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10 years of top sporting memories
(CNN) -- To mark 10 years of CNN World Sport, we asked for your top sporting moment of the last decade. We received hundreds of e-mails and were not able to publish all of them. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write. We won't be adding any more but hope you enjoy reading the ones we have posted -- as well as the top choices from CNN World Sport presenters, including France's 1998 World Cup triumph, Cathy Freeman's Olympic gold in 2000 and Tiger Woods' sensational 2001 Masters victory. Your sporting highlightsLance Armstrong getting up off his back after falling in the final climb of the final mountain stage of the 2003 Tour de France, catching up to Jan Ullrich and the other stage leaders who magnanimously waited for him, and then leaving them behind to win the stage and practically seal his 5th straight, and by far the most difficult, Tour de France victory. Larry Lilue, Spain When South Africa, in its first rugby World Cup after democracy had been restored, won the 1995 World Cup. I have never seen such a unification of people, regardless of race, gender and background. Watching Nelson Mandela enter the stadium in the captain's (Francois Pienaar) jersey was magical, a lump-in-the-throat moment. And when he handed the trophy to the winning team, that was a moment to remember for all time. Douglas B. Davies, South Africa The victory of the team of young players of Ajax Amsterdam over one of the best clubs in the world at that time, AC Milan, in the final of the Champions League in the season 1995/96. After that, the celebrations during the boat tour through the Amsterdam waterways were great and I have never seen something like that since. Erwin Hoving, The Netherlands June, 1999. Wimbledon quarterfinals, ladies singles. After having won the French Open two weeks before, which was the climax of Steffi Graf's last comeback from injuries, she faced tournament favourite Venus Williams. It is the match of the tournement and Wimbledon never saw a game played on that level. Steffi wins 6-2 3-6 6-4. After that she only played three more matches before she retired. Christian Schupp, Germany When the Cleveland Crunch won the NPSL Title in Cleveland on 27 April 1994. It was Game 7 and it had gone into double-overtime. When Hector Marinaro slammed in that goal, simply beautiful!! Brought Cleveland its first title in many, many years. Denise Wilson, U.S. Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Monetenegro) national basketball team at the World Championship for men 2002 in Indianoplis, USA winning gold after beating USA and Argentina in the final game. Peja Stojakovic, Dejan Bodiroga, Vlade Divac and the team from Yugoslavia linked their arms and raised them in unison, then danced in a circle around the championship trophy. Slobodan Jevericic, Yugoslavia My beloved island of Jamaica making history by becoming the first English speaking country from the Caribbean to ever qualify for the World Cup finals and then going on to beat Japan in France. Yvonne Goldson, Japan
Turkey's finish as third in 2002 World Cup by beating South Korea. And also Hakan Sukur scoring in 9 seconds which is the fastest in World Cup history in the match against South Korea. Namýk Kaplan, Turkey England coming from a goal behind to demolish Germany 1-5 in Munich as part of the 2002 World Cup qualifiers. Sean Jackson, UK When Ajax won over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. They totally overclassed the team from Madrid and after the game the 90,000 supporters of Real gave a standing ovation for the young players of Ajax. Dreams do come true. T. Ballieux, The Netherlands Paolo di Canio's unique show of sportsmanship in an English Premiership game in the 2000/2001 season. As a West Ham striker in a heated away fixture, Paolo di Canio, very much to the horror of the West Ham fans and players, opted to catch the ball rather than shoot at a gaping goal post to score a last minute winner, so that the Everton keeper, who lay injured outside his area, could get treatment. Diepriye Josiah, Ireland Japan 1-0 Russia, World Cup 2002. Having lived my whole life in Tokyo, I will never forget Inamoto's winning goal, the jubilation in the pub, Japanese and non-Japanese pubgoers singing and clapping to "Nippon, Nippon" throughout the match, and most definitely, crossing the famous Roppongi crossing five times, high-fiving anyone and everyone and blocking all traffic for one entire glorious night. Sheela Rupani, Japan November 10, 2001: Diego Armando Maradona's homage match at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The all-time best soccer player of the world led the Argentine national team in an emotive