120 Fun Facts About 2000s Sports

Which team ended the Patriots' 19-0 bid by beating them in Super Bowl XLII?

New York Giants: big underdogs, they scored the winning touchdown with 35 seconds left and handed the 18–0 Patriots their only loss of the season.

Whom did the Red Sox beat in the 2004 ALCS after trailing 3-0?

New York Yankees: after losing the first three games, Boston won four straight, then swept the World Series to end an 86-year title drought.

Whose record of seven golds at one Olympics did Phelps break in 2008?

Mark Spitz won seven at Munich 1972; in Beijing, Phelps was seventh at the turn of the 100 m butterfly before beating Milorad Čavić by one hundredth of a second for his seventh gold.

Which country won both the men's and women's 100 m gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

Jamaica: Usain Bolt set a 9.69 world record despite celebrating before the line, and Shelly-Ann Fraser led a Jamaican sweep with a dead heat for silver.

Which player did Zinedine Zidane headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final, his last professional match?

Marco Materazzi took the headbutt to the chest, and Zidane, sent off in the last match of his career, still won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

What is the nickname for Liverpool's comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final?

The Miracle of Istanbul: Liverpool scored three goals in six second-half minutes, then Jerzy Dudek saved Andriy Shevchenko's penalty to win the shootout 3–2.

Which club went unbeaten through the 2003-04 Premier League season, earning the nickname "The Invincibles"?

Arsenal saw their unbeaten league run halted at 49 matches at Old Trafford in October 2004, in a bad-tempered game after which pizza was thrown at Alex Ferguson.

Which outsider won Euro 2004 by beating hosts Portugal in the final?

Greece had already beaten Portugal 2–1 in the tournament's opening game, so Euro 2004 began and ended with the same upset.

Which two nations co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup?

South Korea and Japan were rival bidders until FIFA, whose rules did not allow co-hosting, brokered a compromise and awarded the tournament to both.

Who won the Golden Shoe at the 2002 World Cup with eight goals, including both in the final?

Ronaldo had barely played for almost three years because of two major knee injuries, and in 1998 he played the final Brazil lost hours after suffering a fit.

Which Australian sprinter lit the Sydney 2000 cauldron and then won the women's 400 m?

Cathy Freeman ran the final in a full-body hooded suit, then took her lap of honour carrying both the Aboriginal and Australian flags.

The 2004 'Malice at the Palace' brawl broke out during a Pistons home game against which team?

Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest went into the stands after a fan threw a drink at him, and he was suspended for 86 games, including the playoffs.

Which team drafted LeBron James first overall in 2003?

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the lottery, and Detroit used the next pick on Darko Miličić, passing on Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.

Which team drafted Yao Ming first overall in 2002?

The Houston Rockets drafted Yao from the Shanghai Sharks, and in 2009 he bought the Sharks, his former club.

Whose seven Tour de France titles were stripped in 2012?

Lance Armstrong lost all seven after a US Anti-Doping Agency investigation, and no other rider was named winner of those Tours.

Tiger Woods completed the "Tiger Slam" of holding all four majors at once by winning which event?

The 2001 Masters gave Woods four straight major titles, but because they did not come in one calendar year, the feat became the Tiger Slam, not a Grand Slam.

Whom did Tiger Woods beat in a playoff to win the 2008 U.S. Open?

Rocco Mediate lost in sudden death after an 18-hole playoff, and Woods, playing on a badly injured left leg, needed surgery soon afterwards.

Federer won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2003 by beating which Australian?

Mark Philippoussis was beaten by a Federer who had lost in the first round of Wimbledon a year earlier, to 18-year-old Mario Ančić.

Who beat Roger Federer 9-7 in the fifth set of the 2008 Wimbledon final, in near darkness?

Rafael Nadal had lost the 2006 and 2007 Wimbledon finals to Federer before ending Federer's run of five straight titles.

Whose single-season record of 70 home runs did Barry Bonds break with 73 in 2001?

Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998 during a record chase with Sammy Sosa, and in 2010 he admitted using performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

Which pitcher gave up Luis Gonzalez's series-winning bloop single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series?

