The Best Moments of 2024 in Sports. Photo Gallery

The Summer Olympics in Paris, the European Football Championship in Germany, and other major events. The best moments of 2024 in sports are featured in the RBC Sport photo gallery. Mirra Andreeva and Diana Schneider

Photo: Global Look Press

2024 began with the Australian Open. Daniil Medvedev reached the final for the third time and lost again, this time to Italian Jannik Sinner.

The Italian would go on to win two Grand Slams, the Final Tournament, and a number of other minor titles, finishing the season ranked number one.

Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Taylor Swift congratulated her boyfriend Travis Kelce on the Kansas City Chiefs' 2024 Super Bowl victory with a passionate kiss on the field, in full view of cameras and thousands of fans.

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl, the final game of the National Football League (NFL, American football ), winning the trophy for the fourth time in history and the second time in a row.

Kelce and Swift's romance has significantly increased the number of women in the NFL's audience, and the Kansas City Chiefs have become one of the highest-rated teams on TV.

Photo: Gabriel Kuchta / Getty Images

On the night of February 19, Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion, defeating Tyson Fury by split decision.

Photo: Gabriel Kuchta / Getty Images

Both boxers were knocked down.

In the rematch, which took place on December 21, Usyk defeated the Briton by unanimous decision with a score of 116:112, 116:112, 116:112.

Photo: Global Look Press

In 2024, legendary tennis player Rafael Nadal ended his career.

His final tournament was the Davis Cup final. In the quarterfinals, Spain lost to the Netherlands in a three-match tie, 1–2. Nadal lost his match to Dutchman Botik van de Zandschulp.

This was only the second Davis Cup singles defeat of his career, out of 29 victories. The first was in February 2004, to Czech Jiří Novák.

Nadal spent 209 weeks as the world's number one tennis player, with 1,080 singles match wins, 92 ATP titles, a record 63 clay COURT titles, a record 22 Grand Slam titles and 30 Grand Slam finals (second-most), a record 14 Roland Garros victories, 36 Masters titles, Olympic gold in singles (2008), Olympic gold in doubles (2016), and five Davis Cup victories.

Of the prestigious competitions, the only one he didn't win was the Final Tournament.

Photo: Mikhail Tereshchenko / TASS

Magnitogorsk Metallurg won the Gagarin Cup for the third time in its history. Metallurg won the final series against Yaroslavl Lokomotiv 4-0. This is the second time in KHL history that the final ended in a shutout; the first time was in 2019, when CSKA defeated Avangard Omsk.

Photo: Mikhail Sinitsyn/TASS

Dynamo Moscow had never been so close to winning the Russian championship. To do so, the "white-blues" needed to avoid defeat away to Krasnodar. The hosts, too, were fighting for the championship to the bitter end. To secure the title, the team needed a win and Zenit dropping points in their home match against Rostov. Ultimately, Krasnodar won 1-0, while Zenit pulled off a comeback victory (2-1).

The last time Dynamo became national champion was in 1976.

Zenit became Russian champions for the sixth time in a row. The St. Petersburg club has ten Russian championship victories (the same as Spartak) and one Soviet championship. The St. Petersburg team tied Spartak's record for the longest championship streak.

Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Bayer Leverkusen won their first German championship. Under Xabi Alonso, the club remained unbeaten in the Bundesliga for over a year, breaking a record.

The team's only defeat in the 2023/24 season came against Atalanta in the Europa League final.

Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League final.

The team won the tournament for the 15th time. Real Madrid extended their unbeaten streak in finals to nine games. The last time they lost in the final of Europe's premier competition was in 1981, when they lost to Liverpool. The team has three final defeats overall: in 1962, 1964, and 1981.

Real Madrid HEAD coach Carlo Ancelotti led Real Madrid to the Champions League final for the third time (2013/14, 2021/22). Under his leadership, the club has never lost the final match of the tournament. This is his sixth final as a coach. He previously reached the final three times with Italian side Milan, winning the tournament twice. Ancelotti holds the record for most finals and victories as a coach.

