Join Fox News for access to this content
Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account - free of charge.
By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.
Please enter a valid email address.
By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

As 2024 comes to an end, there are lots of moments in the world of sports to reflect on after 365 days, and many of them are great. 

However, controversy was also seen throughout the days and months. 

Let's take a look at some of 2024's biggest controversial moments in sports, starting in Paris at the Olympic Games

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Imane Khelif poses

Gold medalist Imane Khelif of Algeria poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women's 66kg final boxing category during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on August 9, 2024. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)

IMANE KHELIF WINS GOLD MEDAL IN PARIS

The most-Googled athlete of the year was at the center of controversy at the Paris Olympics, as Algeria’s Imane Khelif became the gold medalist in her weight class for boxing, despite questions about gender eligibility. 

Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 International Boxing Association World Championships after IBA president Umar Kremlev said the boxer had "XY chromosomes," which are associated with biological males. 

However, the IOC defended Khelif, as well as Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, who also won gold in a different women’s weight class despite related outrage. 

OLYMIPCS CHIEF HOPEFUL VOWS TO EXPLORE TRANS ATHLETES BAN AMID GLOBAL OUTRAGE

"These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA," the IOC said. "Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process."

Khelif went on to never lose a single round in Paris on her way to gold. One boxer, Angela Carini, even forfeited against Khelif in Paris, saying that "one punch hurt too much."

CAITLIN CLARK ROUGHED UP DURING HISTORIC ROOKIE SEASON

Clark made WNBA history in her first season as part of the Indiana Fever, while headlining a rookie class that changed the landscape of women's sports, let alone women's basketball. 

But this rookie season to remember didn't come without its own controversy, especially when she was playing. 

Clark was a part of national headlines after the Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter checked her down on the court early in the season, which was deemed a Flagrant-1 foul. 

It wasn't a necessary physical play, hence the foul call, but it became much more than that as talk shows and media outlets began discussing whether players are being too harsh on Clark, who had taken a beating on the court with some hard fouls prior to that as well. Race was also brought up as part of the discussions. 

Caitlin Clark dribbles the ball

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) rushes up the court Friday, July 12, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Clark would endure more moments of physicality, including from fellow rookie Angel Reese, who whacked her in the head during a layup attempt. However, both Reese and Clark agreed it had just been a basketball play that didn't work out at that moment. 

BROOKE FLEMING AND SJSU WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

In a year when transgender athletes in women’s sports became such a controversial topic, one such situation made national headlines as San Jose State’s women’s volleyball program was mired in controversy due to trans athlete Brooke Fleming on the court. 

The Spartans’ record reflected forfeits from multiple opponents this season, and though it wasn’t directly specified, all signs pointed to the refusal to play against Fleming. 

There has even been controversy within her own team, as captain Brooke Slusser is part of two lawsuits alleging the university and Fleming actively sought to prevent her and other players on the team from knowing that Fleming is a biological male. 

Slusser also joined a lawsuit against the NCAA over the governing body’s policies on gender ideology that allows transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. 

Despite controversy from within and the outside, San Jose State continued to play against opponents that would face them on the court until the Mountain West tournament came around where they earned a bye for being the No. 2 seed. 

Boise State, who forfeited to SJSU earlier in the season, beat Utah State in the quarterfinals to set a date for a semifinal matchup with the Spartans. However, they decided to forfeit yet again, giving SJSU a spot at the conference championship trophy despite never playing a set.

Colorado State, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, went on to defeat SJSU, 3-1, to win the title and make the NCAA Tournament. 

Blaire Fleming

Blaire Fleming, #3 of the San Jose State Spartans, looks on during the third set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.? (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

JORDAN CHILES' BRONZE MEDAL

It was quite the summer for Team USA's women's gymnastics team, especially with Simone Biles becoming the most decorated United States gymnast of all time. 

However, her teammate in Chiles faced quite the controversy when she was awarded the bronze medal in the individual floor exercise. 

American coaches had asked judges to review a score from her routine that eventually reflected in her final score, beating out Romania’s Ana Barbosu, 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 come past the one-minute deadline, thus dropping her score back to its original tally, and Barbosu was given the bronze medal. Thus, Chiles was ordered to give it back.

It was certainly emotional for Chiles, the 23-year-old who claimed that she was facing "racially driven attacks" from social media users in a lengthy statement on the matter posted to X on Aug. 15. 

