FA Cup, following a 1-0 league victory against Birmingham four days later. Arsenal proceeded to score thirty-nine goals in their next five matches which, for reference, is more than Brighton, Cardiff, Fulham and Huddersfield each managed to score across the entirety of the 2018-19 Premier League season. Arsenal would suffer only one more non-win across the entire season, which came in the second leg of the UEFA Cup Final against the Swedish side Umeå following a goalless draw, but still, they would lift the trophy thanks to a 1-0 victory in the first leg. They beat Leeds 1-0 to win the League Cup, and secured the League title on April 24th following a 5-1 win against rivals Chelsea, and beat Charlton 4-1 in early-May to take home the FA Cup. During the season they also won the London Women’s Cup.

The final game of the season came at home against Leeds on May 20th, which Arsenal won 6-0. Arsenal’s season record across all competitions was 40-2-0 - they scored over 200 goals whilst conceding only 21. In the league, they went 22-0-0 with 119 goals scored and ten allowed, making for a goal difference of 109 - the best goal difference in Premier League history is 79 (Manchester City, 2017-18). Lianne Sanderson (29) and Kelly Smith (19) once again led the league in scoring, with Lianne being the top scorer for the club with 40 goals. As previously mentioned, their six titles (League, League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, London Women’s Cup, Community Shield) is a feat only three other teams have managed. Arsenal won another five consecutive titles, the streak ending with a third-place finish in the 2012-13 season. Today, the club remains one of the best in English women’s football, boasting talent like Kim Little, Daniëlle van de Donk, and Vivianne Miedema.

![Emma Byrne plays goalkeeper for Arsenal](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3398_default_big.jpeg "Emma Byrne")Vic Akers managed the team until 2009 and is currently the team’s Honorary President and assistant manager at National League side Boreham Wood. Lianne Sanderson made fifty appearances for England and is still active, most recently having played for Juventus in the 2018-19 season. Kelly Smith retired in 2017 after a second five-year stint at Arsenal following time in the US. Alex Scott retired in 2018 following her third spell at Arsenal. Emma Byrne played for Arsenal until 2016 and joined Brighton for a season before announcing her retirement in 2017 aged 28. However, she currently plays for the Spanish side Terrassa FC after announcing she was coming out of retirement in August 2019. Karen Carney left Arsenal in 2008 and played for the Chicago Red Stars, Birmingham City, and Chelsea until her retirement in 2019. Her final international match was England’s 2-1 loss to Sweden in the third-place match of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. She retired as England’s all-time most capped women’s player.

The story of the 2006-07 Arsenal Ladies’ season is one of pure dominance, showing off the very best of English women’s football at the time. It is a feat that is unlikely to ever be repeated and will go down in history as a truly spectacular moment in the sport. Ensure you never miss a [Football](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-football) match with the [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/).

***Benjamin Mock, January 2020***

Photos by [Arsenal](https://www.arsenal.com/), [UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/)

A detailed look into Arsenal Women's season which ended in 6 trophies and placed them firmly in football history - discover the story of their success.

One season, six trophies

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar&rsquo;s series looking at some of the most memorable moments in sporting history.&nbsp;In this article, we put basketball under the spotlight. From monumental individual performances&nbsp;to&nbsp;team dominance and game-defining decisions, here are some of the moments that helped weave basketball&rsquo;s history. 
 
<img alt="Michael Jordan scoring for the Bulls in the 1998 NBA Finals" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3420_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Michael Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals" />Michael Jordan&rsquo;s final shot as a Bull, Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals 
 
With 18 seconds remaining in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan stole the ball from Karl Malone and drove down the court. Jordan&rsquo;s Bulls were down by one as they tried to close out the series. MJ&nbsp;had carried the team on his back for the game, outshooting the rest of the Bulls combined, but&nbsp;he had been inconsistent, and was only shooting 14-for-34 on the night. At the three-point line he encountered&nbsp;small forward Bryon Russell, who had been irritating him all game&nbsp;so, with&nbsp;the signature Superman swagger, Jordan cooked Russell and put up a lazy jumper from 17ft to put the Bulls up by one with five&nbsp;seconds to go. The game-winning shot would be the last of Jordan&rsquo;s 13-season career in Chicago, as he announced his retirement in the&nbsp;offseason but it&nbsp;sealed the Bulls&rsquo; 6th title and second three-peat of the&nbsp;90s, marking the pinnacle of a true dynasty. Jordan&rsquo;s grace in the moment and what that shot truly meant, make this a defining moment in NBA history. 
 
<img alt="New York Liberty's Teresa Weatherspoon in the 1999 WNBA Finals" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3421_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Teresa Weatherspoon" />Teresa Weatherspoon makes &lsquo;The Shot&rsquo;, Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals 
 
In 1999, the WNBA was still in its infancy. The league had been founded in 1996 and,&nbsp;since its inception, had been dominated by the Houston Comets. Behind a big three of Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and&nbsp;Cynthia Cooper, the team had cruised to win the league title in 1997 and 1998&nbsp;and they&nbsp;looked all set to do the same in 1999 as they took a 67-65 lead into the final seconds of Game 2 of that year&rsquo;s Finals.&nbsp;Enter the New York Liberty&rsquo;s Teresa Weatherspoon. Weatherspoon had been part of NY Liberty in 1997 when they lost the inaugural WNBA Finals to the Comets, and she was not going to let that happen again.&nbsp;Weatherspoon took an inbound pass from Kym Hampton and charged down the court. Holding off Tina Thompson, she tossed up a shot from half-court&nbsp;and&nbsp;watched in disbelief&nbsp;as&nbsp;the shot beautifully went in&nbsp;as the buzzer sounded, taking the series to a decisive Game 3. The Comets would go on to win the series, but Weatherspoon&rsquo;s iconic shot has gone down as one of the biggest moments in the WNBA. 
 
