As the year 2024 draws to a closeThere are a lot of moments in sports to reflect on after 365 days, and many of them are great.
However, controversy was also seen over the days and months.
Let's take a look at some of the biggest controversial moments in sports for 2024, starting with Paris in Olympic Games.
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Gold medalist Iman Khelif of Algeria stands on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women's 66 kg final boxing category during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on August 9, 2024. (Mohamed Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)
Iman Khalif wins the gold medal in Paris
The most searched-for female athlete of the year was the subject of controversy at the Paris Olympics, where Algeria's Iman Khelif became the gold medalist in her boxing weight class, despite questions about her gender eligibility.
Khalif was disqualified from the 2023 AIBA World Championship after AIBA president Omar Kremlev said the boxer had “XY chromosomes” associated with biological males.
However, the IOC defended Khalif, as well as Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, who also won gold in a different women's weight class despite the associated outrage.
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The International Olympic Committee said: “These two athletes were victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the International Boxing Federation.” “Towards the end of the AIBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any proper legal process.”
Khalif went on to not lose a single round in Paris en route to the gold medal. One female boxer, Angela Carini, even lost to Khalif in Paris, saying that “one punch hurts a lot.”
Caitlin Clark was in rough shape during her historic junior season
Clark made WNBA history in her first season as part of the Indiana Fever, while spearheading a rookie class that changed the landscape of women's sports, not to mention women's basketball.
But this memorable rookie season wasn't without its own controversy, especially when she was playing.
Clark was part of the national headlines after the Chicago Sky's Chindi Carter checked on her on the field early in the season, which was deemed a flagrant -1 foul.
The physical play wasn't necessary, hence the poor judgment, but it became much more than that when talk shows and the media began discussing whether players were being too rough with Clark, who was beaten down the court with some tough fouls. Before that too. Race was also brought up as part of the discussions.
Indiana Heat guard Caitlin Clark, 22, rushes onto the field Friday, July 12, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Hollers/IndyStar/USA Today Network via Imagen Images)
Clark would endure more physical moments, including from fellow rookie Angel Reyes, who hit her in the head while attempting a layup. However, both Reese and Clark agreed that it was just a basketball game and it didn't work at that moment.
Brooke Fleming and SJSU women's volleyball
In a year when transgender athletes in women's sports became a controversial topic, one such situation made national headlines as the San Jose State women's volleyball program was mired in controversy over trans athlete Brock Fleming on the court.
The Spartans' record reflects the losses of many opponents this season, and although it has not been directly stated, all signs point to a refusal to play against Fleming.
There has been controversy within her team, as captain Brooke Slusser is part of two lawsuits alleging that the university and Fleming actively sought to prevent her and other players on the team from knowing that Fleming is biologically male.
Slusser also joined a lawsuit against the NCAA over the governing body's policies on gender ideology that allow transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.
Despite the controversy from within and without, San Jose State continued to play against the opponents they would face on the field until the Mountain West Tournament came around where they earned a bye for being the No. 2 seed.
Boise State, which lost to SJSU earlier in the season, beat Utah State in the quarterfinals to set up a semifinal matchup with the Spartans. However, they decided to lose again, giving SJSU a spot in the Conference Championship Cup despite not playing any set.
Colorado State, the top seed in the tournament, went on to defeat SJSU, 3-1, to win the title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Blair Fleming, No. 3 of the San Jose State Spartans, looks on during the third set against the Air Force Falcons on Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Weavers/Getty Images)
Bronze medal for Jordan Chile
It's been a great summer for the Team USA women's gymnastics team, especially since Simone Biles became the most decorated American gymnast of all time.
However, her Chilean teammate faced major controversy when she took the bronze medal in the individual floor exercise.
The American coaches had asked the judges to review the result of her routine, which was ultimately reflected in her final result, defeating Romanian Ana Barbusu, who came in fourth place instead of winning the medal.
But things changed when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Chiles' appeal had exceeded the deadline by one minute, so her score was dropped back to its original tally, and Barboso was awarded the bronze medal. Thus, Chiles was ordered to return it.
It was certainly emotional for Chile, 23, who claimed she was facing “racially motivated attacks” from social media users in a lengthy statement on the subject posted to X on August 15.
