2024 Top 10 International Sporting Events

With 2024 about to come to an end, let's take a look back at the top 10 international sports events from the past 12 months

1. On July 26th, under rainy skies in Paris 85 boats carrying athletes from 205 delegations sailed into the Olympic spotlight, cheered on by more than 320,000 spectators lining both shores of the River Seine.

2. On July 12th, the IOC announced that it had partnered with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to stage the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2025, stepping into a transformative era for esports on the global stage.

3. On July 24, during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris, the French Alps was confirmed as the host destinantion of the 2030 Winter Olympics, while Salt Lake City in the USA will stage the 2034 edition. On December 11, FIFA announced that Morocco, Portugal and Spain will co-host the World Cup in 2030, while Saudi Arabia will stage the 2034 Finals.

4. On August 11th, IOC president Thomas Bach announced that he would not try to change the rules to stay in office, adding that the Olympics would be "best served with a change in leadership".

5. On August 7th, the World Anti-Doping Agency responded to a story published by writers claiming the US Anti Doping Agency allowed several athletes who tested positive for banned substances to keep competing for a number of years, saying that USADA's put the security of the cooperating athletes at risk.

6. On July 7th, Ukraine's high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh beat a record that had stood for 37 years at a Diamond League meet in Paris, jumping 2.10 meters.

On October 13th, Kenyan runner Ruth Chepngetich completed the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds, slashing almost 2 minutes off the previous world record.

7. On October 10th, Rafael Nadal confirmed on social media that the 2024 season would be his last, due to persistent injury problems. Later, on November 19th, the 38-year-old chose Spain's Davis Cup quarterfinal against the Netherlands as his final match. The King of Clay bows out with 22 Grand Slam titles.

8. On July 14th, closing out a tournament the team had dominated from start to finish, Spain defeated England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring an unlikely match-winner in the 86th minute. On October 28, midfielder Rodri beat Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham to win the Ballon d'Or.

9. On August 26, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis cleared a height of 6.26 meters to win gold and break his own world record for the third time this season at the Diamond League Silesia held in Poland.

10. After surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 points to become the NBA's all time-leading scorer the previous season, 39-year-old LeBron James netted another historic basket on March 3rd, as he became the first player in league history to score 40,000 career points.