The Fab Five and Chris Webber&rsquo;s illegal timeout, 1993 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship 
 
The University of Michigan introduced one of the greatest recruiting classes in 1991. Joining the Wolverines were Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson, four of whom would go&nbsp;on to play in the NBA and four of whom would be named All-Americans, a single recruiting class record at the time. The team made two consecutive NCAA Championship games and lost both&nbsp;but&nbsp;one of the&nbsp;most memorable moments came in the second Championship game, in 1993 against North Carolina. With twenty seconds left in the game, Michigan&nbsp;were&nbsp;down 73-71 and Webber was fighting his way up the&nbsp;floor, pushing against an aggressive North Carolina double team. With eleven seconds remaining, Webber found himself trapped in the corner, so he called a timeout&nbsp;but the&nbsp;problem was that Michigan had no&nbsp;timeouts remaining. It&rsquo;s unclear what was going through Webber&rsquo;s head and he&rsquo;s never spoken about that moment to the media&nbsp;but&nbsp;the move earned him a technical foul and the pair of resulting free throws&nbsp;put the Tar Heels up by four and they went on to win the game 77-71. &lsquo;The Timeout&rsquo; and the legend of the Fab Five remain outstanding&nbsp;features&nbsp;of Webber&rsquo;s legacy and NBA history. 
 
<img alt="LeBron James playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3422_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="LeBron James in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals " />LeBron versus the Celtics, Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals 
 
The 2012 Eastern Conference Finals saw the first seed Miami Heat trying to hold off the seventh seed underdog Boston Celtics. As the teams met at TD Garden for Game 6, the Celtics were looking to clinch the&nbsp;series after winning the last three games. It would be a pivotal moment for LeBron, who was under intense scrutiny. The Celtics had ended his final playoff run with the Cavaliers in 2010 and he had&nbsp;underperformed in the 2011 Finals loss to the Mavericks.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;with the world watching, LeBron showed why he had earned the title of The&nbsp;King shooting&nbsp;19-for-26,&nbsp;and finishing&nbsp;with 45 points and 15 rebounds&nbsp;in a series-tying 98-79 win. LeBron more than doubled the points total of Rajon Rondo, Boston&rsquo;s top scorer and he outscored Boston&rsquo;s other four starters combined.&nbsp;The game silenced LeBron&rsquo;s critics as he demonstrated he truly was an undisputed talent&nbsp;and his&nbsp;performance sparked a wave of dominance that would lead to back-to-back&nbsp;championships for the Heat. LeBron&rsquo;s Game 6 will go down as one of the greatest individual performances in NBA history and one that can be watched again and again. 
 
The Boston Celtics win 8 consecutive titles, 1959-1966 
 
Red Auerbach is one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, and perhaps the crowning achievements in his storied 56-year career in Boston was the eight consecutive championships he coached the team&nbsp;to in the late 50s and early 60s. Auerbach was the pioneer of the fast-break offence, building tough aggressive defences and speed-oriented offences. During their dynasty, this approach was built around Hall of&nbsp;Famers such as Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, and K.C. Jones. The dynasty began with a 4-0 sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959 and ended with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers,&nbsp;who had relocated&nbsp;from Minneapolis six years before, in 1966. There simply wasn&rsquo;t a team that could overcome the Celtics. During their dominance, they recorded 461 regular season wins, including a 62-win season in 1964-65&nbsp;and no&nbsp;team has&nbsp;since&nbsp;matched Boston&rsquo;s championship&nbsp;streak. Such a feat&nbsp;would take a Herculean effort in the modern, hyper-competitive NBA&nbsp;leaving&nbsp;Red&rsquo;s Celtics to stand alone with one of the greatest feats&nbsp;in basketball history. 
 
<img alt="Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Sean Elliott with Spurs 1999 NBA title" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3423_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Sean Elliott" />Pop and Tim win their fifth title, 2014 
 
There are few player-coach duos in the NBA more iconic than Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan. Popovich took the head coach position at the San Antonio Spurs in 1996 and Duncan was drafted out of Wake&nbsp;Forest during the 1997 draft. Their first title together came in the 1998-99 season. Jump ahead 15 years to 2014. Duncan was 38, a two-time MVP and 14-time all-star. Popovich was 65 and still coaching the&nbsp;Spurs, who had never missed the playoffs under him. The Spurs had lost the 2013 Finals to LeBron&rsquo;s Miami Heat and were eager to bounce back to avenge the loss. At the end of the regular season, they were&nbsp;the top seed in the West with a 62-20 record. Duncan finished as the team leader in rebounds and blocks per game, and second in points per game.&nbsp;The Spurs&nbsp;survived a scare in the first round of the playoffs,&nbsp;holding the eighth seed Mavericks off. They proceeded to power through the Trail Blazers and Thunder to set up a Finals rematch with the Heat. This time, they came out on top, beating them 4-1. Popovich&nbsp;became the fifth coach in history to win five titles and Duncan proved&nbsp;that&nbsp;he was still a dominant force in the league. Two legends of the game winning their fifth title together is a moment few will forget. 
 
