2023's best moments in sport

The 2023 year was full of excitement and twists and turns in the world of sport.

The year leading up to Paris 2024 has seen top athletes put on their best show to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games and, in some cases, at the very venues that will host the competitions in the French capital.

Olympics.com has selected 12 key moments of the year, one for each month, when sports history was made. With far more than 12 memorable moments from the year, many will be missed and there simply would not be enough room to celebrate the greatness of all those who made 2023 spectacular.

Relive below, month by month, the most exciting moments in sports in 2023 as chosen by Olympics.com.

JANUARY 2023 · Denmark wins its third consecutive World Championship title in men's handball in Stockholm

No nation has ever won more than two consecutive editions of the IHF World Men's Handball Championships, until January 2023. Beating France 34-29 in the final in Stockholm, Denmark rewrote history by claiming their third title in a row. It was a message to all in the run-up to Paris 2024 and Mikkel Hansen is looking for his second gold medal after Rio 2016.

FEBRUARY 2023 · France's judo team dominates the Paris Grand Slam and sends a message ahead of Paris 2024

Judo competitions will be among the most awaited matches at Paris 2024, especially for France, who gave proof of its dominance in the Paris Grand Slam on 4-5 February: 4 golds, 3 silvers and 4 bronzes, led by the three time Olympic gold medalist Teddy Riner. Will he be able to win a fourth Olympic gold in front of the French crowd?

MARCH 2023 · Mikaela Shiffrin triumphs in Are and surpasses Ingemar Stenmark's winning record in the alpine skiing World Cup

It was one of the most anticipated records in all of 2023: One day after claiming her 86th victory in the alpine skiing World Cup, Mikaela Shiffrin dominated the slalom at Are in Sweden, winning her 87th race on 11 March. The U.S. star, who already boasted the record for women's victories, set a new high by surpassing Ingemar Stenmark's overall record of 86 victories.

APRIL 2023 · Summer McIntosh shines at the Canadian Swimming Trials in Toronto and smashes two world records in 400m freestyle and medley

Two world records in five days at just 16 years old. Summer McIntosh took centre stage at the 2023 Canadian Swimming Trials in Toronto, setting a new best time of 3:56.08 in 400m freestyle (that previously belonged to Ariarne Titmus) and then, on 1st April, she beat Katinka Hosszu's seven-year-old world record in the 400m medley with a blistering 4:25.86.

MAY 2023 · Primoz Roglic grabs his first Giro d'Italia winning a thrilling duel with Geraint Thomas on the last climb

Grand Tours are usually not won in the last metre, but the Giro d'Italia 2023 was an exception. The head-to-head between Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas was resolved on the penultimate stage when the Slovenian won the time trial on Mount Lussari on 27 May. Roglic also had providential help from a friend: his former ski jumping teammate Mitja Meznar, who pushed him on with 2.5km to go.

JUNE 2023 · Faith Kipyegon's double records in the women's 1500m and 5000m on the Diamond League tracks of Florence and Paris

It was an unforgettable month of June for Faith Kipyegon, as she put on a history-making show in the span of seven days: from Florence to Paris, the Kenyan middle-distance athlete broke two records in two different distances. First at the Golden Gala (2 June), where she won the 1500m in 3:49.11, then the 5000m at the Diamond League Paris Meeting (9 June) in 14:05.20.

JULY 2023 · Micheal Phelps and Leon Marchand: the passing of the torch at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka after the 400m indivdual medley final

What has 2023 left us with? A list of individual world records in swimming where Michael Phelps is no longer the owner of one. The most decorated Olympian of all time surrendered his last sceptre on 23 July, when Léon Marchand won the 400m men's individual medley World Championships final in Fukuoka with a time of 4:02.50. Phelps held this record since 2002 and his best mark was set in Beijing 2008.

AUGUST 2023 · Spain's first in women's football: Olga Carmona scores the winning goal for La Roja in Sydney's World Cup final against England

The first is the sweetest, even on a bitter day. Spain's journey through the FIFA Women's World Cup wasn't an easy one, but La Roja managed to win the final in Sydney against England on 20 August. Olga Carmona decided the match, scoring the game's only goal. After the match, she discovered that her father passed away two days earlier.

SEPTEMBER 2023 · Germany's unbeaten run to its first basketball World Championship: Dennis Schröder leads the Mannschaft to the top of the world in the Philippines

Eight games, eight victories, one of the biggest surprises of 2023: on 10 September, in Pasay (Philippines), Germany became the new World Champions in men's basketball for the first time in history. Unbeaten for the entire tournament, they were able to win twice in last-minute thrillers against Latvia and USA. Dennis Schröder and teammates claimed the title beating 83-77 Serbia in the final.

OCTOBER 2023 · Simone Biles returns to international competition and shares the stage with Rebeca Andrade at the World Artistic Gymnastic Championships in Antwerp

It's been two years since Simone Biles decided to prioritise her mental health and withdrew from the team and individual finals in Tokyo 2020. On October 2023, she returned to action at the World Artistic Gymnastic Championships in Antwerp, where the seven-time Olympic medallist shone alongside her rival and friend Rebeca Andrade, sharing a place on the podium in four individual finals.

NOVEMBER 2023 · Novak Djokovic ends record-breaking year in tennis winning his seventh ATP Finals Trophy in Turin

Novak Djokovic's 2023 started by equalling Rafael Nadal's record of Grand Slam victories (22) as he won his 10th Australian Open. Then, he broke the tie and became the all-time leader. Now, he stands alone on top with 24 Slam titles. And as if that wasn't enough, he ended the year with another record: on 19 November, after beating Jannik Sinner (6-3, 6-3), Djokovic brought home his 7th ATP Finals title.

DECEMBER 2023 · Figure skating's reigning world champion Sakamoto Kaori claims her first Grand Prix Final in Beijing

Back in Beijing, where she won her first Olympic medal in 2022, Sakamoto Kaori secured her first Grand Prix Final gold. On 9 December, Japan's two-time world champion in figure skating bounced back from last year's result, where she slipped from first to fifth after the free skate.