and entertaining soccer festivity and a 6-3 win over a team of virtuosos. As a bonus, Maradona wore a Boca Juniors jersey during the last minutes of the match. Eduardo Soto-Falcon, Mexico When the men's and women's Canadian hockey teams won gold in Salt Lake City, it brought tears of pride to my eyes. In the call center where I work, every employee was standing at their desks watching and cheering at the TVs above us. It was an amazing sight. Julia Fields, Canada When Tim Montgomery broke the world 100m record in Paris in 2002 with a time of 9.78 seconds. Sprinting is the purest of disciplines -- the ultimate test for a human being. Warren Grey Watching the last 15 minutes of Manchester United's historic European Cup win in 1999. They played with passion for that period, and were rewarded with two vital goals in the last two minutes. That night they proved that anything is possible if you believe in yourself (and I won a hundred bucks). Lucato Zidane's two headers in a 3-0 win over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup. Nothing can touch that. Jason LeDrew
Lance Armstrong's comeback, then winning the Tour de France five times in a row. But the fifth time, this year, was the stand out. Philip Meyer When Silken Laumann won a bronze medal for Canada in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics after a rowing accident just 27 days before that was so serious her doctors thought that she would never row again. June Lau, France Nigeria's heroic victory at the Atlanta '96 soccer mundial. This brilliant Nigerian side, with the likes of Nwankwo Kanu, Augustine Okocha, Celestine Babayaro displayed unimaginable skill. Ozegbe Chukwuma, U.S. 31 January 1999 -- a victory lap of Pakistan's cricket team after beating India by 12 runs at Chidambaram Stadium. Shabeeeb Murtaza India beating their arch rivals Pakistan in the cricket World Cup, 2003. The first six by Sachin Tendulkar on a Shoaib Akhtar delivery would probably remain an unforgettable moment in the minds of millions of Indians for whom cricket is nothing short of a religion. Kunal Mehta When India went three for three against Pakistan in cricket World Cups. Richay Vora July 1999 when Brandy Chastain scores the winning goal against China to win the World Cup soccer for U.S. This is all the more heartening since soccer is not popular in the U.S., these women get paid piddling amounts and they played with their hearts and conviction. A ground breaking moment for women's sports. Avril Dutta The 1999 Women's World Cup which was a huge milestone for women's sports in the U.S. Karol Dixon, U.S. Keiran Perkins winning the men's 1,500m swimming at the Atlanta Olympics from lane eight. Debra, Australia Maria Mutola's dominance in women's 800m, topped by the unprecedented jackpot in the Golden League. Eugénio Silva, Mozambique Game 7 of Stanley Cup in 2001. Avs beat New Jersey after trailing 3-2 in the series. I was so moved to see Ray Bourque hoist the Cup to end a beautiful career. David Letourneau, Canada The instant China defeated Oman 1-0 which led China to the World Cup 2002 ... which made several decades of football dreams come true. Neco Brett Favre, Reggie White, and the rest of the Green Bay Packers bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy home to Lambeau Field in January, 1997. James McCullough, Canada To step off a plane into a country united in red. I landed in Korea amidst millions of people celebrating the World Cup 2002. It didn't matter what race, color, sex or nationality you were, Korea embraced its people and the world. World Cup 2002 was more than soccer, it was a celebration of a country. Tia Hockenberry Being in Korea with university students during the World Cup and getting caught up in their excitement and joy at winning even their first game was the ultimate happy moment of our lives. Jack and Judy McDonald, South Korea 2001 when Tiger Woods was at his best and gave the game another dimension that reaches more people. Golf is not the rich white old people's game any more . He enriched the game so that people young and old, black and white would enjoy it. Magnifico De Fantastico, Denmark 1994 when Nigeria dazzled the world and won their first ever World Cup match against Bulgaria. That is the day I will never forget. Chigozie Iheme, Holland Rower Steve Redgrave winning a gold for the fifth consecutive time at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, ending a career spanning three decades. Chris Deplano, Scotland 17 November 1993, Paris. Qualification for the World Cup between France and Bulgaria when Emil Kostadinov threw France with a fantastic goal and sent Bulgaria to the finals. Veselin Mladenov, Bulgaria 1995, Ajax won the Champions League final in Vienna from AC Milan. Ajax