Photo: Luke Hales/Getty Images

In JuneRussian Islam Makhachev defeated American Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 302, which concluded in Newark, New Jersey, to retain his lightweight title. The fight ended with Makhachev winning via choke in the fifth round.

Photo: Donald Trump's social media

After the Makhachev-Poirier fight, Donald Trump spoke with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Trump promised the former UFC champion that he would stop the war in Palestine. The conversation then turned to military action in Ukraine , the politician said. According to the former president, Nurmagomedov approached him after the fight and said, "We have to stop the wars. We have to stop the killing."

"And I think I would stop this war. Immediately after the election, if I win, I will stop the war—faster than I take office," Trump said.

Trump later revealed in an interview with the YouTube channel Impaulsive that he discussed the military conflict between RUSSIA and Ukraine with former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Photo:usa TODAY Sports viaREUTERS Connect

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky became the first goaltender in history to be presented the Stanley Cup by a team captain.

Florida beat Edmonton 4-3 in the final series.

At the awards ceremony, the NHL commissioner traditionally presents the Stanley Cup to the captain. After the lap of honor, the captain passes the trophy to one of the team's leaders, whom he considers the most important.

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov presented the trophy to the 35-year-old goaltender, whose performance helped the team reach the final for the second time in a row.

"He deserves it," Barkov said. "He's been in the league a long time and has been incredible in every game all season. His play is the main reason for our success."

Bobrovsky spent 14 seasons in the NHL. He is the only Russian to have been named the league's top goaltender twice.

In the playoffs, he had an 16-8 record, a 2.32 goals-against average, and a .906 save percentage.

Euro

Photo: Getty Images

Russian flags began appearing in the very first matches of the Euro. However, the Russian flag was officially banned at Ukrainian national team games and in official fan zones.

Photo: Global Look Press

Spain was the only team to win all seven of its Euro 2019 matches. It also finished the tournament as the leader in the following metrics: goals, chances created, shots on target, and shots on target. For example, before the final, Spain had created 12.2 xG (expected goals) in chances, scoring 15 goals. In this metric, it was at least twice as good as England, the finalists, and the semi-finalists.

Photo: Global Look Press

The key players in the Spanish team's attack were 16-year-old Lamin Yamal and 21-year-old Nico Williams. Yamal was ultimately named the best young player.

Photo: Global Look Press

Spain almost didn't make it to the final. The Euro quarterfinals pitted two of the tournament's most exciting teams, Spain and Germany. Regulation time ended in a 1-1 draw. Late in the second extra time, a shot by Germany midfielder Jamal Musiala struck the hand of Spanish defender Marc Cucurella. The hand wasn't restrained, and the incident occurred in Spain's penalty area. But referee Anthony Taylor didn't see the foul and didn't award a penalty. He didn't even check the video replay.

After the match, UEFA declared the decision correct. A few months later, the organization announced that referees should now award penalties in similar situations.

Photo: Getty Images

In the final, Spain faced England, whose performance at the Euros had been a disappointment to many. The team with the most expensive squad in history (€1.52 billion) scored four goals in regulation time on their way to the semi-finals.

And in the round of 16 match against Slovakia, they played second fiddle for a long time. England almost didn't make it to the final. Midfielder Jude Bellingham saved the team from embarrassment with an overhead kick equalizing in the final minute.

Photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images

The England team's performance has repeatedly made Prince William, who attended most of the team's games at the Euros, nervous.

Photo: Getty Images

Kylian Mbappe and the French national team also made the list of major disappointments.

During the first round match against Austria (1-0), France captain Kylian Mbappé suffered a broken nose. The incident occurred late in the match when the forward crashed face-first into the shoulder of an opposing defender.

Photo: Lisi Niesner / Reuters

As a result, Mbappe had to play the rest of the tournament wearing a mask.

In the third round match against Poland on June 25, Mbappé scored his first goal at the European Championships. The striker converted a penalty kick in the 56th minute.

This goal was his only one in the tournament. After the match against Poland, the Frenchman changed his mask due to discomfort. Throughout the tournament, he repeatedly admitted that he found it difficult to play with the mask on due to poor visibility.

