In a year where the word viral took on a whole new meaning, finding sporting moments caught on video during 2020 proved a challenge. Alas there were still some hidden gems in a year we will never forget, a period where every league, tournament and race was either cancelled, postponed or in some way affected by coronavirus.
Here are a selection of videos that somehow withstood the global pandemic and offered us up some magic during an unprecedented time.
Tai chi master Ma Baoguo gets knocked out
We can’t start anywhere but the most viral Asian video of 2020. A 69-year-old tai chi master, Ma Baoguo, somehow thought fighting an actual mixed martial artist, 49-year-old Wang Qingmin, was a good idea. The former martial arts coach and amateur fighter made quick work of his elderly opponent, and the memes emerged post-haste.
Andrew Cotter killing time as a commentator
I was bored. pic.twitter.com/bVoC0hyNzC
— Andrew Cotter (@MrAndrewCotter) March 27, 2020
Scottish sports commentator Andrew Cotter found himself in the same boat as the rest of us: with a lot of time on his hands and not much to do. So what do you do when your day job is a sports commentator and there is no sport to comment on? Well, you film your dogs eating, and let the hilarity ensue.
Ice hockey player goes through the glass after goal
Hungarian ice hockey player Marko Csollak took goal celebrations to a new level after netting one against Fehervari Titanok. Jumping up against the glass to celebrate a goal is nothing new in leagues like the NHL, but the speed at which Csollak rammed into the glass should have been his first warning sign. Either way, Csollak will forever go down in history not for the goal he scored, but for what ensued.
Second chance bicycle kick
If at first you don’t succeed, try one more time? Nicolai Geertsen’s bicycle kick effort against Slagelse in the Danish Cup third round is one you have to watch several times to fully appreciate. Not only did he connect acrobatically from a corner kick, he had the wherewithal to hammer home the rebound that came right back at him off the crossbar.
Jon Rahm skips the water to hole-in-one
Despite it being a practice round at the Masters, Jon Rahm’s ace on the 16th hole is still worth a mention. Not only does he skip the ball across a lake like a skipping stone, but the ball appears to be pulled on a string all the way into the hole. The Spaniard tied for seventh at the event so it appears his luck ran out, but not before producing a shot for the ages.
Disc golfer’s fail turns into spectacular shot
Kevin Jones probably thought he was going to become a viral sensation for all the wrong reasons after throwing a 530-foot shot at a competition in the US. He slipped and fell off the throwing area, only to get up and watch his disc make its way perfectly to where it needed to go. Jones expression afterwards is priceless. Talk about pulling one out of the fire.
Xu Xiaodong beats up another fraudster
We have to end where we began. Xu Xiaodong once again exposed more “kung fu fakery” as he fought tai chi master Chen Yong . Much like Ma Baoguo, this tilt was short, brutal, and basically looks like elderly abuse. Yong later said the sun was in his eyes and the ground was too soft, so he didn’t actually lose. Sadly, the video seems to show otherwise.
This article was first published in Asia One . All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