<img alt="Steph Curry playing for the Golden State Warriors in their historic 2017 NBA Season" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3424_default_big.jpeg" style="float:left" title="Steph Curry in the 2017 NBA Season" />Warriors go 16-1 in the playoffs, 2017 NBA playoffs 
 
The Golden State Warriors looked unstoppable coming into the 2017 playoffs. They had gone 67-15 in the regular season where&nbsp;Steph Curry had set a new record for single-game three-pointers (13), and four&nbsp;players made the All-Star Game. Free agent signing Kevin Durant proved his worth alongside established stars like Steph and Klay Thompson&nbsp;but&nbsp;the pinnacle of their season came in the playoffs. They went 15-0&nbsp;to open the playoffs, sweeping the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Thunder before taking a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals against the Cavaliers. They&nbsp;never scored less than 100 points in&nbsp;the&nbsp;15 matches and were held to less&nbsp;than 110 only twice. Their chance for a perfect postseason ended in Game 4 of the Finals, as they fell 137-116 to the Cavaliers&nbsp;but&nbsp;that would be their only loss as they took the title in Game 5. 16-1 in the&nbsp;playoffs is an unbelievable feat, and a run with enough highlights to fill an article of its own. It was a truly iconic moment in NBA history. 
 
Wilt Chamberlain&rsquo;s 100-point game, March 2nd, 1962 
 
NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game scoring record in 1962. On March 2nd, Chamberlain&rsquo;s 46-29 Philadelphia Warriors played host to the 27-45 New York Knicks. By the end of the first quarter, the&nbsp;Warriors led 42-26 and Chamberlain had 23 points. He had also gone nine-of-nine from the free throw line, quite the feat given that Chamberlain was historically a poor free throw shooter. By halftime,&nbsp;Chamberlain was sitting on 41 points and 13 free throws. He had in mind the single-game free throw record, which stood at 24. However, his teammates were eyeing his total points. In the locker room, Guy&nbsp;Rogers spoke to coach Fred McGuire, &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s get Dip [Chamberlain] the ball. Let&rsquo;s see how many he can get.&rdquo; As he began to rack up points, the Knicks almost exclusively focused on him, often triple or quadruple&nbsp;teaming him. By the end of the third period, he had 69 points&nbsp;and despite&nbsp;the Knicks ramping up their aggressive defence against him, Chamberlain posted his best quarter of the game in the fourth, scoring 31,&nbsp;for a total of 100 points in the game. Potentially an unbreakable record, the 100-point game is truly a shining moment in basketball history. 
 
Villanova Wildcats win the NCAA Championship as an 8th seed, 1985 
 
March Madness, or the NCAA Division I Men&rsquo;s Basketball Tournament, often brings magical moments. After a disappointing 1984-85 regular season, the Villanova Wildcats entered the 1985 Division I Men&rsquo;s&nbsp;Basketball Tournament as the 8th seed in the Southeast bracket. After a tight win over 9th seed Dayton, they stunned 1st seed Michigan in the second round. In the Semi-finals, they met Maryland and beat the&nbsp;Terrapins in a tight 46-43 victory&nbsp;which&nbsp;set up a regional Final against 2nd seed North Carolina, who they dominated 55-44. In the Final Four, they met Memphis State, the second seed from the Midwest. A 52-45 victory put the Wildcats into the title game for the first time since 1971. There they met Georgetown, led by the legendary Patrick Ewing. The Wildcats were able to hold a slim lead in the final seconds&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;game to become the lowest seeded team to win the NCAA championship in an enduring moment for college basketball. 
 
The Dream Team, 1992 Summer Olympics Men&rsquo;s Basketball Tournament 
 
In 1986, the IOC ruled that professional athletes could participate in the Olympics. Six years later, the United States sent one of the most dominant squads in Olympic history to Barcelona to contest the Men&rsquo;s&rsquo;&nbsp;Basketball Tournament. The 12-man roster was comprised of ten active NBA players (including legends like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, and Karl Malone), the recently retired Magic Johnson, and college phenom Christian&nbsp;Laettner (who would go 3rd overall in the 1992 draft). Beginning with the Tournament of the Americas qualifying event, the team went on a 14-game winning streak to the Olympic gold, scoring&nbsp;1665 points&nbsp;and&nbsp;beating&nbsp;their various opponents by an average of 47 points. Their closest match was for the gold medal, where they beat Croatia 117-85,&nbsp;whilst in&nbsp;their opening match of the Olympics they beat Angola by 68.&nbsp;The team was elected to the basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and 11 of the 12 players are also Hall of Famers. The performance of the Dream Team is something every basketball fan needs to watch for&nbsp;themselves. 
 
