JUSTIN GATLIN Gatlin’s powerful strides to clinch the marquee event at the Athens Olympics were among the stirring images of 2004. All of 22 years, Gatlin upstaged a strong field which included the favourite Maurice Greene. By winning the the fastest and closest 100m dash in Olympic history, Gatlin had launched himself. ‘‘I am a genuine, clean champion’’, he said . ADRIAN D’SOUZA Add anticipation, agility to a bundle of energy and you get D’Souza. Standing up to the hazards of drag-flickers is second nature to this 21-year-old Mumbai goalkeeper, who took the sting out of Sohail Abbas with his daring runs during the Indo-Pak series. SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA If you don’t believe you can win a tournament, you shouldn’t play,’’ said the 19-year-old after creating history at the US Open. Kuznetsova rode roughshod over an elite field to become third Russian revelation at the Slams following Sharapova (French) and Myskina (Wimbledon), but on the surprise scale, Kuznetsova ranked highest. MICHAEL CLARKE Everyone knew he had it in him. The Australians chose the Final Frontier to launch him and what a launch it was. A match-winning century on debut was just the first step. Since then, it’s been layer and layer of icing on the cake. SOHAIL ABBAS Goalkeepers around the world heaved a sigh of relief when Sohail said ‘Ab-bas’. After sounding the boards a record 274 times (including 27 hat-tricks) in seven years, the 28-year-old made a quiet exit, blaming politics in Pakistan for quitting. DHANRAJ PILLAY The mascot of Indian hockey is on a fast fadeaway. Athens could well have been the 35-year-old dazzler’s last outing in Indian colours because with age slowing him down and his reflexes not being the same, it’s tough to see him fitting into the new, younger set-up. Pillay will go down in history as one of the most charismatic of Indian hockey players . MARION JONES My ultimate goal is to be mentioned in the same sentence as Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali or Pele,’’ Marion Jones once said. Not to be, as doping accusations and a mediocre Athens Olympics threw her out of the mainstream. But the 29-year-old US star has kept her options open for Beijing 2008. CRISTIANO JUNIOR He lived to score goals and died scoring one. Cristiano de Lima Junior shook the Indian soccer system with his feats and his death. While fans across the country mourned this skillful Brazilian’s demise, his Dempo teammates haven’t been able to figure out what the Fed Cup he won for them stands for.