An appeal of the IOC’s decision continues and Biles even said she would be joining the effort to re-assert Chiles as the bronze medal winner.

NICK BOSA'S MAGA HAT

In the heat of the presidential election, sports was also impacted with some controversy after one NFL player decided to show his clear allegiance to one of the candidates. 

Bosa, the San Francisco 49ers star defensive end, decided to crash his quarterback, Brock Purdy's, postgame interview on "Sunday Night Football" wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat. 

The NFL rulebook prohibits any sort of political messaging, and Bosa was later fined $11,255 by the league for doing so. 

But Bosa said that wearing the hat, despite the controversy it caused on talk shows and articles printed across the country, had been "well worth it" after Donald Trump became President-elect. 

"I don’t think my position on speaking about it is going to change, so clearly the nation spoke. We got what we got," Bosa said at the time. 

ATHLETES DO THE "TRUMP DANCE"

Speaking of Trump, players in both college and professional football were celebrating touchdowns and clutch plays by mimicking the President-elect's dance moves, which were seen during his rallies across the campaign trail. 

Nick Bosa dances

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)

While this wasn't as blatant an endorsement as Bosa'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 Bowers, Calvin Ridley, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Za’Darius Smith and Malcolm Rodriguez were all seen doing it. Bowers explained why he had done the move after the game.

Bowers explained that watching UFC star Jon "Bones" Jones do it during his victory at Madison Square Garden in November, with Trump sitting right in the front row, had been his inspiration. 

"I like watching UFC, so I saw it and thought it was cool," Bowers said. 

The NFL said it had no issue with the dance moves of players despite the controversy. 

FALCONS DRAFT MICHAEL PENIX JR.

Would a recap of controversies come without the shock of the NFL Draft? 

When the Falcons selected eighth overall back in April, they surprised the entire football world when Washington's Michael Penix Jr., a top quarterback prospect, was called 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 as they went into the draft. Nobody was expecting a quarterback to be taken by the Falcons, especially with that high of a draft pick. 

The Falcons eventually had to explain their draft pick, while Cousins was hit with questions about the awkward situation, even though he hadn't played a single snap for Atlanta yet. 

Now, while it seemed like a crazy pick back then, Penix is finishing out the season as the Falcons' starter with Cousins' future in the organization seemingly at a crossroads after a mediocre first campaign in Atlanta. 

Michael Penix Jr shows his jersey

Atlanta Falcons first-round draft choice quarterback Michael Penix Jr., holds a Falcons jersey during a news conference Friday, April 26, 2024, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

BILL BELICHICK DOESN'T LAND NEXT NFL GIG

It almost didn't feel real when the New England Patriots and Belichick mutually parted ways, ending a 24-year run with an organization that had won six Super Bowls with him in place as head coach. 

But being back on the market looking for a new gig, everyone in the football space believed that Belichick would find a new home with many head coaching vacancies open. Well, he didn't. 

The closest Belichick came was the Falcons, who eventually chose to go with Raheem Morris despite meeting with the coaching legend several times during their hiring 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 sports media realm. 

Perhaps even more wild is Belichick becoming North Carolina's new head football coach, as he will begin a whole new journey in college for the first time in his career. 

"RAYGUN" MAKES OLYMPIC HEADLINES FOR ALL WRONG REASONS

A new addition to the Paris Olympics this year was Breaking, and one competitor from Australia became a household name, though it wasn't due to a brilliant performance. 

Rachel Gunn, who went by the stage name "Raygun" in the Olympics, went viral after failing to get a single point in her performance. Some even believed that Gunn, a university lecturer at Macquarie University, was mocking the competition with her dancing, though she said she had been trying to be as creative as possible. 

Gunn qualified for the Paris Olympics after winning the QMS Oceania Championships in Sydney and was named the top-ranked b-girl by the Australian Breaking Association in 2020 and 2021. 

Raygun competes

B-Girl Raygun of Team Australia looks on before competing in the B-Girls Round Robin during Day 14 of Breaking - Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place de la Concorde on August 9, 2024, in Paris, France.? (Rene Nijhuis/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

But when she got to the Olympics, Gunn admitted she was overmatched. 

"As soon as I qualified, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what have I done?' because I knew that I was going to get beaten, and I knew people weren’t going to understand my style and what I was going to do," she said.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top