<img alt="Kobe Bryant scoring 81 against the Raptors in 2006 NBA Season" src="https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3425_default_big.jpeg" style="float:right" title="Kobe Bryant in the 2006 NBA Season" />There are many, many more moments like these that deserve an honourable mention. By its nature, basketball is full of individual moments of greatness. Kobe scoring 81 against the Raptors in 2006, Magic&nbsp;Johnson&rsquo;s graceful hook shot to clinch Game 4 of the 1987 Finals against his recurring rival Celtics, Steph Curry hit 12 threes in a game to tie the record in 2016 before breaking the record with 13 a few months later,&nbsp;&nbsp;Jerry West (the man on the NBA logo) sending a Finals game to overtime in 1970 with a 60-foot miracle shot &ndash; and many more.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;there are also moments that go beyond a single player such as the&nbsp;heated Pistons-Pacers rivalry boiling over in 2004 in the Malice at the Palace brawl that irrevocably altered the season for both teams. Basketball is truly a game of moments.&nbsp;An iconic moment could take place&nbsp;across the globe at any time. Keep on top of all Basketball fixtures with the <a href="http://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-basketball">Fixture Calendar.</a>

Written in December 2019

Photos by <a href="http://www.nba.com">NBA</a>

Welcome back to Fixture Calendar’s series looking at some of the most memorable moments in sporting history. In this article, we put basketball under the spotlight. From monumental individual performances to team dominance and game-defining decisions, here are some of the moments that helped weave basketball’s history.  
   
 **![Michael Jordan scoring for the Bulls in the 1998 NBA Finals](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3420_default_big.jpeg "Michael Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals")Michael Jordan’s final shot as a Bull, Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals**  
   
 With 18 seconds remaining in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan stole the ball from Karl Malone and drove down the court. Jordan’s Bulls were down by one as they tried to close out the series. MJ had carried the team on his back for the game, outshooting the rest of the Bulls combined, but he had been inconsistent, and was only shooting 14-for-34 on the night. At the three-point line he encountered small forward Bryon Russell, who had been irritating him all game so, with the signature Superman swagger, Jordan cooked Russell and put up a lazy jumper from 17ft to put the Bulls up by one with five seconds to go. The game-winning shot would be the last of Jordan’s 13-season career in Chicago, as he announced his retirement in the offseason but it sealed the Bulls’ 6th title and second three-peat of the 90s, marking the pinnacle of a true dynasty. Jordan’s grace in the moment and what that shot truly meant, make this a defining moment in NBA history.  
   
 **![New York Liberty's Teresa Weatherspoon in the 1999 WNBA Finals](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3421_default_big.jpeg "Teresa Weatherspoon")Teresa Weatherspoon makes ‘The Shot’, Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals**  
   
 In 1999, the WNBA was still in its infancy. The league had been founded in 1996 and, since its inception, had been dominated by the Houston Comets. Behind a big three of Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and Cynthia Cooper, the team had cruised to win the league title in 1997 and 1998 and they looked all set to do the same in 1999 as they took a 67-65 lead into the final seconds of Game 2 of that year’s Finals. Enter the New York Liberty’s Teresa Weatherspoon. Weatherspoon had been part of NY Liberty in 1997 when they lost the inaugural WNBA Finals to the Comets, and she was not going to let that happen again. Weatherspoon took an inbound pass from Kym Hampton and charged down the court. Holding off Tina Thompson, she tossed up a shot from half-court and watched in disbelief as the shot beautifully went in as the buzzer sounded, taking the series to a decisive Game 3. The Comets would go on to win the series, but Weatherspoon’s iconic shot has gone down as one of the biggest moments in the WNBA.  
   
 **The Fab Five and Chris Webber’s illegal timeout, 1993 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship**  
   
 The University of Michigan introduced one of the greatest recruiting classes in 1991. Joining the Wolverines were Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson, four of whom would go on to play in the NBA and four of whom would be named All-Americans, a single recruiting class record at the time. The team made two consecutive NCAA Championship games and lost both but one of the most memorable moments came in the second Championship game, in 1993 against North Carolina. With twenty seconds left in the game, Michigan were down 73-71 and Webber was fighting his way up the floor, pushing against an aggressive North Carolina double team. With eleven seconds remaining, Webber found himself trapped in the corner, so he called a timeout but the problem was that Michigan had no timeouts remaining. It’s unclear what was going through Webber’s head and he’s never spoken about that moment to the media but the move earned him a technical foul and the pair of resulting free throws put the Tar Heels up by four and they went on to win the game 77-71. ‘The Timeout’ and the legend of the Fab Five remain outstanding features of Webber’s legacy and NBA history.  
   
 **![LeBron James playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3422_default_big.jpeg "LeBron James in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals ")LeBron versus the Celtics, Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals**  
   
 The 2012 Eastern Conference Finals saw the first seed Miami Heat trying to hold off the seventh seed underdog Boston Celtics. As the teams met at TD Garden for Game 6, the Celtics were looking to clinch the series after winning the last three games. It would be a pivotal moment for LeBron, who was under intense scrutiny. The Celtics had ended his final playoff run with the Cavaliers in 2010 and he had underperformed in the 2011 Finals loss to the Mavericks. So, with the world watching, LeBron showed why he had earned the title of The King shooting 19-for-26, and finishing with 45 points and 15 rebounds in a series-tying 98-79 win. LeBron more than doubled the points total of Rajon Rondo, Boston’s top scorer and he outscored Boston’s other four starters combined. The game silenced LeBron’s critics as he demonstrated he truly was an undisputed talent and his performance sparked a wave of dominance that would lead to back-to-back championships for the Heat. LeBron’s Game 6 will go down as one of the greatest individual performances in NBA history and one that can be watched again and again.  
   
