These outstanding moments in sports in 2017 left us with outstanding memories
Records we say are meant to be broken and the year 2017 also witnessed some remarkable record breaking feat by some athlete in the world of sports.
Pulse Sports has compiled the 9 ten sports records that were shattered in 2017, from football to tennis, athletics and boxing.
Below is the full list.
Asamoah Gyan breaks Osei Kofi’s record as Ghana’s highest scorer in the AFCON (January 21)
Asamoah Gyan's name would enter into the record books as the player who broke Osei Kofi's 7-goal-goal AFCON feat, which stood for many decades, as the highest goals by a Ghanaian in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The 32-year-old achieved that feat when he scored against Mali in Ghana’s second game in the African Cup of Nations through a powerful header.
That was actually quite illustrious following the fact Asamoah Gyan’s first African Cup of Nations in 2008 was not really best as he suffered a lot of criticisms because he missed a truckload of chances in the first two games.
Gyan had packed his bags alongside his brother Baffuor Gyan after the second group game against Namibia but then he was convinced to stay and his only goal of the tournament remained the opening spot kick against Guinea in the opening game by virtue of Ghana being host.
We fast forward to 2015 African Cup of Nations in Equitorial Guinea where Asamoah Gyan had 6 African Cup goals to his credit on the back of a great, decent and fair AFCONs in 2010,2012 and 2013 respectively.
Gyan had accumulated 6 goals in the AFCON within that period. Asamoah Gyan scored in a second group game against Algeria to grab a late winner for Ghana. That very goal had him join Revered Osei Kofi as the only two Ghanaians to score 7 AFCON goals in their careers. It would be important to note that at the end of that tournament deputy captain of the Black Stars Andre Ayew followed closely with 6 goals in the all-time ranking of goals by Ghanaians in the AFCON.
In the 2017 African Cup of Nations in Gabon, Ghana opened the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Uganda kind courtesy an Andre Ayew penalty. That will definitely see Ayew join the 7 goal club. Asamoah Gyan in the second game against Mali responded by scoring a 21st minute header against Mali.
Ghana won the game by the very goal that saw Asamoah Gyan break the record of highest scoring Ghanaian at the African Cup of Nations. The tournament ended with Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan to be at par with 8 goals as the former was to score against DR Congo in a quarter final clash.
Serena Williams sets record for most Grand Slam single title in the open era by a woman (January 28)
Serena Williams beat sister Venus in straight sets to win her seventh Australian Open and an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam singles title.
Serena, 35, won 6-4 6-4 to pass Steffi Graf in the all-time list of major winners since the Grand Slams accepted professional players in 1968.
READ MORE: UEFA Champions League Real Madrid draw PSG, Chelsea pair Barcelona
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first player to score 100 UEFA Champions League goals (April 18)
The Real Madrid superstar scored five of his team's six goals in the quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich, moving him to a century of goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo continued to rack up the records as his hat-trick against Bayern Munich saw him become the first player to score 100 goals in the Champions League.
Real Madrid wins UEFA Champions League back to back (June 3)
The European Cup which was rechristened the UEFA Champions League in the 1992-93 had not seen an outfit win it back to back before, prior to the 2016-17 season.
However, Real Madrid the side that won the old format five consecutive times when it kicked off from 1956-1960 had answers to the puzzle surrounding defending the UEFA Champions and they did it in a grand style.
Real Madrid after overcoming their city rivals Atletico Madrid to win the competition for the 11 time, entered the next season as outsiders due to curse of clubs slipping when they come close to defending the title. However, against all odds they managed to whip a hungrier Juventus side 4-1 to become the first club in history to defend the most prestigious European club competition.
READ MORE: Head to Head Chelsea vs Barca and Real Madrid vs PSG in numbers
Asamoah Gyan becomes first Ghanaian to 50 goals in international football (June 11)
The Black Stars skipper emerged as the first Ghanaian to register 50 goals in international football when he scored against Ethiopia in the 2019 African Nations Cup.
He first scored a goal for the Black Stars in 2003 against Somalia and he has since been unstoppable in front of goal while playing for Ghana.
Gyan was also the first player to score for Ghana at the FIFA World Cup in 2006 against Czech Republic and he is currently African greatest scorer at the World Cup with six goals.
Roger Federer set multiple record in Wimbledon and grand slam (July 16)
Federer pushed an already legendary career to new heights on Sunday, demolishing Marin Cilic in the Wimbledon final to become the tournament’s oldest champion and first eight-time winner.
By winning an unprecedented 19th grand slam title, Federer extends his lead on the all-time men’s major list over Nadal to four.
Federer is the first man to win eight Wimbledon titles, taking sole ownership of the record, he shared with Pete Sampras (Open era) and Brit William Renshaw (amateur). He improves his record in Wimbledon finals to 8-3.
The Swiss becomes only the second man in history to win the same grand slam event eight times, after Rafael Nadal, who has 10 French Open titles.
Federer also extends his Open era record of match wins at the All England Club to 91. He took sole ownership of the record ahead of Jimmy Connors (84) by beating Alexander Dolgopolov in the first round last week.
The Swiss extended his Wimbledon finals appearance record to 11, well clear of Boris Becker, Pete Sampras and Arthur Gore, all on seven. By reaching his 12th Wimbledon semi-final he had moved one ahead of Connors (11) as the record holder.
This was Federer’s record 29th career grand slam final and, incredibly, it comes 19 years after he won the boys’ singles Wimbledon title in 1998. His seven Wimbledon men’s titles came in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012.
Floyd Mayweather retired this after winning an unprecedented 50 bouts out of 50 fights (August 26)
Floyd Mayweather in August 2017 defeated Conor McGregor to go 50 bouts without a loss or a draw in his professional career which is the most by a boxer to go one pass Rocky Marciano.
Neymar becomes world’s most expensive footballer (August 3)
The Brazilian shattered the world football transfer fee when he sealed a 222m euros deal from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain (PSG). Paul Pogba’s transfer from Juventus to Manchester United at 100 million euros was the world transfer fee, until Neymar protracted deal surpassed it.
Usain Bolt beaten for the first time in 100 metres at the World Athletic Championship (August 5)
Usain Bolt was beaten for the first time in 100m final at the World Athletic Championship. Usian Bolt who had announced that the 100 metres was going to be his final race didn't have a triumphant end as Justin Gatlin beat him to the 100 metres race in London 2017.
He had to settle for bronze as the controversial American Justin Gatlin secured a surprise victory in a season's best 9.92 seconds.
Fellow American Christian Coleman (9.94) took silver, with eight-time Olympic champion Bolt, still the reigning 100m and 200m world record holder, in bronze, clocking 9.95 seconds.