Taking it to the next level

Top 10 sports breakthroughs - and a recap of a rollercoaster season in the NBA

Spanish rider Marc Marquez of Team Repsol Honda celebrates becoming world champion after the MotoGP at Valencia's Ricardo Tormo racetrack on Nov 10. Jaime Reina / Agence France-Presse

No.1 Marc Marquez, MotoGP champion

The 20-year-old Spanish rookie became the youngest MotoGP champion when he held his nerve to finish third in the final race of the season at Valencia to edge titleholder Jorge Lorenzo.

Among the plethora of records set by Marquez, his six race wins, nine poles and 16 podiums made him the second rookie to win the Premier Class in motorbike racing.

No.2 Brianna Rollins, 100 meters hurdles world champion

The American turned heads when she clocked the fourth fastest time ever for the 100m hurdles at the world championship trials in June, shortly after turning professional. Rollins showed it was no fluke by taking the world championship gold in Moscow one day before her 22nd birthday, pushing former champion Sally Pearson of Australia into second place.

No.3 Paul George, NBA's Most Improved Player

The Indiana Pacers surprised many in the NBA by reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in nine years in May, with George at center stage. With the Pacers losing Danny Granger to injury for the entire campaign, George stepped up and averaged a career-high 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in the 2012-13 season, and his duels with Miami's LeBron James in the Finals were a particular highlight. George won the NBA's Most Improved Player award, was handed a first All-Star selection and has continued that sterling work in the current campaign.

No.4 Gibraltar becomes UEFA member

The rocky territory became UEFA's 54th member association in May and its national team held Slovakia to a 0-0 draw in a November friendly. Gibraltar had gone through a bitter 14-year court marathon against Spain's legal objections to launching its soccer ambitions.

No.5 Scott ends Australia's wait for Green Jacket

Australia has produced numerous great golfers, but none tasted success in the US Masters at Augusta until Adam Scott in April. After eight runner-up finishes by his countrymen, including three by Greg Norman, Scott finally ended the wait for the prized Green Jacket by overcoming Argentina's Angel Cabrera in a playoff when he sunk a 15-foot putt on the second extra hole.

No.6 Jose Fernandez, NL Rookie of the Year

The Cuban pitcher made an unexpected jump from the minor leagues to the Miami Marlins bullpen at the start of the season and the rookie tossed up some special numbers for the struggling team. Fernandez posted a 12-6 record and his 2.19 ERA was second in the National League behind Clayton Kershaw's 1.83 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fernandez was also one of the finalists for the NL Cy Young Award.

No.7 Nairo Quintana, second place at the Tour de France

The Colombian was asked by Movistar to help team leader Alejandro Valverde finish on the podium at the Tour de France in July, but the young rookie was quickly promoted when his Spanish colleague fell off the pace. The 23-year-old rode a brilliant race to finish second overall and also claim the white and polka-dot jerseys as the top young rider and best climber. Quintana's performance in the three-week race, during which he also won a stage, marked him out as a future winner of cycling's grandest prize.

China's Guan Tianlang, 14, poses with the low amateur trophy he won at the 77th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14. Jewel Samad / Agence France-Presse

No.8 Chinese golf

Long earmarked as the production line for the next generation of major winners, the first seeds of China's development work in golf appeared in 2013. Guan Tianling, earning praise from the great Tiger Woods among others, was the talk of Augusta in April when the 14-year-old become the youngest competitor at the US Masters and made the cut, to the amazement of most. In May, 12-year-old compatriot Ye Wocheng became the youngest player to take part in a European Tour event when he competed at the Volvo China Open. The PGA Tour announced last month it would be launching a new developmental circuit in China to build on the breakthroughs.

No.9 Israel Folau ties Australian rugby try-scoring record

A series loss to the British and Irish Lions, three losses to New Zealand and two to South Africa left Australian rugby at a low ebb in 2013, but it unearthed an attacking gem in convert Israel Folau. The former Australia Rules Football player had played in only 14 matches for New South Wales Waratahs when he was handed his Wallabies debut in the first Test against the Lions, and he marked the occasion with two tries. Eight more tries followed as the 24-year-old runner tied former Australia winger Lote Tuqiri's record of 10 Test touchdowns in a season.

No.10 Dodgers rookie outfielder Yasiel Puig

When Puig was promoted to the big leagues the Dodgers were last in the National League West Division with a 23-32 record, 7 games out of first place. After his arrival the 23-year-old Cuban defector took baseball by storm and was largely credited with the team's turnaround. With Puig in the lineup the Dodgers were 66-38 in the 104 games in which he took part and went on to win the division crown, 11 games ahead of their closest pursuers.

Reuters

(China Daily 01/05/2014 page12)