The Best Moments in Sports of 2019

Karina Manta and Joe Johnson Blaze New Trails at the US Figure Skating Championships

American ice dancing pair Karina Manta and Joe Johnson have long skated in the shadow of their competitors, never quite able to break onto the podium. Then, at the 2019 US Championships, the pair made history when they stepped onto the ice as the first team in which both athletes are openly members of the LGBTQ+ community. Their career-defining free dance to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" received a standing ovation.

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Figure Skater Alysa Liu Proves That Age Is Just a Number

At 13, Alysa Liu wasn't even old enough to compete at the junior world championships, but that didn't stop her from becoming the youngest-ever American figure skating champion, unseating Tara Lipinski, who had set the record 22 years earlier. In her free skate, Alysa landed two triple axels — and eight triples total — an unprecedented feat in the ladies event.

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Virginia Finally Gets Its One Shining Moment at the NCAA Tournament

Image Source: Getty / Streeter Lecka

In the 2018 tournament, the Virginia Cavaliers had an embarrassing showing: as the No. 1 seed, the team dropped to No. 16 UMBC in the first round. That disappointment made their 2019 victory even sweeter, as it gave them the opportunity to prove themselves on the biggest stage in college basketball.

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Tiger Woods Secures His Legacy at the Masters

Image Source: Getty / Andrew Redington

It's been billed as one of the greatest comebacks in sports. With his win at the Masters tournament in April, Tiger Woods claimed his 15th major title, ending an 11-year drought since his last championship.

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The St. Louis Blues Rally to Win the Stanley Cup

Image Source: Getty / Bruce Bennett

It's hard to imagine a more Cinderella-like storyline in sports. The St. Louis Blues started the season with the worst record in the league, and after a remarkable turnaround, they ended it by hoisting the Stanley Cup.

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The Toronto Raptors Bring One Home to Canada

Image Source: Getty / Ezra Shaw

With their fairy-tale win in six games, the Toronto Raptors became the first team based in or originating in Canada to win an NBA title. Their efforts didn't go unnoticed by their home country, which rallied around the Raptors, proving once and for all that Canadians do, in fact, care about sports other than hockey.

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The US Women's National Team Makes a Statement, in More Ways Than One

Image Source: Getty / Alex Grimm

The US women's soccer team has dominated the international scene for the last several years. Their win in this year's World Cup marked a record fourth tournament title, more than any other nation in history. During the celebrations, the stadium erupted in chants of "equal pay," a signal that fans hoped for yet another landmark victory in the team's ongoing fight for gender equality in sports.

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Coco Gauff Goes on a Magical Run at Wimbledon

Image Source: Getty / Clive Brunskill

Fifteen-year-old tennis player Coco Gauff made headlines at Wimbledon when she scored an upset victory over her idol, Venus Williams, and became the youngest player in history to advance to the round of 16. Though her tournament ended with a loss in the fourth round, it was clear that Coco was one to watch.

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The World Is Introduced to Swimming's Youngest Stars

One thing became clear at the 2019 FINA World Swimming Championships: there's a new generation of swimmers ready to claim their rightful place in the record books. Nineteen-year-old Hungarian swimmer Kristóf Milák shattered Michael Phelps's time in the 200m butterfly, a record the American had held since 2001. Soon after, 17-year-old Regan Smith — the youngest member of the USA Swimming team — broke Missy Franklin's world record in the women's 200m backstroke.

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Simone Biles Makes History With Her Triple-Double

As if American gymnast Simone Biles hasn't broken enough records already, she proceeded to land a move no woman has ever done in competition. Her triple-double at the US Gymnastics Championships seemingly defied the laws of physics and helped her earn a record sixth national all-around title.

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Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff Win Hearts at the US Open

After defeating teenage sensation Coco Gauff at the US Open, Naomi Osaka asked her opponent if she'd like the opportunity to address her fans, who had turned out in large numbers throughout the tournament. "Do you want to do the interview with me? These people are here for you," Naomi said. While the match was a stunning display of athleticism, it was the players' sportsmanship that won the night.

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Allyson Felix Topples a World Record 10 Months After Giving Birth

Image Source: Getty / Patrick Smith

American sprinter Allyson Felix won her 12th gold medal at the World Championships as part of Team USA's mixed-gender 4x400 meter relay, surpassing a record she had once held with Usain Bolt. Not only has she won more World gold medals than any other runner (male or female), but she also earned this latest one less than a year after becoming a mother.

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Eliud Kipchoge Breaks the 2-Hour Marathon Barrier

Image Source: Getty / Alex Halada

In a truly awe-inspiring feat, Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge crossed the finish line of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria, with a time of one hour, 59 minutes, and 40.2 seconds. No athlete in history had ever managed to run a marathon in under two hours. While the time didn't count as an official world record because of technicalities involving the race conditions, it's a moment the running community won't soon forget.

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Simone Biles Becomes the Most Decorated Gymnast in World Championship History

Image Source: Getty / Laurence Griffiths

After a dominant performance at the 2019 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships — during which she won gold in five of six events — Simone Biles brought her World medal count to 25, edging out Belarusian gymnast Vitaly Scherbo for the all-time record. She also has the most gold medals of any gymnast, male or female, at 19. And neither of these records includes the five Olympic medals she's collected so far.

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The Washington Nationals and Houston Astros Put on a Show at the World Series

In October, the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros in a full seven-game World Series, marking the first-ever World Series title for the DC-based team (previously known as the Montreal Expos). But that wasn't the only thing that made the championship truly special: it also marked the first time in North American sports history that all seven games of a best-of-seven postseason series were won by the visiting team.

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Oregon Women's Basketball Hands Team USA Its First Defeat in 20 Years

An exhibition game in November ended in a truly stunning upset, when the Oregon Ducks defeated the US Women's Basketball Team 93-86, led by star Sabrina Ionescu's 30 points. It was the first time in two decades that the eight-time Olympic champions had been knocked off by a college squad.

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Nathan Chen Sets a New Standard For Men's Figure Skating

Image Source: Getty / Marco Bertorello

American figure skater Nathan Chen has been unbeaten since the 2018 Olympics, and if that weren't impressive enough, he shattered two world records on his way to winning the Grand Prix Final in December. The score for his crowd-pleasing Rocketman-themed free skate was 224.92, while the combined score for his short and free programs was 335.30. In both cases, he bested his own world record, set earlier in the year. On top of that, his margin of victory over two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu was more than 16 points, the highest in the 16-year history of the current scoring system.

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