 **The Boston Celtics win 8 consecutive titles, 1959-1966**  
   
 Red Auerbach is one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, and perhaps the crowning achievements in his storied 56-year career in Boston was the eight consecutive championships he coached the team to in the late 50s and early 60s. Auerbach was the pioneer of the fast-break offence, building tough aggressive defences and speed-oriented offences. During their dynasty, this approach was built around Hall of Famers such as Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, and K.C. Jones. The dynasty began with a 4-0 sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959 and ended with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, who had relocated from Minneapolis six years before, in 1966. There simply wasn’t a team that could overcome the Celtics. During their dominance, they recorded 461 regular season wins, including a 62-win season in 1964-65 and no team has since matched Boston’s championship streak. Such a feat would take a Herculean effort in the modern, hyper-competitive NBA leaving Red’s Celtics to stand alone with one of the greatest feats in basketball history.  
   
 **![Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Sean Elliott with Spurs 1999 NBA title](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3423_default_big.jpeg "Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Sean Elliott")Pop and Tim win their fifth title, 2014**  
   
 There are few player-coach duos in the NBA more iconic than Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan. Popovich took the head coach position at the San Antonio Spurs in 1996 and Duncan was drafted out of Wake Forest during the 1997 draft. Their first title together came in the 1998-99 season. Jump ahead 15 years to 2014. Duncan was 38, a two-time MVP and 14-time all-star. Popovich was 65 and still coaching the Spurs, who had never missed the playoffs under him. The Spurs had lost the 2013 Finals to LeBron’s Miami Heat and were eager to bounce back to avenge the loss. At the end of the regular season, they were the top seed in the West with a 62-20 record. Duncan finished as the team leader in rebounds and blocks per game, and second in points per game. The Spurs survived a scare in the first round of the playoffs, holding the eighth seed Mavericks off. They proceeded to power through the Trail Blazers and Thunder to set up a Finals rematch with the Heat. This time, they came out on top, beating them 4-1. Popovich became the fifth coach in history to win five titles and Duncan proved that he was still a dominant force in the league. Two legends of the game winning their fifth title together is a moment few will forget.  
   
 **![Steph Curry playing for the Golden State Warriors in their historic 2017 NBA Season](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3424_default_big.jpeg "Steph Curry in the 2017 NBA Season")Warriors go 16-1 in the playoffs, 2017 NBA playoffs**  
   
 The Golden State Warriors looked unstoppable coming into the 2017 playoffs. They had gone 67-15 in the regular season where Steph Curry had set a new record for single-game three-pointers (13), and four players made the All-Star Game. Free agent signing Kevin Durant proved his worth alongside established stars like Steph and Klay Thompson but the pinnacle of their season came in the playoffs. They went 15-0 to open the playoffs, sweeping the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Thunder before taking a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals against the Cavaliers. They never scored less than 100 points in the 15 matches and were held to less than 110 only twice. Their chance for a perfect postseason ended in Game 4 of the Finals, as they fell 137-116 to the Cavaliers but that would be their only loss as they took the title in Game 5. 16-1 in the playoffs is an unbelievable feat, and a run with enough highlights to fill an article of its own. It was a truly iconic moment in NBA history.  
   
 **Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game, March 2nd, 1962**  
   
 NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game scoring record in 1962. On March 2nd, Chamberlain’s 46-29 Philadelphia Warriors played host to the 27-45 New York Knicks. By the end of the first quarter, the Warriors led 42-26 and Chamberlain had 23 points. He had also gone nine-of-nine from the free throw line, quite the feat given that Chamberlain was historically a poor free throw shooter. By halftime, Chamberlain was sitting on 41 points and 13 free throws. He had in mind the single-game free throw record, which stood at 24. However, his teammates were eyeing his total points. In the locker room, Guy Rogers spoke to coach Fred McGuire, “Let’s get Dip \[Chamberlain\] the ball. Let’s see how many he can get.” As he began to rack up points, the Knicks almost exclusively focused on him, often triple or quadruple teaming him. By the end of the third period, he had 69 points and despite the Knicks ramping up their aggressive defence against him, Chamberlain posted his best quarter of the game in the fourth, scoring 31, for a total of 100 points in the game. Potentially an unbreakable record, the 100-point game is truly a shining moment in basketball history.  
   
 **Villanova Wildcats win the NCAA Championship as an 8th seed, 1985**  
   
 March Madness, or the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, often brings magical moments. After a disappointing 1984-85 regular season, the Villanova Wildcats entered the 1985 Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament as the 8th seed in the Southeast bracket. After a tight win over 9th seed Dayton, they stunned 1st seed Michigan in the second round. In the Semi-finals, they met Maryland and beat the Terrapins in a tight 46-43 victory which set up a regional Final against 2nd seed North Carolina, who they dominated 55-44. In the Final Four, they met Memphis State, the second seed from the Midwest. A 52-45 victory put the Wildcats into the title game for the first time since 1971. There they met Georgetown, led by the legendary Patrick Ewing. The Wildcats were able to hold a slim lead in the final seconds of the game to become the lowest seeded team to win the NCAA championship in an enduring moment for college basketball.  
   
 **The Dream Team, 1992 Summer Olympics Men’s Basketball Tournament**  
   
 In 1986, the IOC ruled that professional athletes could participate in the Olympics. Six years later, the United States sent one of the most dominant squads in Olympic history to Barcelona to contest the Men’s’ Basketball Tournament. The 12-man roster was comprised of ten active NBA players (including legends like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, and Karl Malone), the recently retired Magic Johnson, and college phenom Christian Laettner (who would go 3rd overall in the 1992 draft). Beginning with the Tournament of the Americas qualifying event, the team went on a 14-game winning streak to the Olympic gold, scoring 1665 points and beating their various opponents by an average of 47 points. Their closest match was for the gold medal, where they beat Croatia 117-85, whilst in their opening match of the Olympics they beat Angola by 68. The team was elected to the basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and 11 of the 12 players are also Hall of Famers. The performance of the Dream Team is something every basketball fan needs to watch for themselves.  
   
