10 Sporting Heroes Who Ruled 2012

2012 has been a fantastic year of sport across a wide spectrum of events and moments. London hosted the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, the European Football Championships came to Poland and Ukraine, and Superbowl XLVI was watched by over 166 million people worldwide. Seemingly, if you're a sportsman or sportswoman whose name isn't John Terry then you almost certainly had a great year in your field.

Sport in 2012 appears to have captured the public's imagination to a greater extent than ever before, and inspiredthe full range of emotions, from elation to heartache. This was certainly one of the best years to be a sports fan, and now I have the opportunity to honour some of the heroes of this marvelous sporting year.

Some of these you may disagree with, some you may never have heard of, and of course there will be hundreds of deserving athletes not featuring on this list. But, in the spirit of competition, only the very elite of this category can be listed: those who went that extra mile to ensure that they merited a spot on the Top 10 Sporting Heroes of 2012.

10. Usain Bolt

"People always say I'm a legend, but I'm not. Not until I've defended my Olympic titles. That's when I've decided I'll be a legend." What is there to say about Usain Bolt that hasn't been said before? He oozes charisma and arrogance, in the proven knowledge that he is currently the fastest man in the world. The 100 metre final in the Olympics has a drama and wow factor that is unique in the world of sport, as the pride of a gold medal and disappointment of no medal at all can be separated by less than a second - it's a blink and you'll miss it affair. Usain Bolt took the 100 metres and made himself a legend with his swagger and outright pace, but 2012 was special for him in particular as he was able to hold off his upcoming rival Yohan Blake to retain both his 100 metre and 200 metre medals, as well as also retaining the 4x100 metre gold medal with the Jamaican team. He has assured that he is the greatest runner on the planet for four more years at least , and 2012 may have been his final medal-winning performance. Hopefully not, because Bolt brings a fanfare to the Olympics unlike any other personality. But fear not, as he is very confident in his ability to become a world class footballer or cricketer. So maybe he'll be in next year's list for a different sporting reason. Standout Moment of 2012: Winning the 100 metre final for a second time, in an Olympic record 9.63s.
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

I am a British student currently studying at the University of York, and have a passionate interest in WWE, English football (soccer) and video gaming.