Mariano Rivera took a 2–1 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but his own error on a bunt helped Arizona rally to win the title.

The Steve Bartman foul-ball incident in the 2003 NLCS involved the Chicago Cubs and which opponent?

The Florida Marlins were five outs from elimination when the ball was deflected, then won Games 6 and 7 and went on to win the World Series.

Which team won the 2005 World Series, its first since 1917, by sweeping the Houston Astros?

The Chicago White Sox's sweep ended an 88-year wait that stretched back past 1919, when White Sox players took money to throw the World Series.

Who broke George Sisler's 84-year-old single-season hits record in 2004?

Ichiro Suzuki finished with 262 hits, and after the record-breaking single he walked over to greet Sisler's 81-year-old daughter near first base.

Which singer's 2004 Super Bowl halftime performance gave the phrase "wardrobe malfunction" to the language?

Janet Jackson was exposed on live TV by Justin Timberlake, and the FCC fined CBS a record $550,000, a penalty the courts later overturned.

Which team did the Patriots upset 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI, Tom Brady's first title?

The St. Louis Rams were 14-point favorites, but Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired to win it.

Who became the first African American head coach to win a Super Bowl, with the Colts in 2007?

Tony Dungy had been fired by Tampa Bay after the 2001 season, and the team he built won the Super Bowl the next season under Jon Gruden.

Which Steeler returned an interception 100 yards to end the first half of Super Bowl XLIII?

James Harrison intercepted Kurt Warner on the goal line and returned it 100 yards as the half ended, giving Pittsburgh a 17–7 lead.

Which Canadian pair received duplicate gold medals after the 2002 Salt Lake City judging scandal?

Jamie Sale and David Pelletier shared gold after a French judge said she was pressured to favour Russia's pair, and the scandal led to the end of the 6.0 system.

Which major North American league cancelled its entire 2004-05 season over a labor dispute?

The NHL called off the season, and the Stanley Cup went unawarded for the first time since 1919, when a flu epidemic halted the final.

Danica Patrick's first IndyCar Series win, in 2008, came at a race in which country?

Japan: Patrick won the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi on fuel strategy after the leaders had to pit late, the first IndyCar race won by a woman.

Who won the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix but lost the F1 title to Lewis Hamilton by one point?

Felipe Massa won the race, but Hamilton passed Timo Glock, who had stayed out on dry tyres in the rain, near the finish to take the fifth place he needed.

Michael Schumacher won his seventh Formula One drivers' title in 2004 with which team?

Ferrari had not had a drivers' champion since 1979 when Schumacher joined in 1996, and his 2004 title was his fifth straight with the team.

Which NASCAR legend was killed in a last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500?

Dale Earnhardt was blocking for his own team's Michael Waltrip and his son Dale Jr., who finished first and second as he crashed on the final turn.

Whose extra-time drop goal won the 2003 Rugby World Cup final for England against Australia?

Jonny Wilkinson had sent earlier drop-goal attempts wide, including one off his favoured left foot, before landing the winner with his right with seconds left.

Kobe Bryant scored 81 points on January 22, 2006 against which team?

The Toronto Raptors led by 18 in the third quarter before Bryant scored 55 points after half-time, and the Lakers won 122–104.

Which quarterback scrambled for the winning touchdown as Texas beat USC 41-38 in the 2006 Rose Bowl?

Vince Young ran for the go-ahead touchdown on fourth-and-5 with 19 seconds left, and Texas took the national championship.

Which FCS school stunned fifth-ranked Michigan 34-32 at the Big House in September 2007?

Appalachian State sealed the upset when Corey Lynch blocked Michigan's 37-yard field goal attempt on the final play.

Which trick play won the 2007 Fiesta Bowl with an overtime two-point conversion against Oklahoma?

The Statue of Liberty play won it 43–42 for Boise State, and the running back who carried it in then proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend on live TV.

Which nickname did Equatorial Guinea's Eric Moussambani earn by swimming a 100 m freestyle heat alone at Sydney 2000?

The Eel: Moussambani had taken up swimming only eight months before Sydney and trained in a hotel pool, and both rivals in his heat were disqualified for false starts.