had in that time a very young team and played like the were sons of God! Robert Aksan, Netherlands 2002 double gold by Canada's men's and women's ice hockey team. I read where 10,000,000 homes tuned in to the men's gold medal game. There are 11,000,000 homes in Canada! Those 1,000,000 homes that were tuned into the game were probably at a friend's house. Brent Smith, Canada Canada's men and women winning both hockey gold medals at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. For a country where hockey is almost a religion, it had been too long. Arlino Pinto, Canada The American men's and women's 2002 Olympic hockey teams winning silver medals fully knowing that the Canadians dominated them in every way. Aaron Siller Manchester United winning the treble, with two injury time goals to beat Bayern in the Champions League. Barry Martin The Year: 1999. The Team: Manchester United. Two Words: "The Treble." In today's world of sport with the pace, the strength, the power and the determination, "The Treble" is truly unbelievable and unimaginable. One more thing: I'm an Arsenal supporter. Neal, UK When Korea beat Italy in the 2002 World Cup. It brought the nation of Korea together as a whole, and no other sporting event moved a nation of 48 million to tears. Eunfa Lee, U.S. Costas Kederis winning the 200m sprint at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He came out of nowhere and showed you can never underestimate the underdog. Robyn Christou, New Zealand India beating the mighty Aussies when they toured the subcontinent after the cricket World Cup in 1999. Masuda Khanam The Atlanta 1996 Olympics when Nigeria picked up the gold medal for the Under 23 football competition. Febeke Okafor, Canada Atlanta 1996. Donovan Bailey of Canada wins the gold medal in the men's 100 metres, shattering the previous world record. Priyan K. Tewari AC Milan's 2003 Champions League victory. Massimo Cusini, Italy Roberto Baggio's penalty miss in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil which cost the Italians the championship. He was the best player in the world at the time. Khaled, Kuwait Steffi Graf's last Frech Open championship, defeating Martina Hingis. A. Bonilla South Africa winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup. One year after achieving democracy, no sporting event has ever unified a nation the way that victory did. Graeme Huddy, South Africa Lazio painted Rome with double silverware of Lo Scudetto and the Italian Cup in 2000 ...ending nine years of Milan/Juve domination. African marine Michael Schumacher's amazing drive in Spa 1995, starting 16th on the grid, came first. Cathal Hoare Emmitt Smith breaking Walter Payton's NFL career rushing record, behind what was often a very large Dallas offensive line through the years. Allan, Canada Emmitt's record of rushing yards, simply because nowadays in football the team that has a good running game can win everything and he was the cornerstone of the Cowboys' dynasty. Ivan Mozo, Mexico Ayhan Sureyya getting the athletic gold in the European Championships and the silver in the World Championships for Turkey -- the very first time ever that a Turkish athlete wins a medal and on top of all it is a woman who wins. Z. Gurkok-Mullner, Austria Paula Radcliffe, one of the greatest distance runners of all time, and her 2:15:25 marathon in London. What an extraordinary accomplishment by an athlete who, to me, epitomizes the blending of natural talent, hard work, and an unswerving commitment to excellence. Michael Johns Joe Carter's World series winning home run in October 1993. Alm Lance Armstrong fighting back from cancer to win the 1999 Tour de France. He beat the giants of the sport, Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani, and has won every Tour de France since. Aaron D. Griffith, Canada Brazil winning the Soccer World Cup for the fifth time in 2002. Jayakumar Gilbert Jacque Villeneuve winning the Indy 500 and the CART championship in 1995 and the Formula One world championship in 1997. Truly one of the best drivers in history. Jean-Bruno Leclerc, U.S. Jason Mcartney's return to senior AFL football this year was the greatest highlight in my opinion. Last October Jason was one of the victims of the Bali bombing . Not only did he suffer injuries and burns from the incident, he gave up the chance to fly on an earlier rescue flight back to Australia. He set himself two goals during his recovery, walking down the aisle for his marriage a few months after the bombing and playing senior AFL football. He achieved both , retiring after the one game he played. Michael G., Australia Team New Zealand winning the America's Cup in San Diego in 1995 and retaining the America's Cup in its defence in 2000. Lena Chapman