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World Top 10 Stories
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Zinedine Zidane hoisted the trophy for the World Cup hosts and winners, France Ben Radford/Allsport |
It was a year of team turn-arounds, upsets, rivalries, scandals, tragedies and ultimate triumphs on the world stage. France reigned at the World Cup, but before the soccer celebration was over, cycling was mired in a drug scandal. Australia continued its cricketing dominance, an Austrian ruled on the slopes and McLaren made headlines while Sampras held on for a spectacular sixth year at the top.
World Cup
This one had a fairy tale finish. The French won the very party that they hosted, and in the process knocked off the previous champ and world soccer power Brazil. Zinedine Zidane's two goals at the Stade de France in St. Denis capped a magical tri-colored tournament.
1998 World Cup
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| International Sportsman of the year |
| Name |
Sport |
% |
Votes |
Zinedine Zidane
Pete Sampras
Marion Jones
Herman Maier
Mark Taylor
Marco Pantani
|
Soccer
Tennis
Track & Field
Alpine Skiing
Cricket
Cycling
|
42
26
10
8
7
7
|
166
104
41
32
29
28
|
|
|
Tour de France
Marco 'Il Pirata' Pantani became the first Italian in the history to win the Tour de France. But the real story wasn't The Pirate's victory, but it was the drugs scandal surrounding cycling's premier race that stole the spotlight. In the end, only 14 of the 21 teams that started remained, and less than 100 of the original 189 riders finished the race.
1998 Tour de France
Six for Sampras
Despite only four victories in 1998 -- his fewest since 1991, -- Pete Sampras held on as world number one for the sixth consecutive year, something not even Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors accomplished. Sampras also won a record-tying fifth Wimbledon, leaving him just one title shy of equaling Roy Emerson's all-time mark of 12 Grand Slam singles victories.
Pete Sampras deserves respect
The international team dropped the Americans in an upset at the Presidents Cup AP | |
President's Cup shocker
It was supposed to be a coronation for Jack Nicklaus and his mighty band of U.S. golfers, but someone forgot to tell the International team. All they did was dominate the Americans, providing a shocker Down Under at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
1998 President's Cup
Rugby records
South Africa's Springboks went from strength to strength, winning first the Tri-Nations and then equaling the all time record of 17 consecutive victories set by Brian Lachore's All Blacks in the 1960s. Meanwhile, New Zealand's once dominant All Blacks lost a record five consecutive tests, including the Bledisloe Cup, in which the Australian Wallabies recorded the first sweep since 1929.
Cricket disputes
England's cricket board debated the state of domestic game. The West Indies historic tour of South Africa was nearly lost to a strike. And just as match-fixing allegations were about to be resolved in Pakistan, we learned that Australian cricketers were in trouble for passing on knowledge to an India bookie.
Domination on the slopes
Austria's Herman 'Herminator' Maier finished regularly on top of the podium in the 1997-1998 Alpine World Cup skiing season. But it was his performance at the Nagano Olympics that stands out. Just three days after crashing in the downhill, Maier won the Super G, and then the giant slalom.
Nagano Winter Olympics - Alpine Skiing
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| Most Improved Int'l Sports Team |
| Team |
Sport |
% |
Votes |
McLaren-Mercedes
Fiorentina
South Africa
Presidents Cup
New Zealand
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Formula One
Italian Soccer
Rugby Union
Golf
Cricket
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36
34
17
7
7
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58
56
27
11
11
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Soccer shifts
Manchester United is the subject of a $1 billion takeover bid. Denilson's transfer fee to Real Betis set a new record. And more and more international players flowed into the European leagues. But that is just part of the movement, as UEFA agreed to revamp the Champions League, ensuring that the top teams would always compete.
Track's newest star
Bursting onto the scene like a meteorite, Marion Jones pulled ahead in the sprints and long jump -- and refused to slow down. As she inched closer and closer to Florence Griffith-Joyner's 100-meter dash record, Jones brought a bright ray of light to track and field.
Hakinnen comes of age
Exactly 1,000 days after Mika Hakinnen was left fighting for his life after he crashed out of the Australian Grand Prix in 1995, he celebrated winning the 1998 Formula One World Drivers Championship. Hakinnen, who had only won one F1 race previously, worked with teammate David Coulthard and the McLaren team, to win eight Formula One races in 1998.
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