Which team, helped by a 'Rally Monkey', beat the Giants in seven games to win the 2002 World Series?

The Anaheim Angels trailed 5–0 in Game 6 with the Giants eight outs from the title, then won 6–5 and took Game 7.

Which manager led Porto to the 2004 Champions League title, then left to take over Chelsea?

Jose Mourinho introduced himself to the English press by saying, 'I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one.'

Which MLS club did David Beckham announce in January 2007 that he would join?

LA Galaxy could sign him because MLS brought in a designated player rule, nicknamed the Beckham rule, letting clubs pay a star beyond the salary cap.

Who was named Finals MVP when the Detroit Pistons upset the Lakers 4-1 in the 2004 NBA Finals?

Chauncey Billups had been traded three times in his first three NBA seasons before Detroit signed him as a free agent in 2002.

Who was named Finals MVP when the Boston Celtics beat the Lakers in 2008?

Paul Pierce was taken off in a wheelchair with a knee injury in Game 1, then came back minutes later to play on.

Who was Finals MVP when the Heat came back from 0-2 down to beat Dallas in 2006?

Dwyane Wade averaged 34.7 points and took 25 free throws in Game 5, after which Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $250,000 for misconduct.

Which country topped the gold-medal table at the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

China, as hosts, won the most gold medals, but the United States still won the most medals overall.

Which athletics event at the 2004 Athens Olympics ended in the Panathenaic Stadium instead of the main Olympic Stadium?

Marathon: in the men's race, leader Vanderlei de Lima was pushed off the course by a spectator, a former priest, and held on for bronze.

Which Italian city hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics?

Turin beat Sion 53 votes to 36 in 1999, in a race cut to two finalists under a procedure brought in after the Salt Lake City bid scandal.

Whom did Serena beat in all four finals of her 2002-03 'Serena Slam'?

Venus Williams lost all four finals, and because the run spanned 2002 and 2003 rather than one calendar year, it was dubbed the Serena Slam.

In May 2003 Annika Sorenstam became the first woman since 1945 to tee it up in a men's event on which circuit?

PGA Tour: before Sorenstam played the 2003 Colonial, Vijay Singh publicly said she did not belong in a men's event.

At a press conference promoting their 2002 fight, Mike Tyson bit which boxer's leg?

Lennox Lewis was bitten on the thigh when a brawl broke out at the New York press conference, and the fight still went ahead that June in Memphis.

Which country won the first ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, beating Pakistan in the final?

India won the final when Misbah-ul-Haq tried to loft Joginder Sharma over short fine leg in the last over and was caught by Sreesanth.

Who was named NBA Finals MVP in 2000, the first of three straight as the Lakers began their three-peat?

Shaquille O'Neal averaged 38 points, but when he fouled out of Game 4 in overtime, 21-year-old Kobe Bryant hit the clutch shots to win it.

Which 76ers guard's 2002 press conference repeated the word "practice" more than 20 times?

Allen Iverson was answering reporters' questions about coach Larry Brown's complaints that he had been missing practice.

Which team won the weighted 2005 draft lottery and picked Sidney Crosby first overall?

The Pittsburgh Penguins were among four teams given the maximum three lottery balls, and four years later Crosby led them to the Stanley Cup.

Which driver won five consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championships from 2006 to 2010?

Jimmie Johnson owed his Hendrick ride partly to Jeff Gordon: he asked Gordon for career advice at a 2000 race, and Gordon helped get him hired.

Which team won its first Stanley Cup by beating Calgary in seven games in 2004?

The Tampa Bay Lightning won Game 7 2–1 at home, with Ruslan Fedotenko scoring both of their goals against Calgary.

Which two sports became full Olympic medal sports at Sydney 2000?

Triathlon and taekwondo: taekwondo had only been a demonstration sport before, and Brigitte McMahon, the first Olympic women's triathlon champion, later tested positive for EPO.

Which future presidential candidate was hired to run the scandal-hit Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics committee?

Mitt Romney took over after the committee's leaders resigned over the bid team's gifts and payments to IOC members.

Which receiver made the "helmet catch" that helped beat the unbeaten Patriots in Super Bowl XLII?

