Action replay

The fastest, the strongest, the fittest survived. Thrived. Made history. In a year darkened by dope clouds, their brilliance was the silver lining. Some old warhorses reasserted their superiority while others were ousted by the young guns. And what made this drama of victory and defeat even more fascinating were the bizarre, even tragic happenings.

Sultan of Multan: Virender Sehwag hammered a record-breaking 309 against Pakistan. Knocked out: The once-invincible Mike Tyson was no match for Britain’s Danny Williams.	One in a billion: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore became the toast of the nation when he won a historic silver medal at the Olympics, even as his compatriots came a cropper in one sport or the other. AP/PTI Queen Maria: Maria Sharapova conquered Wimbledon and eclipsed Anna Kournikova as the glamour girl of tennis. Golfing great: Vijay Singh played flawless golf to dethrone Tiger Woods from the top spot.	NEVER SAY DIE: Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima was leading the Olympic marathon when he was pushed into the crowd by Cornelius Horan, a defrocked Irish priest. Despite the setback, a determined De Lima managed to win the bronze medal. King of the court: Roger Federer ruled the roost in men’s tennis this year with victories at Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open. Sudden death: The fatal collapse of Cristiano Junior caused a furore and left a big blot on the image of Indian football. — PHOTOS by Reuters