 ![Kobe Bryant scoring 81 against the Raptors in 2006 NBA Season](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3425_default_big.jpeg "Kobe Bryant in the 2006 NBA Season")There are many, many more moments like these that deserve an honourable mention. By its nature, basketball is full of individual moments of greatness. Kobe scoring 81 against the Raptors in 2006, Magic Johnson’s graceful hook shot to clinch Game 4 of the 1987 Finals against his recurring rival Celtics, Steph Curry hit 12 threes in a game to tie the record in 2016 before breaking the record with 13 a few months later, Jerry West (the man on the NBA logo) sending a Finals game to overtime in 1970 with a 60-foot miracle shot – and many more. However, there are also moments that go beyond a single player such as the heated Pistons-Pacers rivalry boiling over in 2004 in the Malice at the Palace brawl that irrevocably altered the season for both teams. Basketball is truly a game of moments. An iconic moment could take place across the globe at any time. Keep on top of all Basketball fixtures with the [Fixture Calendar.](http://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-basketball)

*Written in December 2019*

Photos by [NBA](http://www.nba.com)

A detailed look into 10 of the greatest moments in basketball history. From mighty individual performance to team dominance, explore the best of basketball.

Iconic Moments in Basketball History

<div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Next up in our Sporting Rivalries Series is the Summer Olympics.

<div>The Olympics are the pinnacle of an athletes’ career and the headline act in any sport fan’s calendar. The schedule of an athlete will often revolve around the Olympics, ensuring that the games see the very best sport stars from around the globe competing at their absolute peak. With four years of preparation all boiling down to a single performance, the sporting stakes could not be higher than at the Summer Olympics where rivalries are often intense, sometimes controversial and always compelling. The core of the Olympic values is respect, shining through in many of the rivalries, but not so much in others.

**![Sebastian Coe winning the 1500 metres at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3499_default_big.jpeg "Seb Coe winning at the 1980 Olympics")Seb Coe v Steve Ovett (Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984)**

Two of the finest track athletes, Seb Coe and Steve Ovett, that Britain has ever produced reached their peak at the exact same time and happened to compete in the same two events.

However, this is where the similarities ended. Coe was the well-educated, well-spoken darling of the British media, whilst Ovett was the working class, media shy, rough diamond. Even their running styles differed.Coe was famed for his graceful late kick, whilst Ovett would nip at the heels of the race leader. Their stark differences meant that British sport fans would support one or the other; they did not cheer for Great Britain - they cheered for Coe or Ovett.

This was a rivalry that saved itself for the Olympic games since, despite the pair enjoying careers that spanned over three decades combined, they only actually raced against each other six times, four of which were in Olympic finals. Although rarely competing against each other in the flesh, there was an ongoing battle of the stopwatches between the pair. In 1980, Coe became a four-time world record holder after adding the 1,000m record to his other world record times, which included the 800m, the mile and 1,500m. But 45 minutes later, at the same meet, Ovett broke Coe’s record in the mile and then equalled his time in the 1,500m a fortnight later. The rivalry was simmering nicely as their hotly anticipated clash at the Moscow Olympics edged even closer.

![Steve Ovett winning the 800 metres at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3500_default_big.jpeg "Steve Over winning the 800m")Coe was much fancied for the 800m gold at the 1980 Olympics. However, in an unusually nerve stricken performance, Coe had to produce a last gasp charge just to secure silver, whilst rival Ovett surged down the home straight to take a shock gold. Six days later, Ovett was the favourite to top the podium in the 1,500m, the event he had been undefeated in for three years. This time it was Coe who pulled off an upset when he produced a trademark late kick to take gold, whilst Ovett had to settle for bronze. The Ovett-Coe rivalry was the remarkable talking point of the 1980 Olympic games, with Ovett winning the medal Coe was expected to win, and Coe doing the very same to Ovett six days later.

The pair did not cross paths again until the 1984 Olympics when in the 800m, it was again silver for Coe, but Ovett, ill with bronchitis finished last. Remarkably, he made it to the final of the 1,500m, but dropped out with 350m left. Coe meanwhile, written off by critics in the buildup to the games, was tearing down the home straight to become the first man in Olympic history to defend the 1,500m title.

This was a fascinating rivalry between two men who were vastly different but brought together by their talent on the track.

**Shirley Babashoff v The East German Swimming Team (Montreal 1976)**

Athletes tend to have rivalries with fellow individual athletes, whilst teams tend to have rivalries with other teams. It is almost unprecedented for one single individual to have a rivalry with an entire nation but that is just what happened at the 1976 Olympics.

Four years previously, 15-year-old Shirley Babashoff had won two individual silvers and two team golds in the pool. Big things were expected of the US swimmer going into the Montreal Olympics. However, at the 1973 World Championships, the swimmers from East Germany started to post remarkably quick times. It was not just the speed achieved by the East Germans that was notable, but that they did not have the stereotypical build of swimmers. According to Babashoff, they looked more like “wrestlers” and these “wrestlers” had started winning races by five body lengths which would usually have been determined by a fraction of a second. Despite this, Babashoff was still expected to go to Montreal and replicate the performance of US swimmer Mark Spritz at the 1972 Olympics where he won seven golds in the pool. However, it was to be individual silver again and again for Babashoff, as she finished runner up in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle with an East German opponent taking the gold on each occasion. Babashoff spoke out against the East German team accusing them of doping, but there was no evidence or any failed drugs tests, and Babashoff was branded a sore loser by the press.