Photo: L'Equipe

France only scored its first open-play goal in the final match. For the first time in history, a team reached the semifinals without scoring an open-play goal—two own goals and a penalty. But it was in the semifinals that the team lost, despite having opened the scoring. They lost to Spain, a team they were powerless against.

A photograph from L'Équipe, showing Spaniard Nacho knocking down Frenchman Randal Colo Moigny, vividly illustrated what had happened to France.

At Euro 2024, 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo set several records. He became the oldest captain at the tournament. This year's Euro also marked the forward's sixth European Championship, a tournament record.

Photo: Global Look Press

However, for the first time, Ronaldo failed to score at a major tournament—the Euros or the World Cup. Despite having at least one opportunity to score: in the Round of 16 match against Slovenia, he missed a penalty in the first period of extra time, after which he burst into tears.

He ultimately converted the post-match penalty, and the team advanced. However, in the quarterfinals, the team lost to France, again going to a penalty shootout.

Ronaldo's matches broke all records for the number of fans running onto the field. During the second-round match between Portugal and Turkey, a ten-year-old boy named Berat ran onto the field, bypassing security in the stands and along the perimeter of the pitch.

The Portugal- Turkey match broke the record for the number of fans running onto the field to take selfies with Ronaldo. The Portugal captain began waving them off in the second half.

Photo: Global Look Press

The Ukrainian team was considered one of the favorites in its group, but ultimately finished last due to goal difference.

Ukraine became the first team in Euro history to earn four points, but finished bottom of their group. A crushing 3-0 defeat to Romania in the first round proved costly. Furthermore, Ukraine ended up being one of the worst teams in terms of scoring chances.

Photo: Reuters

The Georgian national team, considered the underdog in the group stage at their debut Euro, ultimately advanced to the round of 16 thanks to their first-ever victory. In the final round, the team sensationally defeated Portugal, who hadn't lost since 2022. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the winning goal. He also opened the scoring in the round of 16 match against Spain, but the team ultimately lost 4-1.

Photo: Reuters

Georgian national team striker Georges Mikautadze ended up sharing the title of top scorer at the Euro with five other players.

Photo: Global Look Press

Turkey also provided a surprise, unexpectedly reaching the quarterfinals. This marks the second time in Turkey's history and the first time since 2008 that they have reached the Euro knockout stage.

While Turkey, along with Portugal, was the favorite in the group stage, they weren't in the Round of 16 match against Austria. However, Turkey led 2-0 in the second half, and the game ultimately ended in a 2-1 victory thanks to numerous saves from the goalkeeper.

Photo: Global Look Press

One of the key players in the match against Austria was Turkish defender Merih Demiral. He became the fourth defender in Euro 2018 history to score a double in the knockout stages. Previously, the Frenchmen François Hett (1960), Jean-François Domergue (1984), and Hungarian Novák Dezső (1964) had achieved this feat.

Demiral's photo was splashed across TV screens and newspapers for a long time. After his second goal, he performed the "wolf salute" (raising his pinky and index fingers, cupping the others)—the symbol of the Turkish ultranationalist group "Grey Wolves." This gesture is banned in Austria. UEFA ultimately suspended him for two games.

This story sparked a diplomatic scandal. The German ambassador was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry after German authorities criticized the footballer and UEFA launched an investigation. Turkey called the disciplinary investigation unacceptable. In response, the German Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador in connection with the Turkish footballer's behavior. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called UEFA's decision political.

Photo: Getty Images

The Euro was also remembered for its heavy rainfall, which forced the suspension of several matches (pictured: heavy rain during the match between Romania and Slovakia).

Olympics

For the first time, the opening ceremony took place outside the Olympic stadium, with a parade of athletes along the Seine. At the same time, the audience was introduced to works of French literature and the country's history, accompanied by music. Performances included Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, Joe Duplantier, Céline Dion, the Moulin Rouge dancers, and others.

