Worst sporting moments of 2021
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A look at 2021’s worst sporting moments
It has been a bumper year of sport in 2021 and as well as plenty of triumph there has been an awful lot of despair.
Here we take a look at some of the worst sporting moments that happened in 2021.
Christian Eriksen
Arguably one of the worst sporting moments of all time came at Euro 2020 when Denmark’s Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during the first half of his side’s opening game against Finland.
The distressing scenes of Eriksen suddenly collapsing and receiving treatment on the pitch were seen around the world and Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen later confirmed that the former Tottenham player “was gone” prior to being resuscitated.
Denmark’s captain Simon Kjaer was one of the first players on the scene and appeared to clear Eriksen’s airways before his anxious team-mates formed a protective ring around him as he received treatment.
Following the incident at the Parken Stadium, Denmark became the neutrals’ team during their run to the semi-final of the competition and they are 28/1 to go even better and lift the World Cup in Qatar.
Tiger Woods’ car accident
Woods was travelling at almost twice the legal speed limit of 45mph when he crashed his car in Los Angeles in February, the 15-time major winner surviving “what would otherwise have been a fatal crash” because the interior of his vehicle remained largely intact, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
Woods required surgery on open fractures to his lower right leg and further injuries to his foot and ankle and said at one point he feared that his right leg could be amputated.
Wedge game. 💯
A near hole-out and big smile from @TigerWoods. pic.twitter.com/jJgXdZcfin
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 19, 2021
Remarkably golf’s number one name has made a comeback to the sport in recent weeks playing alongside his son in the PNC Championship, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to ever again compete for major championships.
Euro 2020 final
As if losing to Italy on penalties was not bad enough, the racism directed at some of England’s players and the chaotic scenes in and around Wembley ensured the Euro 2020 final will go down as a shameful moment in English football history.
Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were bombarded with racist abuse on social media after their misses in the shoot-out, while more than 20 “near-misses” which could have resulted in serious injury or death were identified in a review of the reckless behaviour of ticketless individuals who tried, and in some cases succeeded, to gain entry to the stadium.
As one of the worst sporting moments of 2021, England’s chances of hosting a major tournament in the near future appear to be up in smoke.
However, Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions could provide one of the best sporting moments of 2022 if able to go one better in Qatar and England are the 13/2 third favourites for glory in the middle east.
Ryder Cup defeat
Europe went into their defence of the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits as underdogs given the strength of the United States team, but few could have imagined the result proving so overwhelmingly one-sided.
Padraig Harrington’s side slumped to a record 19-9 defeat as a US team boasting 12 players all ranked inside the world’s top 21 lived up to their reputations and laid down a worrying marker for future contests.
England’s Test troubles
It has been a chastening year for England’s red-ball cricketers who have won only five of the 14 Test matches they have played in 2021.
Having started the year with a 2-0 series win away in Sri Lanka, England have come off second best in their next three series and ended the year with a humiliating Ashes defeat.

Despite Joe Root’s prolific summer they managed to win just one Test against both New Zealand and India on home soil this summer and the year has been hallmarked by some cataclysmic batting collapses and selection gaffes from under-fire head coach Chris Silverwood.
Rahm suffers double Covid-19 blow
Jon Rahm looked set to make a successful defence of his title in the prestigious Memorial Tournament after completing his third round with a six-shot lead, only to be told before he left the 18th green that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and had to withdraw.
The world number one bounced back brilliantly to win his first major title in the US Open 15 days later, only to test positive again shortly before the Olympics and have to miss the Games in Tokyo.
Rahm is 9/1 favourite to defend his US Open crown in 2022, while the same odds are available on him collecting a first Green Jacket in the year’s opening major.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication