Australian Sporting Highlights for 2010
There were three major world sporting events in 2010, and in all Australia had a significant impact. At the Winter Olympics, Australia finished 18th on the medal tally with two gold and one silver. At the FIFA World Cup, the socceroos finished with 4 points, the same as in 2006, but missed out on progressing due to a poor goal difference.
Later in the year, Australia had high hopes for hosting the World Cup in 2022, but were voted out in the first round. At the Commonwealth Games, Australia again showed their sporting dominance topping the medal tally, thanks mainly to a successful swimming program.
In AFL, the biggest story was off-field with the Ben Cousins' drug scandals. This was almost upstaged by the drawn Grand Final. In Rugby League, the biggest story was again off field, with the Melbourne Storm being caught exceeding the salary cap. Motorsport's Mark Webber was the highest paid Australian athlete for 2010.
Neil Robertson won the World Snooker Championships, becoming only the second player from outside the UK and Ireland, and the first Australian, to become world champion in the modern era of the game.
The 2010 Don Award, which recognises the sporting achievement of the year which has inspired the people of Australia, was awarded to Freestyle skier Lydia Lassila.
Below is a timeline of some significant results for Australian sport for the year 2010.
| Date | Results |
|---|---|
| Jan | Tennis Australia Open won by Roger Federer and Serena Williams |
| Feb | The Winter Olympic Games were held in Vancouver, Canada. Australia won two gold medals. |
| Sep | The AFL grand final (replay) was won by Collingwood |
| Oct 2 | In the NRL, St George Illawarra Dragons defeated the Sydney Roosters |
| Oct | Commonwealth Games were held in Delhi India. Australia clearly led the medal tally. |
If you have a correction or know of events that should be included here, please let me know.
Related Pages
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
Current Events