David Tyree, a special-teams player who had caught four passes all season, pinned the ball against his helmet on the winning drive.

Which Russian wrestler, unbeaten for 13 years, did Rulon Gardner stun in the Sydney 2000 final?

Aleksandr Karelin, the three-time reigning champion, lost 1–0 in what proved to be the last competitive match of his career.

Which short-track skater won gold at Salt Lake 2002 after every rival ahead of him crashed?

Steven Bradbury stayed upright while the others fell, and Australians now call an unlikely win 'doing a Bradbury'.

Who won Wimbledon in 2001 as a wild card ranked 125th in the world?

Goran Ivanišević had lost three Wimbledon finals before; rain pushed his final against Patrick Rafter to the third Monday.

Whom did the Steelers beat 21-10 in Super Bowl XL?

The Seattle Seahawks lost in Detroit, hometown of Jerome Bettis, who had put off retirement for the chance to end his career there.

In which city did Italy beat France on penalties in the 2006 World Cup final?

Berlin's Olympiastadion hosted it, and Italy won while the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal was engulfing their domestic league.

Whose slip on the penalty spot cost Chelsea the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow?

John Terry's kick would have won the Cup, but he slipped and it went wide off the post; Edwin van der Sar then saved Nicolas Anelka's kick.

Whom did Roger Federer beat in the 2009 French Open final to complete his career Grand Slam?

Robin Söderling had handed the four-time defending champion his first ever defeat at Roland Garros, in the fourth round.

Ohio State's double-overtime win in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl ended which team's winning streak?

The Miami Hurricanes seemed to have won in the first overtime until a pass-interference flag, thrown seconds after the play, kept Ohio State alive.

In which city did Barry Bonds hit his record-breaking 756th home run in 2007?

Barry Bonds hit it at home in San Francisco, and the record ball was caught by a Mets fan from Queens.

Which American sprinter was stripped of all five of her Sydney 2000 Olympic medals after admitting to doping?

Marion Jones lost three golds and two bronzes, then served six months in prison for lying to federal investigators about her drug use.

Which team rode the NFL's stingiest defense to a 34-7 win in Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001?

Baltimore Ravens defenders did not concede a point: the losers' only touchdown was a 97-yard kickoff return, answered by a return score on the very next kick.

Which quarterback was named MVP of Super Bowl XLI in February 2007, the first Super Bowl played in rain?

Peyton Manning's Colts trailed 14-6 after the first quarter, then outscored the Bears 23-3 over the last three as the rain kept falling.

Which Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career was halted in 2007 when he pleaded guilty over a dog fighting ring?

Michael Vick spent 21 months in federal prison, returned to the field in 2009 and was named the league's Comeback Player of the Year in 2010.

Which Canadian point guard won back-to-back NBA MVP awards with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006?

Steve Nash had left Dallas for Phoenix in 2004, and the Mavericks' owner later wondered aloud why he had not played like an MVP for them.

Which team did Michael Jordan join as a player in 2001, three years after his last title with the Bulls?

Washington Wizards fans first knew Jordan as an executive: he became the team's president of basketball operations in 2000, then pledged his playing salary to September 11 relief.

Which 17-year-old Australian swimmer won three gold and two silver medals at his hometown Olympics in Sydney in 2000?

Ian Thorpe powered away late in races with a six-beat kick that owed its force to his unusually large size 17 feet.

Which American snowboarder, nicknamed the Flying Tomato for his red hair, won halfpipe gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics?

Shaun White once wore headbands with a flying-tomato logo but grew tired of the nickname; he won the same event again in 2010 and 2018.

What nickname was given to Beijing's National Stadium, where the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony was held?

The Bird's Nest staged the 2022 Winter Games ceremonies too, making it the only stadium to open both a Summer and a Winter Olympics.

Which country won Euro 2008, its first European title since 1964, by beating Germany 1-0 in Vienna?

Spain followed it with the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, becoming the first nation to win back-to-back European Championships.

Which club won six trophies in 2009, a European first, under former B-team coach Pep Guardiola?

Barcelona had handed Guardiola the first team only the summer before, announcing the move the day after a 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid.

Which American won the 2002 US Open, his 14th major, in what proved the last match of his career?