Dale Earnhardt finally winning the Daytona 500 after 20 years of trying. Frank L. Billingsley, U.S. Carl Lewis winning the long jump at the 1996 Olympics. Stan Daneman, Canada When Germany beat England in the Euro 96 football semi final, I was sitting in a pub in Knightsbridge. England had come so close to scoring, all the way through extra time, and lost on penalties. Women in the pub started crying, and after such an emotion testing game, all of us felt completely dejected. Some went over to Trafalgar Square to start a riot. And that's another story. Tim South Africa winning the Rugby World cup in 1995, just a year after the first South African democratic elections. Who can ever forget captain Francois Pienaar, with the trophy in his hand, with President Nelson Mandela next to him, also wearing a green and gold Springbok jersey. Retief de Villiers, South Africa Michael Schumacher trying to barge Jacques Villeneuve off the road for the F1 World Championship at the final race of the season in Jerez, Spain. Michael is unsuccessful, and Jacques goes on to claim the championship that eluded his father. David Dunkerley Canada's men and women winning both hockey gold medals at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. Bonnie Ketcheson The Canadian Olympic hockey teams winning double-gold at the Winter Olympics. The women's team were huge underdogs and overcame a huge competitor in the U.S. team while the Canadian men re-established their dominance of the sport. Neil FitzGerald When the Canadian men and women's hockey teams both won gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic games. The feeling of pride and unity that it brought to the country has never, and will possibly never be matched. Tyler As a Swede, I have to say when Belarus sent out Sweden from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. I never saw that coming! Megabot, Sweden In 1995 when Francois Pienaar, the captain of the Springboks, accepted the Web Ellis Trophy alongside Nelson Mandela, The president of South Africa, who then proceeded to do his famous jig. Dimitri, South Africa Pete Sampras winning the US Open in 2002 to reach his 14th Grand Slam. Margarita Merino, Canada Goran Ivanisevic finally winning Wimbledon in 2001. Robert Milne, Scotland Andre Agassi's amazing French Open victory in 1999, coming back from two sets down (vs. Andrei Medvedev) to win it, making him only the fifth man in history to win all four grand slam titles in his career. Charles Mappin When Paul Tergat broke the marathon world record on 28th September 2003 in Berlin, Germany. Gitahi Kariuki, Germany 2001 World Series Game 7. Randy Johnson coming in relief. D-backs rallying in the 9th inning off Mariano Rivera. ncabangangan When Nigeria won the Olympic football gold medal in Atlanta 1994 by beating the giant Brazil from 3-1 down in the semi-final and finally beating Argentina to claim gold. Taofeek, Nigeria Tiger Woods, at 22, winning the Masters in '97. Nick Flanagan, at 19, a young Australian, winning the U.S. Amateur at the Oakmont Country Club in '03. These are wonderful events! Sandy Chilcote, Canada Michael Jordan, anytime. Kenny Crompton Ben Johnson's World and Olympic record setting 100 meters in Seoul followed by his disqualification. As a Canadian it was one of the great highs followed by great lows of sport. Still the fastest 100 meters of all time. Drew Peerless Sylvain Wiltord's goal for France on the last second of the Euro 2000 final versus Italy. This goal allowed France to win the cup thanks to David Trezeguet's beautiful volley in extra-time. The Italians who had started celebrating had to find a way to put the cork back into the bottles of champagne. Sébastien Paulat, France Manchester United winning the Champions League in 1999, scoring 2 goals in injury time after trailing 1-0 for most of the game. David Johnstone, UK Lance Armstrong's five consecutive wins in the Tour de France. No other athlete has shown such sheer determination, such class, graciousness and unbounding courage. He is the epitome of what an athlete should be. Carpe diem Lance! Clemence Aquilino South Africa winning the rugby World Cup in 1995. Nelson Mandela united the nation by his presence in a Springbok top and visible joy and pride at a South African victory in what was predominantly a whites-only sport. Brendan Cuthbertson, South Africa The one punch knock-out of "Big John Tate" by Mike Weaver in the last round of their heavyweight title fight, after Tate had controlled the entire fight. Charles Bryan As a Greek, I would have to say Kostas Kenteris crossing the finishing line first in the 200m at the Sydney Olympics. No one expected that one coming. Akis Apostolopoulos, Greece
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