A parody of "The Last Supper," in which the roles of Jesus and his disciples were played by a bearded woman and men dressed as women, led to controversy . At the end of the act, a man in blue paint appeared on stage, portraying the ancient Greek god Dionysus.

Within hours, condemnatory statements followed from religious leaders, politicians, and some heads of state. The screenwriter began receiving threats, and the DIRECTOR, organizing committee, and actors were forced to apologize.

Brazilian surfer Gabrielle Medina is the hero of the Olympics' main photo. (Photo: Ma Ping / Xinhua / Global Look Press)

Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina became the hero of the main photo of the Olympics.

Photo: Reuters/Carlos Barria

Surfing became the most photogenic sport at the Olympics. On the final day of competition, a whale leaped out of the water. Photographers captured one of the most memorable photos of the Games.

Photo: David Goldman/Getty Images

Australian Nick Sloman swims on his back while sipping a drink at a feeding station during the 10km marathon swim.

Three triathletes were hospitalized with intestinal infections after their individual swims, and two more after the mixed relay. Several athletes also withdrew from the competition due to concerns about illness.

For her part, the mayor of Paris dismissed reports of Olympic athletes falling ill due to the Seine as fake news . She said the athletes' illnesses were not related to their time in the river. Some athletes later admitted they drank the water during their swims and were uninjured.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the success of the Seine cleanup effort. He noted that after the Olympics, Parisians will be able to swim in the city's river. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach called the Olympic triathlon "Seine-sational."

Several months later, World Triathlon acknowledged that the water results did not meet standards; at the Olympics, the permissible level of E. coli was inflated to twice the required level.

Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

The IOC has cleared Iman Khelif (64 kg) of Algeria and Lin Yuting (57 kg) of Taiwan to compete in the women's boxing competition at the Paris Olympics. They were disqualified a year ago by the International Boxing Association (IBA) following a biochemical gender test. The IBA has no involvement in the Olympic boxing tournament.

This decision sparked a wave of criticism. Irish boxer Kelly Harrington stated that she would not compete against "biological men" (a term referring to women with XY chromosomes) at the Olympics. She faced Khelif (pictured) at Tokyo 2020 and defeated her.

And after the first fight, the scandal flared even more intensely. Khelif's opening bout at the Olympics was against Italian Angela Carini, who demonstratively refused to continue the fight 46 seconds after taking several punches.

A number of national leaders and celebrities, as well as the UN rapporteur on violence against women, Reem Alsalem, spoke out against the athletes' participation. In response, the IOC accused IBA President Umar Kremlev of inciting the situation.

Khelif and Yuting eventually became Olympic champions.

Photo: Getty Images

Simone Biles, who returned to gymnastics, also occupied the spotlight. The four-time Olympic champion came to the Paris Games after a disappointing performance in Tokyo in 2020. In Japan, she withdrew from several competitions, citing mental HEALTH issues, and returned home without a gold medal.

Photo: Elsa/Getty Images

Biles meditated throughout the competition and won three gold medals, winning the team, individual all-around, and vault. Despite underperforming in individual events, Biles was pleased and even held a tribute to her main rival, Rebeca Andrade, when the Brazilian won gold on floor exercise. This photo was reposted by many celebrities, including Michelle Obama.

Biles' competitions were wildly popular among Hollywood and show business stars. One of Biles' photos went viral and was eventually purchased for a Mercedes Benz commercial. For 27-year-old Biles, these Olympics were her last.

Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Novak Djokovic won his long-awaited Olympic gold. In Paris, he had his last chance to become an Olympic champion.

Djokovic fell to his knees after defeating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Paris Games.

Photo: Reuters

Russia only managed to win one medal at the Olympics. Mirra Andreeva and Diana Schneider won silver in doubles.

A total of 15 Russians took part in the Games as neutrals: three cyclists, one trampoline athlete, seven tennis players, three canoeists, and one swimmer.

Several more times, Russian athletes came within a whisker of winning medals. Canoeists Zakhar Petrov and Alexey Korovashkov finished fourth in the 500m doubles, where the race was decided by a photo finish. Petrov also took fourth in the 1000m, despite running second for most of the race.