However, after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, leaked documents revealed that the East German government had been systematically feeding steroids to their athletes. Babashoff had been swimming clean against heavily doped opponents, but she is still to be formally awarded the gold medals she was robbed of over 40 years ago.

Although Babashoff never secured an individual Olympic gold medal, she does have three team golds, one of which was won in Montreal. The 1976 women’s 4x100m freestyle relay is considered the greatest race in women’s swimming history: Babashoff swam the anchor leg for the USA team of Kim Peyton, Wendy Boglioli and Jill Sterkel, extraordinarily beating a steroid taking East German quartet, by breaking the world record by four seconds.To have called out the East German dopers was one thing, but to beat them was an incredible feat and a huge victory for sporting integrity.

**![Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where the 3000 metre race was held at the 1984 Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3501_default_big.png "Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ")Zola Budd v Mary Decker (Los Angeles 1984)**

The 3,000m at the 1984 Olympics was hyped up by the press as a battle between hot favourite Mary Decker of the USA - a double world champion and holder of six world records - and Zola Budd, an 18-year-old barefoot runner who held the 2,000m world record and an unofficial 5,000m world record, spurred on to run by the loss of her sister. Growing up in South Africa, Budd had idolized Decker, an American national treasure who had caught the nation’s attention when she won an 800m race at a US-Soviet meet aged 14.

However, South Africa were banned from competing at the Olympics due to apartheid, so the Olympics were just a pipe dream for Budd. However, the Daily Mail uncovered the young South African’s extraordinary running times and helped her to gain British citizenship (she had a British grandfather), in exchange for exclusive rights to her life story. This was not a move that political activists took lightly with demonstrators protesting wherever Budd raced.

Decker and Budd were leading the 3000m at the 1984 Olympics, when at the 1,700m mark, Budd attempted to move ahead. Decker tried to stay close and put pressure on her rival, but the pairs’ legs became tangled, and Decker spectacularly fell over the side of the track. The American injured her hip, bringing an end to her race and dreams of Olympic gold when she was carried from the track in tears. Budd maintained her footing and ran on but was so shaken by the incident that she went on to finish in seventh with the American crowd booing her as she ran.

Decker refused a post-race apology from Budd and sobbed in the press conference afterwards, blaming her rival for the fall. Journalists and experts were split on who was at fault for the collision and Budd was initially disqualified, but after reviewing the replays which showed she was not to blame, she was reinstated. The likely conclusion is that both runners were too accustomed to running so far ahead of their opponents in races that they were not used to being in a competitive tight pack and hence the coming together.

A year later, the pair met again in England, shaking hands and making up. Decker has since said Budd was not responsible for the fall, and the pair have made a film together documenting the famous race.

**![Michael Phelps swimming the 200m butterfly at the Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3502_default_big.png "Michael Phelps swimming the 200m butterfly")Michael Phelps v Chad le Clos (London 2012, Rio 2016)**

South African swimmer Chad le Clos burst onto the scene at the London 2012 Olympics in the 200m butterfly. This was a title his hero Michael Phelps had held for eight years and had not been beaten in the event since 2001. However, Phelps misjudged his final stroke, and the South African underdog took gold by 0.05 seconds. Le Clos was in tears on the podium as he collected his first ever Olympic medal and what a way to do it - beating his idol to pull off one of the shocks of the games.

Despite the fierce competition between them in the pool, the pair became good friends but when Phelps came out of retirement in 2015, the trash talk began. It was Phelps who made the first dig when he questioned the times being posted at the 2015 World Championships - a meet that Phelps was absent from. Le Clos bit back after taking gold in the 100m butterfly, pointing out that he had just registered a time faster than Phelps had managed in the last four years. Days later, Phelps beat that time at the US national championships and made more comments about the South African as the rivalry intensified in the buildup to the much-anticipated showdown between the two at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

As predicted, the rivalry raged on in Rio. Whilst waiting to be called out for their 200m butterfly semi-final, Le Clos started shadow boxing in front of Phelps. The American responded with an iconic death stare from underneath his hood, with the image going viral. Both qualified for the final, which was hyped up as a bitter rematch, and this was the race Phelps had had his eye on since coming out of retirement. It was the American who won back his title, taking his 20th Olympic gold medal in the process, whilst le Clos finished in fourth, lamenting his poor performance afterwards. Post-race, Phelps confirmed that winning back the 200m butterfly title had been the main motivation for his comeback.

Le Clos and Phelps met one final time at the 2016 Olympics in the 100m butterfly, and fittingly they finished in an extraordinary three-way tie for silver alongside László Cseh of Hungary (Joseph Schooling from Singapore won the gold medal). A rivalry that had seen them both exchange titles, times and a few choice words, ended with the pair on the exact same step of the podium.

**![USA faces USSR in Men's Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3503_default_big.jpeg "USA Men's Basketball team faces the USSR Team")USA v USSR Men’s Basketball (Munich 1972)**

The USA had dominated basketball since it was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1936 and had won seven consecutive gold medals, with an impeccable 63-0 winning record. In the gold medal match at the 1972 Olympics, they came up against the USSR, the side who had finished as silver medalists at every Olympics between 1952 and 1964 and had taken bronze four years earlier in Mexico City.

