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 On the fields of play, the action in 2014 was at times
breathtaking.
A German team, unshackled from its pragmatic past and playing with
uninhibited flair, won a World Cup in Brazil that exceeded
everyone's wildest expectations.
Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final at the sprawling Maracana in
Rio de Janeiro thanks to a superb extra-time goal from baby-faced
substitute Mario Goetze to lift the trophy for the first time since
1990.
The hosts buckled under the weight of expectation, finishing fourth,
but never had the samba nation shone so brightly on the world stage.
Magnanimous in defeat, Brazil delivered a tournament that will be
remembered for its contagious carnival atmosphere, infecting
everyone from the golden sands of Copacabana Beach to the Amazon
rainforest.
But the year did not end well for the beautiful game with FIFA,
soccer's world governing body, fending of more accusations of
bribery over its decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and
2022 to Qatar.
 FIFA cleared both of any of wrongdoing but the former U.S.
prosecutor who led the investigation said it had misrepresented his
findings and he later quit.
The timing of the 2022 World Cup is also causing problems with
doctors warning the tournament will have to be moved from its usual
summer slot to avoid the stifling heat in Qatar.
But any change could impact on the European leagues and potentially
clash with the 2022 Winter Olympics, in either Beijing or Almaty,
the only two cities in the bidding race.
The rest all dropped out, citing the astronomical $51 billion price
tag for this year's Winter Olympics in Sochi, and prompting the
International Olympic Committee to introduce a raft of reforms.
Like Brazil's World Cup, Russia's Olympics went better than expected
despite the inevitable collision between sport and politics. The
buildup was overshadowed by threats of Islamist militant violence,
an international outcry over a contentious "anti-gay propaganda" law
and allegations of corruption.
JEALOUSY
Western critics labeled the Games a wasteful extravagance to show
off modern Russia's might. President Vladimir Putin said the
complaints were fueled by jealousy and reminiscent of the Cold War
rhetoric that dominated Olympics in the 70s and 80s.
Russia's Adelina Sotnikova won the women's figure skating ahead of
South Korea's Kim Yuna, triggering complaints about the judging in
the most-watched event of the Games.
In short-track speed-skating, Viktor Ahn won three gold medals for
his adopted Russia -- heaping yet more agony on his native South
Koreans.
Ahn won three golds for South Korea in 2006 but swapped nations
after he was not selected for the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Forty-year-old Ole Einar Bjoerndalen beat the odds to set a record
of 13 Winter Games medals by winning the biathlon sprint and the
mixed relay while Dutch speed skater Irene Wust won five medals,
matching the record at a single Winter Olympics.
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Russia finished top of the medals table with 13 golds but the
country's recent surge in sport was questioned later in the year
with allegations of systemic doping by Russian athletes.
Racism, doping and domestic violence dominated the American sporting
landscape in 2014.
Donald Sterling, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers
basketball team, was banned for life and eventually agreed to sell
the franchise after a racist rant that overshadowed the San Antonio
Spurs' victory over the Miami Heat in the championship final.
Alex Rodriguez, baseball's highest-paid player, missed the entire
MLB season after ending a legal challenge to his record suspension
for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs.
The San Francisco Giants won the World Series for the third time in
five seasons, with ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner playing the
starring role.
The NFL, America's richest and most watched sport, played its first
Super Bowl in the New York area -- with the Seattle Seahawks beating
the Denver Bronocs.
But the sport was plunged into crisis when Baltimore Ravens running
back Ray Rice was caught on film punching his wife and Minnesota
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson used a tree branch to
discipline his son.
The genteel sport of cricket was left heartbroken after the shock
death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes -- who was killed when he
was hit in the head by a ball.
His death triggered a global outpouring of grief not seen since
Formula One driver Ayrton Senna was killed in a high-speed crash 20
years ago.
Britain's Lewis Hamilton, who grew up idolizing Senna, won his
second F1 driver's title while Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy
won the British Open and PGA championships titles.
Serena Williams showed why she remains the queen of women's tennis,
winning her sixth U.S. Open and finishing the year as the world's
oldest number one, aged 33.
The men's game saw some new names in the grand slam winners'
enclosure with Stan Wawrinka winning in Australia and Marin Cilic
taking the U.S. Open.
(Editing by Martyn Herman)
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