The Sporting Year in Review

What a year in sport we have had. We have seen the trials, tribulations and heartache that come with every sporting season but we have also had plenty to celebrate and reinforce, yet again, why Australians love our sport. Some of the biggest sporting achievements for 2011 have been... 

* Sally Pearson becoming the 100m hurdles World Champion;
* Cadel Evans securing the Tour de France win; 
* The Aussie Diamonds again becoming the World Netball Champions; 
* Sam Stosur winning the US Open Women's Singles Title; 
* Casey Stoner taking out his second MotoGP World Championship; 
* Ian Thorpe and Libby Trickett returning to the pool; 
* Jason Day breaking into the world's top ten and being runner-up at the US Golf Open; 
* The Gold Coast Suns joining the national AFL competition; 
* Black Caviar achieving an unprecented 16-straight wins to show she is Australia's best thoroughbred sprinter;
* Craig Alexander becoming the 3-time Ironman World Champion and holder of the Hawaiian Ironman course record; 
* The Melbourne Rebels completing their first season in Super Rugby; 
* The Queensland Reds winning the Super Rugby competition; 
* The Wallabies winning the Tri-Nations Series and bringing home the Bronze from the Rugby World Cup; and 
* Shane Warne returning to the bowling crease with the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.

And, it's not over yet. It wouldn't be an Aussie summer without plenty of cricket and tennis happening all over the country and, on Boxing Day, Jessica Watson will set sail in the Sydney to Hobart to skipper the youngest crew ever to enter the race.

2012 promises to be just as action-packed. The Tri-Nations Series will become The Rugby Championships with Argentina joining Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in this South Hemisphere competition; NSW will have a second team in the AFL with Greater Western Sydney (GWS) joining the 2012 AFL Season; and it is an Olympic year.

Come 27 July 2012, there will be fever pitch excitement when our athletes will start to compete in London to be faster, higher, stronger. What better reason is needed to pull on some green and gold, show your national pride and immerse yourself in the sporting year ahead. We can't wait!