IAAF world athletes of the year

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, and American track and field sprinter Sanya Richards, hold their "Athlete of the Year Awards", awarded by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), in Monaco, Sunday, November 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau). Both athletes are two time winners, Usain Bolt won last year, while Sanya won back in 2006. And both athletes sharer origins; because Sanya Richards was born in Jamaica. "It's been an amazing year for me," said Bolt, whose training was hampered after he injured his foot when he crashed his car in April. "I had to refocus my goals and put in a lot of hard work. I did extremely well and I'm proud of myself."

Michelle Wie first LPGA

Michelle Wie wins her first LPGA title in Mexico. She thrust her arms in the air, covered her mouth and before long, she finally tasted that LPGA tradition for first-time winners by getting showered with beer. "For sure, it's definitely off my back," said Wie, now 20 and in her third year at Stanford. "I think that hopefully, life will be a lot better. But I still have a lot of work to do. I still have a lot to improve. It just feels so great right now."



Michelle Wie, from the United States, holds her trophy after winning the Lorena Ochoa Invitational LPGA golf tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP/Miguel Tovar)

Manny Pacquiao punches above his weight

Manny Pacquiao, the amazing Filipino boxer, now has seven world titles in seven different weight categories! Manny Pacquiao began his career as a light-flyweight and has moved up from super-featherweight to welterweight. Pacquiao won the WBO welterweight title after beating Puerto Rican fighter Miguel Cotto, in the twelfth round at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on November 14, 2009. "I always tell myself that I am just an ordinary fighter, but I have to beat the best fighters and sometimes I can," said Manny after the win.



Miguel Cotto was the bigger and stronger fighter pitted against the faster and more agile Pacquiao. And after five rounds Manny's power began coming through in his punches, and by the ninth round Cotto was boxing on the defensive. Cotto though gave a splendid performance, forcing Manny on the ropes, and lasting till the final round. "I’m still proud. I’ve fought everyone, but Manny’s one of the best boxers of all time," Cotto said.

Manny is now looking for a match against American Floyd Mayweather.

Flavio Briatore

Disgraced former Renault team head Flavio Briatore is seeking one million euros in compensation from Formula One's governing body over the crash-gate scandal, according to a report. Briatore is appealing his life ban from the sport in a Paris court later this month, and will claim the FIA's World Motor Sport Council did not follow proper rules and procedures in making its decision.

The move follows former Renault driver Nelson Piquet junior's claims that he had been ordered to deliberately crash at the 2008 Singapore race to allow teammate Fernando Alonso to win. Briatore, who quit in the aftermath of the scandal, was handed a lifetime ban and chief engineer Pat Symonds was suspended for five years when the World Motor Sport Council met in Paris in September.

The two are appealing the life ban, and seeking damages, on the grounds that the World Motor Sport Council's hearings into the scandal were conducted in an improper fashion.