The IOC's decision continues to be appealed, and Biles even said she would join efforts to reaffirm Chile's bronze medal win.
Nick Bosa himself has six
In the midst of the presidential election, sports were also affected by some controversy after an NFL player decided to show his clear loyalty to one of the candidates.
Bosa, the San Francisco 49ers star, decided to trash the quarterback, in a postgame interview conducted by Brock Purdy on “Sunday Night Football” wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
The NFL rule book prohibits any type of political message, and Bosa was later fined $11,255 by the league for doing so.
But Bosa said wearing the hat, despite the controversy it generated on talk shows and print articles across the country, was “worth it” now that Donald Trump is president-elect.
“I don't think my position on talking about this is going to change, so obviously the nation has spoken. We get what we get,” Bosa said at the time.
Athletes perform the “Trump dance”
Speaking of Trump, players in both college and professional football have been celebrating touchdowns and plays by imitating the president-elect's dance moves, which were seen during his rallies on the campaign trail.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) celebrates after sacking Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield during the second half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
Although this wasn't an endorsement as blatant as Posa's MAGA hat, the dance was something that sent social media into a frenzy, whether people were fans of the moves or not.
NFL players Brock Powers, Calvin Ridley, Nick Westbrook-Eakin, Za'Darius Smith, and Malcolm Rodriguez have all been seen doing it. Powers explained why he made this move after the match.
Powers explained that watching UFC star Jon “Bones” Jones do it during his victory at Madison Square Garden in November, with Trump sitting in the front row, was an inspiration to him.
“I love watching the UFC, so I saw it and thought it was cool,” Powers said.
The NFL said it had no problem with players' dance moves despite the controversy.
Falcons draft Michael Penix Jr.
Will the controversies come to a conclusion without the shock of the NFL draft?
When the Falcons selected eighth overall in April, they surprised the entire football world when Washington's Michael Penix Jr., a potential quarterback, was called up by commissioner Roger Goodell.
The Falcons had just signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed, giving them a franchise quarterback in free agency when they enter the draft. No one expected the Falcons to take a quarterback, especially with such a high level of selection.
The Falcons eventually had to explain their draft pick, while Cousins was subjected to questions about the awkward situation, even though he has not played a game with Atlanta yet.
Now, although it seemed like a crazy pick at the time, Penix finished the season as the Falcons' starter, and Cousins' future in the organization appears to be at a crossroads after a mediocre first campaign in Atlanta.
Atlanta Falcons first-round pick quarterback Michael Penix Jr., holds a Falcons jersey during a press conference on Friday, April 26, 2024, in Flowery Branch, Georgia. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Bill Belichick won't be landing at the next NFL party
It almost wasn't real when the New England Patriots and Belichick parted ways, ending a 24-year run with an organization that won six Super Bowls with him as head coach.
But back in the market looking for a new job, everyone in football thought Belichick would find a new home with so many head coaching vacancies. Well, he didn't.
The closest Belichick came was the Falcons, who ultimately chose to go with Raheem Morris despite meeting with the coaching legend multiple times during the recruiting process. The Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders all went with someone else to lead their locker rooms, while Belichick moved into the world of sports media.
Perhaps even more exciting is that Belichick will become the new head football coach at North Carolina State, where he will begin a completely new journey in college for the first time in his career.
“RAYGUN” is making Olympic headlines for all the wrong reasons
A new addition to this year's Paris Olympics was Breaking, and one competitor from Australia became a household name, although it wasn't due to a stellar performance.
Rachel Gunn, known as “Raygun” at the Olympics, went viral after failing to get a single point in her performance. Some even thought Gunn, a university lecturer at Macquarie University, was mocking the competition with her dancing, although she said she was trying to be as creative as possible.
Gunn qualified for the Paris Olympics after winning the QMS Oceania Championships Sydney She was named Best B-Girl by the Australian Breaking Association in 2020 and 2021.
B-Girl Raygun of Team Australia looks on before competing in the B-Girls Round Robin during Day 14 of Breaking – Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Place de la Concorde on August 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (Rene Nijhuis/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
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But when she got to the Olympics, Gunn admitted she was outdone.
“Once I qualified, I was like, ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’” “Because I knew I would get beaten, and I knew people wouldn’t understand my style and what I would do,” she said.
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