AFP Sport picks out 15 moments in sport during an extraordinary, coronavirus-disrupted 2020:

Bayern sweep to Champions League title

When the pandemic forced UEFA to transform the final stages of the Champions League into a mini-tournament in Lisbon, Bayern looked the best team from the start. Hansi Flick’s accomplished side won their sixth European crown thanks to a Kingsley Coman’s header against Paris Saint-Germain.

Hamilton joins the F1 legends

When Michael Schumacher bowed out of Formula One, few thought his record of 91 Grand Prix wins and seven world championships would ever be matched. In 2020, 35-year-old Briton Lewis Hamilton won 11 of the 17 races to take his tally beyond Schumacher’s record to 95, and equalling the German’s seven titles.

DQ for Djoko

World number one Novak Djokovic went into the US Open looking for an 18th major triumph, and going into his fourth round match, the Serb had not lost a singles match in 2020.

It all went wrong though when the 33-year-old vented his frustration after dropping his service by hitting a ball behind him, striking a female line judge in the throat. Djokovic immediately apologised but after a lengthy discussion, he was disqualified, leaving the field open for Dominic Thiem.

Lucky 13 for Nadal

Roland Garros was rescheduled to late September/early October. Rafael Nadal bulldozed his way to the final where he beat Djokovic, who was keen to atone for his mishap at Flushing Meadows. Nadal claimed his 13th French Open title and matched Federer’s record of 20 major wins.

Swiatek takes Pole position at Roland Garros

19-year-old Iga Swiatek was only ranked 54th in the world when she travelled to Roland Garros. Two weeks later, she won in the final, climbed to world number 17 and became the first Pole to win a Grand Slam singles title.

It was a breathtaking fortnight for Swiatek who became the youngest female singles winner since Monica Seles in 1992.

Liverpool end 30-year wait

Under Jurgen Klopp, the Reds had threatened for two years before landing their first domestic title since 1990.

Strengthened by the addition of goalkeeper Alisson and centre-back Virgil van Dijk, in 2019-20 they galloped to an almost unassailable lead, but the pandemic halted football. When the season resumed, they pushed forward and lifted the trophy on an empty Kop.

Pogacar’s power pedalling

A virus-delayed Tour de France took place in September, which was in itself a massive achievement. It produced an incredible race, and saw Slovenian Tadej Pogacar become just the seventh man to win it at his first attempt, raising it to a higher plane.

The then 21-year-old had won two stages but was 57 seconds behind countryman Primoz Roglic going into the penultimate stage time trial. As Roglic choked, Pogacar burned up the road to win his third stage and take the yellow jersey for the first time.

Cricket in the time of corona

When coronavirus first struck it looked as though all summer sport would be written off but on July 8 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, England and the West Indies, who had been in a bio-secure bubble for a month, emerged to play a thrilling Test behind closed doors.

West Indies edged the opener thanks to fine performances by Shannon Gabriel and Jermaine Blackwood but England came back to take the three-Test series. The real winner, though, was the England and Wales Cricket Board who managed this and further series against Pakistan, as well as ODI series against Ireland and Australia, impeccably.

36 all out

Any cricket team can have a bad day at the office but few have suffered a batting meltdown to compare with India, captained by the great Virat Kohli, when they were bowled out for just 36 by Australia in the first Test in Adelaide in December.

Mourning Kobe Bryant

The helicopter crash outside Los Angeles on January 26 that claimed the life of five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others sent shockwaves through basketball and the US. Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his 20-year career before retiring in April 2016.

Athletics finds a new star

Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis set a new world record of 6.18m in an indoor meet in Glasgow in February a week after clearing 6.17m. The US-based Swede with the teen movie looks then produced the highest outdoor vault of all time (6.15m) and finished the year undefeated in 16 competitions.

Not quite so Iron Mike

Mike Tyson was once the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But, 15 years after his retirement, and aged 54, he clambered back through the ropes to take on Roy Jones Jnr, 51, in an exhibition fight.

The two gave glimpses of their former glories as they battled to a draw, but hip hop star Snoop Dogg said: “This is like two of my uncles fighting at the barbecue!” in his TV commentary.

Mahomes leads the Chiefs to Super Bowl glory

Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to 21 straight points in the final 6min 13sec to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in the Super Bowl.

The quarterback was named Super Bowl MVP for landing the Chiefs’ first NFL title for half a century.

The match that never should have been played

Liverpool’s defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 on March 11 was notable less for the result than for the fact that 50,000 people gathered at Anfield at a time when coronavirus was already rampant.

Scientists have pinpointed the match as one of the key superspreader events in England.

A message of hope

Francesco Caputo, a forward for Italian football club Sassuolo, spoke for the whole world when he lifted his shirt to reveal the message: “It will all be fine, stay at home” as Covid-19 ravaged Italy on its way to taking hold in Europe.