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Brazil's shining World Cup illuminates 2002

LONDON (Reuters) -- Surprise soon turned to anticipation after Luiz Felipe Scolari announced his team for Brazil's opening fixture at the biggest sports event of 2002, the soccer World Cup.

Expectations had been muted in the spiritual home of world soccer after a corrosive corruption scandal was succeeded by a torturous qualifying campaign during which Scolari repeatedly stressed the virtues of discipline and defense.

Then, in a move which astounded Brazilian commentators, Scolari abandoned his favored formation of three central defenders, two fullbacks and two tackling specialists.

In a bold statement of intent, Scolari introduced Juninho to the midfield for the Group C opener against Turkey, reverting in a stroke to Brazil's glorious attacking heritage.

Crucially Ronaldo, a distracted, desolate figure in the losing 1998 final against France, was back to something like his best after three seasons of injuries, operations and recuperation.

Ronaldo triumphant

Ronaldo scored against Turkey, the first of eight goals in all on the greatest stage in the only truly global world sport. He struck both goals in the 2-0 final win over Germany, curiously the first meeting in World Cup history between the respective giants of Latin American and European soccer.

The first World Cup to be staged in Asia generated unprecedented levels of fan support, particularly in South Korea where giant television screens were erected in cities throughout the country.

Hooliganism, the blight of the game in Europe, was non-existent and the daunting logistics of staging a tournament in two countries and 20 venues were neatly negotiated after some early problems with ticketing.

The tournament began sensationally, when Senegal upset their old colonial masters France, who limped out of the tournament without scoring a goal. Both hosts exceeded expectations with South Korea proceeding as far as the semi-finals.

Brazil's majestic progress to an unprecedented fifth World Cup, accompanied by the intoxicating rhythms of the samba drums, was a triumph for the romantics who believe sport at its best should be synonymous with style.

Rogge tested

Salt Lake City hosted the first of the year's two great sports festivals, amid unprecedented levels of security after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

The Winter Olympics provided the first real test for the new International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge, elected last year to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Rogge worked swiftly to ensure the International Skating Union resolved a figure skating judging scandal which at one time threatened to overshadow the entire Olympics.

Duplicate gold medals were awarded to Canadian skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier after a French judge admitted she he had been pressured by her federation to vote for the original winners, Russians Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze.

Rogge had to defuse another potential crisis when the Russian team revived unwelcome memories of the Cold War by threatening to withdraw because of grievances over judging.

Then there was doping, the cancer Rogge has pledged to eradicate from the Olympic movement. On the final day of the Games three cross-country skiers -- Spain's triple gold medallist Johan Muehlegg and Russians Larisa Lazutina and Olga Danilova -- were thrown out after positive tests for a new blood-boosting drug.

Rogge prevailed, impressing with his calm authority, and the Games overall were a success. There were no major security scares and the Rocky Mountains provided the perfect backdrop for 20-year-old Croatian skier Janica Kostelic who mastered the treacherous slopes to win a record three golds and one silver.

Records tumble

An athletics year without a global competition proved unexpectedly eventful with world records falling in the longest and shortest running events.

In April, Moroccan-born American Khalid Khannouchi broke his own world marathon record on the streets of London, while Paula Radcliffe clocked the second fastest women's time on her debut.

It proved a golden year for the unassuming Briton who had retained her world cross country long course title in Dublin and went on to win the 5,000 gold at the Commonwealth Games followed by the 10,000 title at the European championships in Munich.

She then demolished the world marathon record in Chicago by 89 seconds, clocking two hours 17 minutes 18 seconds.

American Tim Montgomery streaked to victory in 9.78 seconds over 100 meters at the Paris grand prix final, finally erasing from the books the drug-fuelled and subsequently disallowed mark of 9.79 set by Ben Johnson at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Montgomery is the new partner of triple Olympic gold medallist Marion Jones, who recorded her first unbeaten season.

Lewis respect

Lennox Lewis at last gained the respect and status he had been denied by American boxing writers by systematically destroying Mike Tyson in eight rounds to retain two versions of the world heavyweight title.

Although Tyson was a bloated parody of the fearsome boxer who had terrorized his opponents in the 1980s, Lewis was still a worthy world champion. At his peak, while ranking below Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali, he could hold his head high in any company.

The motor racing world was again dominated by Ferrari and Michael Schumacher, a matter of increasing concern for Formula One chiefs struggling to maintain their global television audience.

Lance Armstrong was similarly dominant in cycling, winning a fourth successive Tour de France title and his fellow American Barry Bonds won the baseball National League's Most Valuable Player award for an unprecedented fifth time.

Australia's Lleyton Hewitt remained world number one on the men's tennis circuit while Serena Williams finally upstaged sister Venus, beating her elder sibling in the finals of the French, Wimbledon and U.S. Opens after missing the year-opening Australian Open.

Tiger Woods won the Masters and the U.S. Open to complete the first half of a potential grand slam but then came undone in atrocious weather at the British Open at Muirfield.

Woods has won each of the four majors in a row (the U.S. PGA is the fourth) but not all in the same year.

 

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