Kolisi with the World Cup in his hometown of Zwide on the Springboks’ nationwide victory parade © AFP / Wikus DE WET
PARIS, France, Dec 17 – Best sports quotes for 2019:
RUGBY UNION
“We have so many problems in our country but a team like this, we come from different backgrounds, different races but we came together with one goal and we wanted to achieve it”
— Siya Kolisi, the Springboks’ first black Test captain
“In South Africa pressure is not having a job. Pressure is one of your close relatives being murdered.”
— Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s World Cup winning head coach, eloquently explaining the nature of pressure in his homeland.
FOOTBALL
Rapinoe lit up the women’s World Cup both on and off the pitch © AFP / Philippe DESMAZES
“I think I’m particularly, uniquely and very deeply American”
— Megan Rapinoe, USA’s World Cup winning superstar, a warrior on the pitch and off it where her unflinching advocacy for social justice brought her into conflict with US President Donald Trump.
Rapinoe “should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job!”
— Trump on Twitter
“This is only the start”
— Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after the Champions League final win over Tottenham.
“Humble”
— After the acrimony that defined his final days at Manchester United Jose Mourinho arrived as Tottenham’s new manager saying he had learnt from his mistakes and wanted to bring happiness to Spurs.
CYCLING
Bernal makes history for Colombia in the Tour de France © AFP / Anne-Christine POUJOULAT
“It’s team, team, team, get up, see the doctor, have breakfast, ride the race, get a massage, physio and sleep. Then repeat”
— Egan Bernal painting a mundane picture of life as Colombia’s first Tour de France champion
ATHLETICS
“The message that no human is limited is now in everybody’s mind”
— Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge after making history, smashing the mythical two hour barrier for the marathon on a crisp autumnal morning in Vienna
“If Karsten is Gordon Gekko then I am the IRS”
— American Rai Benjamin compares himself to the US Internal Revenue Service after Karsten Warholm expressed admiration for fictional immoral financier Gordon Gekko from the Wall Street films. Warholm beat Benjamin to 400m hurdles gold at the world championships in Doha.
HORSE RACING
“He is a once in a lifetime horse who has given us a twice in a lifetime experience.”
Davy Russell and Tiger Roll return to a heroe’s welcome after second Grand National triumph © AFP / Oli SCARFF
— Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary succinctly summing up his thoughts after his Tiger Roll put his name alongside the legendary Red Rum by winning back-to-back Grand Nationals
“He is a little like myself. He likes the good things in life — eating drinking and sleeping, though he is a little more athletic than me!”
— Tiger Roll’s trainer Gordon Elliott comparing himself to his Aintree hero
TENNIS
“These kind of matches, you work for, you live for, they give sense and they give value to every minute you spend on the court training and working to get yourself in this position and play the match with one of your greatest rivals of all time”
— Novak Djokovic, after defeating Roger Federer for his fifth Wimbledon title in the longest final in the tournament’s history.
“I’m the loser both times, so that’s the only similarity I see.”
— Federer on what were the similarities between losing to Djokovic and to Rafael Nadal in 2008’s equally classic Wimbledon final.
“Congratulations @Bandreescu_! You’ve made history and made a whole country very proud. #SheTheNorth”
— Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweets his support for Bianca Andreescu who defeated Serena Williams in the US Open final to become Canada’s first Grand Slam singles champion
“Inexcusable”
— Serena williams berates herself for her performance against Andreescu
“I’m not a big fan of subways. We have also in Czech, but I never really use. There can be strange people.”
— At the US Open, Karolina Pliskova admits the New York City subway is not her preferred mode of transport
GOLF
“It’s just another step. Things at Augusta National don’t happen very rapidly”
— Kay Cockerill, the 1986 and 1987 US Women’s Amateur champion, after history was made at the once all-male enclave with the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur
“It’s overwhelming just because of what has transpired. I could barely walk. Couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t walk. Couldn’t do anything. To have the opportunity to come back, it’s one of the biggest wins I’ve ever had for sure.”
Tiger’s back! © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP / DAVID CANNON
— Tiger Woods after completing an epic comeback from career-threatening injury and scandal by winning the 83rd Masters, his 15th major title to end an 11-year major drought.
FORMULA ONE
“Not bad for a boy from a Stevenage council house.”
— A proud Anthony Hamilton after son Lewis secured his sixth world championship
CRICKET
“Almost superhuman”
— England captain Eoin Morgan paying tribute to Ben Stokes after the all-rounder played a pivotal role in the Super Over World Cup final win over New Zealand
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
“How could this not motivate you? It’s what it’s all about”
— Tom Brady after writing his name in the record books winning the Super Bowl for a sixth time as the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams
RUSSIAN DOPING
Moscow has gone “too far”.
— Former WADA chief Dick Pound after Russia accused of falsifying laboratory doping data
BOXING
“Three months of partying and celebrating affected me, what can I say?”
Ruiz planning less partying © AFP / Fayez Nureldine
— A chubby Andy Ruiz rueing his failure to train properly for his failed heavyweight title defence against Anthony Joshua
