As all sports enthusiasts know, odd-numbered years are devoid of major international events, such as the World Cup or European Football Championship and the Summer or Winter Olympics. But this did not mean that in 2017 there was no shortage of emotions, thanks to the great protagonists between returns, farewells, confirmations and news. Looking forward to a 2018 that will be marked by Winter Games in South Korea, in February, and from Football World Cup in Russia, the first without Italy after 60 years.
ETERNAL CHAMPIONS
Thinking about the big comebacks, the first two names that come to mind can only be those of Roger Federer and ours Federica Pellegrini. Two eternal champions in their disciplines, tennis and swimming. The Swiss champion, in the year in which he completed 36 springs, returned against all odds to his best levels, adding two more Grand Slams to his infinite palmares, the Australian Open at the beginning of the year and the coveted eighth seal at Wimbledon, the his favorite tournament of which he is now the absolute record holder for titles won, beating Sampras and Renshaw who are still at 7. However, Federer did not stop at this: he also won two Master 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Miami and returned number 1 in the world setting yet another record of his career. Speaking of great tennis returns, that of his all-time rival should also be mentioned Rafael Nadal, that he finished the season in first place at the ATP, winning the tenth title at Roland Garros and also the US Open: this year, however, there was no history in direct clashes, King Roger from Basel won them all. As for swimming and the blue colors, 2017 was instead the one marked by Federica Pellegrini's feat at the Budapest World Championships. The 29-year-old from Veneto, still world record holder in the 200m and multiple world and Olympic champions, redeemed the disappointment of the Rio 2016 Olympics by scoring the paw that no one expected: yet another seal in the 200m freestyle, her favorite specialty although world gold has been missing since 2011.
RISING STARS
This memorable contest also represented the first loss in an individual final for the American Katie ledecky, given as a great favorite by predictions and one of the great new faces of the sport consecrated in 2017 with 5 world gold medals and a silver, the one behind Federica. The other great new face of 2017 is the rising star of basketball Luka Doncic, Slovenian star of Real Madrid and his national team, who in September led a small country of just over 2 million inhabitants to win its first European basketball title. For the Ljubljana phenomenon, who only came of age in 2017, it's not difficult to imagine a future in the NBA. The NBA, on the other hand, is experiencing a phase of great confirmations: not that there is a lack of new phenomena such as Doncic, like Giannis Antetokounmpo for example, but we are still in the midst of the era LeBron James and also the past year was marked by the rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers of King James and the Golden State Warriors of the award-winning company Curry-Green-Thompson-Durant. This was the final for the third year in a row (it had never happened in the history of the American championship) and this time, after the feat of the Cavs in 2016, the team from Oakland won, also favorites of the tournament currently underway : what if in June there was yet another rematch?
THE KNOWN CARS
2017 saw other great confirmations, above all in the world of two and four wheels: in motorcycles, for example, the Spanish Marc Marquez he repeated the 2016 World Cup, bringing his total tally to six titles. Our Valentino Rossi is stuck at 9, and also in 2018 the challenge between the two (and not only) will repeat itself. Just as this year the duel, typical of recent seasons, between Mercedes and Ferrari was repeated in Formula 1: the German team won once again, with the third title in the last four years for the English driver Lewis Hamilton. Still nothing to do for the Reds and for Sebastian Vettel. Confirmations also in cycling: the British Chris Froome he won his fourth Tour de France, placing the double with the Spanish Vuelta. For him, however, there is the shadow of doping: it was during the Iberian race that he was found positive for a prohibited substance. We will know more in the year to come.
BIG GOODBYES
Finally, 2017 was also the year of great farewells: looking to our borders, champions of the caliber of football players retired Francesco Totti and Andrea Pirlo, but also the two-times world champion in swimming Filippo Magnini. Remaining in the world of football, he also said goodbye to former AC Milan star and Ballon d'Or winner Ricardo Kakà, even if the farewell par excellence of the year that has just ended concerns athletics but in reality a universal champion, who scored a whole generation of sportsmen: that of the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Bolt leaves at 31 after a career that is worth remembering: 8 Olympic gold medals (out of 8 total medals) in three different editions, world record of 100m, 200m, 4×100m relay, 11 world golds, with two silvers and one bronze (conquered in his last race, last summer at the World Championships in London). In 2017 he retired arguably the greatest athlete of all time.