Pete Sampras beat his long-time rival Andre Agassi in that final, their first US Open final meeting since 1995, and retired without playing again.

Which NFL team returned to its storm-damaged home stadium in September 2006 after a full season away?

New Orleans Saints players had not played a regular-season game at the Superdome since December 2004; their Monday night return drew a sold-out crowd of 70,003 and ESPN's largest audience to that point.

Which baseball team's 20-game winning streak in 2002 became the climax of the film Moneyball?

Oakland Athletics hitters built an 11-0 lead in the twentieth game, let it slip to 11-11, then won on Scott Hatteberg's pinch-hit walk-off home run.

Which high-flyer won the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest with a between-the-legs dunk and an elbow-in-the-rim finish?

Vince Carter followed it months later with his Dunk of Death against France at the Sydney Olympics, counted among the most famous dunks of all time.

Which German forward became the first European player to be voted NBA MVP, for the 2006-07 season?

Dirk Nowitzki's 67-win Mavericks had just lost to Golden State, the first top seed beaten by a No. 8 seed in a best-of-seven series.

Which boxer beat Oscar De La Hoya on a split decision in May 2007 in the sport's richest fight up to then?

Floyd Mayweather took the verdict after 12 close rounds, and 2.4 million households paid to watch, beating a record set by Holyfield and Tyson's rematch.

Which kicker won two Super Bowls for New England with field goals in the final seconds, in 2002 and 2004?

Adam Vinatieri had also kicked both the tying and the winning field goals of a playoff game played in a blizzard, weeks before the first of them.

Which coach won Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003 by beating the Raiders, the team he had left a year earlier?

Jon Gruden's Buccaneers, who gave up four high draft picks and $8 million to hire him, intercepted five Raiders passes and returned three for touchdowns.

Which quarterback threw four first-half touchdowns on Monday Night Football the day after his father died in 2003?

Brett Favre passed for 399 yards in a 41-7 Packers win, and even the Raiders' home crowd applauded him.

Which shortstop signed a 10-year, $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers, then the richest contract in sports history?

Alex Rodriguez's deal was exactly double the $126 million Kevin Garnett had signed for in the NBA, and he later admitted using steroids while playing under it.

Which freshman led Syracuse to its first men's NCAA basketball title in 2003, then left for the NBA?

Carmelo Anthony was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, capping a 30-5 season in his only year of college basketball.

What coin did a Canadian icemaker secretly bury at centre ice before the 2002 Olympic hockey tournament?

A loonie lay hidden under the ice as both Canadian teams won gold, and the lucky coin was later donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Which 16-year-old American figure skater rose from fourth after the short program to win 2002 Olympic gold?

Sarah Hughes skated cleanly while the three ahead of her, Michelle Kwan, Irina Slutskaya and Sasha Cohen, all made significant mistakes in the free skate.

Which first-time qualifier upset defending champions France in its opening game at the 2002 World Cup?

Senegal went on to the quarter-finals, the only one of that year's four debutants to get out of its group.

Which Italian club was relegated to Serie B and stripped of league titles in the 2006 Calciopoli scandal?

Juventus alone went down: Fiorentina, Lazio and Milan escaped with points penalties, and the 2006 title was handed to third-placed Inter.

Which Italian rider won MotoGP titles with Honda in 2002 and 2003, then with Yamaha in 2004 and 2005?

Valentino Rossi, nicknamed the Doctor, rode with the number 46 for his whole career, and the number was retired in 2022.

Which Formula One team, bought from Honda for £1, won both 2009 world titles in its only season?

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button won six of the first seven races, and Mercedes bought a controlling stake and renamed the team before the next season.

Which 2006 Kentucky Derby winner shattered a hind leg in the Preakness Stakes two weeks later?

Barbaro burst through the gate in a false start, then fractured three bones once the race began, and became an object of public affection during his treatment.

Which Los Angeles Sparks center became the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game, in July 2002?

Lisa Leslie could already dunk in the open court as a high school sophomore, even though she was not yet able to palm the ball.

Which Boston pitcher won Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS with blood from a sutured ankle soaking through his sock?

