WEIRD & WONDERFUL STORIES OF 2024

Free ramen and colonoscopies

Even though French fries, avocados and champagne being banned in the Olympic village, the Paris 2024 games were largely successful, although not for Saudi Arabia, which didn’t win a single medal (their best performer Dunya Abutaleb came fifth in the 49kg weight in women’s taekwondo). Philippines gymnast Carlos Yulo had a more rewarding Olympics, winning two gold medals, a two-bedroom flat in Manila and free ramen and colonoscopies for life. Paris 2024 had its share of controversies but nothing quite compared to the row in October in Northamptonshire when David Jakins, the 82-year-old winner of the World Conker Championships, was found in possession of a nut with a steel kernel. ‘King Conker’, as he is known, claimed he kept it as a joke and investigators cleared him of wrongdoing.

On the mend

For the first time ever, SanMarino’s football team scored more than two goals in a competitive fixture, in a 3-1 UEFA Nations League victory against Liechtenstein in November. LaSerenissima had beaten the principality 1-0 in September, achieving two wins in ten matches, one more than Premier League champions Manchester City over the same period.

Going Bust

During 2024, the Panther City Lacrosse Club went bust in Texas; former Ligue 1 champions Bordeaux, cycling great Bradley Wiggins and snooker star Mark Allen filed for bankruptcy; music producer Pete Waterman sold League 2 side MK Dons to Kuwaiti businessman Fahad Al Ghanim, whose family owns reigning league champions Kuwait SC, and Hampshire County Cricket Club announced it would be taken over by Indian multinational GMR.