Photo: Reuters

Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis reached 38.2 km/h (24.2 mph) during his Olympic world record attempt. This is a high speed for athletes who don't specialize in running.

For example, in football, only Henri has achieved a higher speed—39.2 km/h—while the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, reached a peak speed of 44.7 km/h. Moreover, to equal Usain Bolt's 100-meter record (9.58 seconds), the average speed over the distance would have to be 37.58 km/h.

Duplantis's run-up during the Olympic world record attempt saw him clear 6.72m with the bar set at 6.25m.

American runner Noah Lyles won gold in the 100m, beating Jamaican Kishane Thompson by 0.005 seconds. No one has won an Olympic gold medal by such a small margin in the 21st century.

Lyles entered the 200-meter race withcovid-19 . The organizers learned of this after the finish, when he fell and couldn't get up for a long time. As a result, he was taken away in a wheelchair. The American finished second in the 200m.

American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the gold medal in the 400m hurdles in a world record time of 50.37 seconds and wore a tiara at the request of her younger sister.

Canadian pole vaulter Alisha Newman performed a twerk after winning Olympic bronze.

She doesn't hide the fact that she earns most of her income from OnlyFans.

"I post a lot about my workouts, talk about nutrition, and give a lot of tips and advice," she said.

The 30-year-old Canadian has 60,000 subscribers on the platform. She posts semi-nude photos in various locations, such as on a yacht, in front of a mirror, or at the gym. She never appears completely nude.

At the mixed team judo tournament, South Korea pitted 175-centimeter-tall (81 kg) Lee Yong-hwan against 204-centimeter-tall (140 kg) Teddy Riner. This was the first time such a match had occurred at an Olympic-level tournament.

The fight lasted one and a half minutes and ended with a victory for Riner.

A similar story unfolded at the Olympic basketball tournament. The match between France and Japan pitted the tallest and shortest basketball players of the Games against each other: France's Victor Wembanyama (224 cm) against Japan's Yuki Togashi (168 cm). This is the largest height difference in an Olympic match.

Photo: Getty Images

Snoop Dogg became one of the Olympics' main attractions. It was reported that NBC paid him $500,000 a day. He opened and closed the Games, inaugurated the breakdancing competition, and participated in other events.

Among the Olympic heroes was Turkey's Yusuf Dikeç, who won Olympic silver in the 10m air pistol mixed doubles event.

The 51-year-old athlete refused to use specialized equipment, surprising spectators. While shooting, Yusuf casually put his hand in his pocket, appearing relaxed.

"It felt like a guy from the street walked into the shooting range, grabbed a medal, and left," wrote social media users in posts under the photo.

As a result, he became a meme hero. Other Olympians, including Duplantis, tried to imitate his gestures and facial expressions.

Another Olympic silver medalist in pneumatics, Kim Ye Ji, has also become an internet star with her opposite look.

Her cold gaze captivated the world. She could have been a cold-blooded killer from Killing Eve, a villain in a John Wick movie, or James Bond. "She should be in an action movie! No acting required," Elon Musk tweeted.

She's also been compared to Satoru Gojo, the hero of the manga "Magic Battle." "Kim looks like a character from a cyberpunk fanfiction," GQ wrote. It also wasn't overlooked that the Korean athlete is competing at the Olympics wearing a gift from her daughter—a stuffed elephant on her belt.

The photo is a screenshot from the social network X with images of Kim and Dikech, along with the caption: "How girls pack for a trip and how guys do it."

Canadian swimmer Maggie McNeil also became a meme hero after winning the gold medal in the 100m butterfly, but didn't realize it right away. She competed without goggles or contact lenses and couldn't see the finish line scoreboard. Her facial expression became a meme.

At the awards ceremony for the balance beam gymnastics medalists, 18-year-old Chinese Zhou Yaqin took second place.

At the ceremony, the Italians who placed first and third bit their medals, as per tradition. Zhou wasn't aware of this tradition, but after watching them, she decided to do the same, to the delight of fans around the world.