With the sporting rivalry between the USA and the USSR reaching an unprecedented high during the Cold War, and with a controversial political edge already gripping the games, the stage was set for an epic showdown. What unfolded was one of the most extraordinary, entertaining and ultimately controversial sporting events in Olympic history: the USSR raced into a 26-21 half time lead, which gradually stretched into a 10-point advantage, but with the USA’s proud Olympic record on the line, the fightback finally began six minutes from time. With only 10 seconds left on the clock, the USSR lead had been reduced to just a single point. Doug Collins charged towards the basket, before he was fouled, painfully crashing to the ground. He returned to his feet bruised and dazed to take the two free throws that the USA had been awarded with just three seconds left. If he scored one, they were level. If he scored two, the USA would go a point ahead and the gold medal was almost certainly theirs. Collins sunk them both and the remarkable comeback appeared completed. The USSR then attempted to take a time out, which they were awarded with one second left. The game finished but there were more interventions from FIBA, the basketball governing body, and a further three seconds were added on. The USSR failed to take advantage of this as their attempted long throw was wayward, the buzzer sounded, and the USA team were sent into delirium; a mixture of joy and relief at salvaging the gold medal from the jaws of defeat.

However, as the Americans were celebrating on the court, swamped by fans who had run on from the stands, the clock was being reset again, with another three seconds added on and FIBA demanding that they be played out. The court was cleared, and the USSR brought on long throw specialist Ivan Edeshko, whose huge pass found Alexander Belov. The USSR player shrugged off the USA defense and sunk a lay-up. The buzzer sounded, Belov charged up the court in celebration and the USSR became Olympic champions.

The USA were outraged, but their protests were ignored, and so for the first time in Olympic history, a place on the podium was left empty. To this day, their silver medals remain uncollected in a Swiss vault.

**Not Forgetting…**

Munich 1972 was not the first time politics and sport collided at the Olympics. At the 1956 Melbourne games, defending water polo gold medalists Hungary met the USSR in the semi-finals when, at the time, the latter governed the former. The Hungarian revolution had begun two months prior to the games, so tensions were high between the two nations and an ill-tempered match finished 4-0 to Hungary, but is famed for what happened with two minutes left to play. One of the USSR’s star players, Valentin Prokopov, rose out of the water and punched Hungary’s Ervin Zádor. Blood poured from Zador’s cheek as fans rose up in anger and the police had to intervene. Hungary went on to win gold, but Zádor was forced to sit out the game because of the injury sustained - the game is famously coined the “Blood in the Water Match”.

<div> </div>![Lilly King and Yulia Efimova at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio](https://api.fixturecalendar.com/upload/media/default/0001/04/thumb_3504_default_big.jpeg "Lilly King and Yulia Efimova")A more recent rivalry seaped in controversy is the one between swimmers Lilly King and Yulia Efimova. The two breaststrokers faced off at Rio 2016, with American King taking gold in a world record time. She questioned second place Efimova’s right to compete, after the Russian had been banned twice for failing drugs tests. Efimova was close to tears in a post-race press conference, calling her failed drugs tests past mistakes.

Elsewhere in the pool, American swimmer Gary Hall Jr, famed for his colourful personality, had a fierce rivalry with Russian Alexander Popov, one of the all-time greatest sprint swimmers and is well known for a war of words in the press at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Not content with taking on just one individual athlete, Hall began a rivalry with the entire Australian swimming team at the Sydney Games in 2000. In a blog post, Hall wrote that the USA relay team were going to smash the Australians “like guitars”. Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe beat Hall in the final leg of the 4x100m freestyle relay and celebrated by playing air guitar. However, Hall graciously was the first person to congratulate the Aussie team on their gold medal. This epitomises a long running swimming rivalry between America and Australia, two of the world’s biggest powerhouses in the pool.

China and the USA had a gripping rivalry in the 2008 women’s gymnastics team final. The two teams were almost inseparable in score on each apparatus, with China eventually triumphing and taking gold with a total score of 188.900 points (driven by their outstanding score on the floor exercise), and USA narrowly missing out on topping the podium with a final score of 186.525 points. China and the USA enjoy a huge rivalry at Summer Olympics, with the two nations battling it out at the top of the medal table. This competitive exchange was particularly high during 2008, with China desperate to top the medal table at a home Olympic Games. Outstandingly, they did succeed in finishing at the summit of the medal table, winning 48 golds compared to the USA’s 36.

Australian cyclist Anna Meares has enjoyed a career long rivalry with the British cycling great - Victoria Pendleton. The British rider triumphed in the 2008 sprint final, before surging to victory for gold in the Keirin at London 2012. Meares won the final meeting between the pair in the sprint final in London, with Pendleton’s first round victory controversially chalked off. The pair were similar in the way they were driven by sheer grit and determination, overcoming mental health struggles en route to glory, and allowing their rivalry to push each other to be better. Australia versus Britain is a huge rivalry in track cycling in general, with the two nations meeting in multiple finals and trading world records during recent Olympic games.

Which Olympic rivalries will emerge at the next summer Olympics in Tokyo? Check out the [Fixture Calendar](https://www.fixturecalendar.com/sport-olympics) for the Olympic dates, and all the other sporting schedules from across the globe.

*Written in December 2019*

Photos by [Olympics](https://www.olympic.org/)

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