Curt Schilling bled through a second sock in the World Series; that one was loaned to the Baseball Hall of Fame and later sold at auction for $92,613, while the first is said to have been thrown away.

Which country won men's basketball gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics after beating the United States in the semi-finals?

Argentina handed the United States its third defeat of the tournament, the most ever by a US men's Olympic team, which went home with bronze.

Which British runner, aged 34, won both the 800 m and 1500 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics?

Kelly Holmes had planned to run only the 1500 m, and entered the 800 m as well after a win shortly before the Games.

Which 17-year-old Russian won the 2004 Wimbledon women's singles title by upsetting the two-time defending champion?

Maria Sharapova, seeded 13th, became the third-youngest woman to win the title, behind only Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis.

Which left-hander won his first major at Augusta in April 2004 with an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole?

Phil Mickelson, a natural right-hander who learned his swing by mirroring his father, became only the third left-handed swinger to win a major.

Which golfer won nine times in 2004, including a major, and overtook Tiger Woods as world number one?

Vijay Singh, who grew up in Fiji, won the Deutsche Bank Championship on Labor Day that year in one of the best seasons in the history of golf.

Which team lost Super Bowl XXXVIII 32-29 on a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left, in February 2004?

Carolina Panthers and their opponents combined for 37 points in the fourth quarter alone, the most yet scored in one quarter of a Super Bowl.

Which university became the first to win both the men's and women's NCAA basketball titles in one year, in 2004?

Connecticut's women clinched their title the night after the men won theirs, and the school pulled off the same double again in 2014.

Which Arizona Cardinals safety turned down a $3.6 million contract to enlist, and was killed in Afghanistan in 2004?

Pat Tillman joined the Army Rangers after four seasons in the league, and his death at 27 was later found to have been caused by friendly fire.

Which American forward retired in December 2004 with 158 international goals, then a record for any gender?

Mia Hamm carried the American flag at the Athens closing ceremony that summer, and her goals record stood until 2013.

Which Renault driver ended Michael Schumacher's five-year reign by winning the 2005 Formula One world title?

Fernando Alonso won seven races that year and, at 24, became the youngest champion the sport had seen up to then.

Which tyre maker's safety warning left only six cars to start the 2005 United States Grand Prix?

Michelin said its tyres were safe for only 10 laps unless cars slowed through the banked Turn 13, so its teams drove the formation lap and then peeled into the pits.

Which baseball franchise moved to the US capital in 2005 and was renamed the Nationals?

Montreal Expos baseball began in 1969 as the first Major League franchise outside the United States, and the move was announced in September 2004.

Which USC running back won the 2005 Heisman Trophy, forfeited it in 2010 and had it reinstated 14 years later?

Reggie Bush gave up the award voluntarily, amid reports that the Heisman Trust was about to strip it, and handed the trophy itself back in 2012.

Which team beat the defending champion Detroit Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals, the first to reach Game 7 since 1994?

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan collected his third Finals MVP award, after Robert Horry's overtime three-pointer had decided the fifth game.

Which team lost Super Bowl XXXIX 24-21 in February 2005, with Terrell Owens playing on a surgically repaired ankle?

Philadelphia Eagles receiver Owens defied doctors' orders to play, with two screws and a metal plate in the ankle, and caught nine passes for 122 yards.

Which slugger told Congress under oath in March 2005 that he had never used steroids, then failed a test months later?

Rafael Palmeiro, one of the few players with both 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, was suspended for ten days that August after testing positive.

Which city beat Paris by four votes in July 2005 to win the right to host the 2012 Summer Olympics?

London won in the fourth and final round of an IOC ballot held in Singapore, after Paris and Madrid had earned the top scores in the early application phase.

Which all-rounder was named England's outstanding player as the hosts regained cricket's Ashes in 2005?

Andrew Flintoff took 24 wickets and scored 402 runs, and was widely praised for consoling a beaten Australian batter moments after a two-run win.

Which British driver won the 2005 Indianapolis 500, where rookie Danica Patrick became the first woman to lead laps?

Dan Wheldon, the first British-born winner since Graham Hill in 1966, later wore a T-shirt reminding everyone that he had actually won the race.