In this Saturday, May 24, 2014 file photo, Real Madrid's Gareth Bale celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal in the Champions League final soccer match against Atletico Madrid at the Luz Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal. Real Madrid became the first team to win the European Cup 10 times, dubbed "La Decima." The 4-1 scoreline did not do justice to Atletico, which was just 90 seconds away from securing its first European Cup before Sergio Ramos headed Madrid level.
Associated Press
LONDON - With the Winter Olympics and the World Cup, there was no shortage of memorable sporting moments in 2014.
The World Cup was in Brazil, but the five-time champions couldn't make it past the semifinals, losing big to eventual champion Germany 7-1.
For the country itself, the World Cup was a success. Hosted with passion and with little trouble off the field, the tournament provided several big moments, from Luis Suarez's bite to Spain's unexpected early exit.
The first major international sporting event of the year was the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. With nearly 100 gold medals, one event stood out for having two champions as Tina Maze and Dominique Gisin tied for first in the women's downhill.
Russia's $51 billion investment transformed the resort town on the Black Sea, so much that it even hosted the country's first Formula One race in October.
British driver Lewis Hamilton won that race in a late-season rally that allowed him to hold off Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg and claim his second world title.
Rory McIlroy also turned it on in the second half of the year, winning two of golf's majors within three weeks. The Northern Irishman also played a key role in Europe retaining the Ryder Cup against the United States.
In tennis, Roger Federer found more success. Although he didn't add to his Grand Slam collection, he helped Switzerland win the Davis Cup for the first time.
Attached are some of the great moments as captured by photographers from The Associated Press.
In this Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014 file photo, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany, foreground, drives off the track while his teammate Lewis Hamilton of Britain overtakes him during the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack, in Monza, Italy. Hamilton won his second Formula One world title, six years after his first. Both successes went down to the last race. The rivalry on and off the track between Hamilton and his teammate Rosberg was fierce all season.
Associated Press
In this Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014 file photo, Kenya's Dennis Kimetto crosses the finish line to win the Berlin Marathon in a world record time in Berlin, Germany. Kimetto set a world record in the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 2 minutes, 57 seconds. His time knocked 26 seconds off the previous world's best and renewed speculation that someone will soon be able to run the marathon in under 2 hours.
Associated Press
In this June 24, 2014 file photo, Uruguay's Luis Suarez holds his teeth after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder during the group D World Cup soccer match between Italy and Uruguay in Natal, Brazil. Just days after his two goals helped Uruguay defeat England 2-1, Suarez was involved in the World Cup's most controversial moment. Suarez was eventually handed a four-month ban. That didn't put off Barcelona though, which bought the striker from English club Liverpool for a fee of 81 million euro according to Barcelona (around Dlrs US 110 million at the time).
Associated Press
In this Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014 file photo, Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after winning the US PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club, in Louisville, Ky. This was the year that the Northern Irishman established himself as the successor to Tiger Woods as golf's pre-eminent player. Just a few weeks after he claimed his first British Open, he won the U.S. PGA, taking his major tally to 4. He also played a pivotal role in helping Europe to win the Ryder Cup for the third time in a row.
Associated Press
In this Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014 file photo, from left, Europe's players Jamie Donaldson, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Justin Rose pour champagne over captain Paul McGinley as they celebrate winning the 2014 Ryder Cup golf tournament, at Gleneagles, Scotland. Europe didn't need to come from behind as it did in Medinah, Illinois, USA, two years ago to win its third Ryder Cup in a row. Soon after US golfer Phil Mickelson criticized his captain Tom Watson.
Associated Press
In this Tuesday, July 8, 2014 file photo, Brazil's Fernandinho reacts after Germany's Toni Kroos scored his side's third goal during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Germany at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Deprived of the injured Neymar, host nation Brazil was routed 7-1 by Germany. Remarkably Germany was 5-0 ahead against the 5-time World Cup winners within the first half hour. A few days later, Germany defeated Argentina 1-0, with a late strike from Mario Goetze, to claim its fourth World Cup.
Associated Press
In this Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 file photo, one of the Olympic rings fails to open during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. At the closing ceremony of the Sochi Games, Russia poked fun at itself when a group of 700 dancers formed the Olympic rings. In a humorous nod to a malfunction during the opening ceremony, they delayed forming the fifth ring.
Associated Press
In this Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014 file photo, women's downhill gold medal winners Switzerland's Dominique Gisin, left, and Slovenia's Tina Maze stand together on the podium at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. Maze and Gisin tied for gold in a dead-heat finish, the first time that has occurred in Alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics. "It's even more interesting because it's not a usual thing," Maze said. "It's something special."
Associated Press
In this Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014 file photo, Australia's cricket captain Michael Clarke pays his respect to Phillip Hughes at his coffin during his funeral in Macksville, Australia. Hughes died two days after he was hit in the head during a domestic cricket match. Hughes was just days short of his 26th birthday and was widely expected to be one of his team's future stars.
Associated Press
In this Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014 file photo, Switzerland's Roger Federer falls to the clay after defeating France's Richard Gasquet and winning the Davis Cup final for Switzerland at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, northern France. In a career laden with grand slam success, the Davis Cup was a notable absentee from Federer's trophy cabinet. Alongside Stan Wawrinka, Federer helped Switzerland win the team tournament for the first time.
Associated Press