Argentines are mad about sport. So much so, that one porteño recently told me: “Here, football is more popular than sex”. Whilst a brief jaunt around a local park makes me doubt that, it is certainly true that sport infiltrates all walks of Argentine life. Turn on the television and you will see chat shows devoted to the topic of Messi’s left foot, buy a newspaper and you’ll discover front and back pages adorned with pictures of Del Potro having breakfast.

Football is, by far, the most popular sport: the city and suburbs of Buenos Aires alone play host to 12 different first division clubs, all of which have their own stadium, fan base and radio station. When you add to that a considerable interest and proficiency in rugby, polo, basketball, hockey, tennis, volleyball, horse racing, and boxing, it becomes difficult to contemplate a nation more obsessed with sport.

With this in mind, attempting to select the top five moments in Argentine sporting history is not an easy task, particularly in a country where an opinion about sport is akin to a Facebook account: everyone has one. The country is so rich in sporting history that inevitably not everything could be included and so, after much debate, these are the Indy’s top 5 moments in Argentine sporting history.

Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal (1986)

The year is 1986, and Argentina are playing England in the World Cup quarter-final in Mexico. With 51 minutes on the clock, the score is still 0-0. Diego Maradona attempts a one-two with Jorge Valdano. England’s Steve Hodge intercepts the pass, only for the ball to balloon goalwards. The 5,5” Maradona races into the area to compete with the towering English goalkeeper Peter Shilton. And then the unthinkable happens.

The Argentine “mago” (magician) leaps, and fists the ball with his left hand over the onrushing Shilton. The referee misses it, thinking that the striker has used his head, the goal stands and the South Americans lead 1-0. They go on to win the game 2-1 and then the entire tournament, beating West Germany in the final. After the game, Maradona declared that the goal was scored partly with his head and partly with “the hand of god”, and so the phrase was born.

Whilst some people may argue that cheating is unjustifiable, I’m afraid there are exceptions and this is perhaps one of them. To brand the “hand of god” goal as merely despicable foul play is to ignore the bigger picture. There is another school of thought which sees the event somewhat differently: an opportunity arose to get one over the English and a cheeky Argentine footballer exploited it.

The game between Argentina and England was the first time the teams had met since the Falklands War of 1982. The extra emotional dimension that this added to the match was immense.

Maradona scored. He cheated, but he did so to beat the English. It was symbolic: Two fingers (or rather a whole hand) at the bloodthirsty British. Combined with his ‘goal of the century’ a few minutes later, it was the defining act of a national hero. With that single moment of audacity, Maradona lifted an entire country that was still reeling from the human rights atrocities of the last dictatorship and defeat in a senseless war.

Maradona summed up the impact of his most famous act in his book El Diego: “More than defeating a football team, it was defeating a country… We knew they had killed a lot of Argentine boys there, killed them like birds…It was revenge. It was like recovering a little bit of the Malvinas… What hand of god? It was the hand of El Diego! And it felt a little bit like pickpocketing the English.”

Argentina’s Basketball team beats US “Dream Team” in the semi-final of the Athens Olympics (2004)

In Athens in 2004 the Argentine basketball team achieved what many people thought impossible. They beat the USA, and in so doing became the first team ever to defeat the ‘Dream Team’ at an Olympics since the introduction of professional NBA players at the 1992 games. The Argentines would go on to take gold in the final, but it was the semi-final that will live longer in sporting memory.

Basketball was invented and perfected in the US – it’s a way of life there. The USA had won gold at the previous four Olympic Games, and the team’s NBA superstars receive millions of dollars every year to do their stuff. In 2004, the young ‘Dream Team’ contained greats such as Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson, not to mention the incredible prospects that were Lebron James and Dwayne Wade.

It was a captivating game, with Manu Ginobli, the Argentine shooting guard, and only established NBA name in the side, the star of the show. He scored 29 points, leading the South Americans to an 89-81 victory. There were no complaints – the Argentines passed, shot and defended better than their opponents. Slick moves and trademark bold forays to the basket from Ginobli led to relentless scoring.

After the game Argentine coach Ruben Magnano declared: “Our rival today was extremely tough, but in the few hours that passed between yesterday’s game [a quarter final victory against Greece] and today’s, we realised that nothing was impossible.” Quite.

Fangio wins the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring (1957)

Many who witnessed Juan Manuel Fangio’s victory at the German Grand Prix in 1957 called it the greatest drive of all time. Three hours, 30 minutes, and 38.3 seconds of artistry and insanity combined. It was to be “El Maestro”’s last ever victory and earned him his fifth Formula One World Drivers’ Championship title, a record which stood for 46 years.

To be a formula one driver back in the 50s you either had to be incredibly tough or slightly deranged. Engines were situated at the front of cars, and heat and oil fumes funnelled directly into the cockpit. A race was considered a success if no one got seriously hurt, especially as it was competed over 500km, a distance which even the fittest of today’s drivers would baulk at. Except for a massive kilometre-long straight, the Nürburgring circuit was made up of endless blind corners and sharp elevation changes, making it incredibly challenging and dangerous.

Fangio drove a Masseratti 250F. He led at the half way point, executing his plan perfectly, building up almost a 30-second gap over the Ferraris of Mike Hawthorne and Peter Collins, allowing him the time he would need to stop to change tyres. However, mechanics encountered problems with the tyre changeover and El Maestro ended up returning to the race 56 seconds behind the Ferraris.

What followed was one of the most spectacular pursuits ever seen in Formula One. The Argentine gradually caught the leaders, churning out three consecutive laps that each smashed the track record by an astonishing 12 seconds in the process. A gap of almost a minute was overcome in 11 laps. He brushed aside Collins, before overtaking Hawthorne on the penultimate lap with an outlandish manoeuvre, pinning his rival perilously close to the outside of a corner as they both navigated a left-right chicane.

Fangio said years later: “I believe that on that day in 1957 I finally managed to master the Nürburgring, making those leaps in the dark on curves where I had never before had the courage to push things so far… I told myself that never, never again was I going to drive like I did that day.” Sure enough, the great man retired shortly into the 1958 season. In one of F1’s most touching moments, his Nürburgring rival Hawthorne was about to lap Fangio in his final ever race, but instead merely followed El Maestro all the way home to the flag as a mark of respect.

Los Pumas win opening game of Rugby World Cup against France in Paris (2007)

“Coronados de gloria vivamos…¡O Juremos con gloria morir!” (Let us all live crowned with glory…or full with glory, lets swear to die!)

The epic words of the Argentine national anthem echoed around a packed Stade de France, the opening venue of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Tears poured down the cheeks of various Argentine players as they sang. The camera panned from face to face, and from the look in their eyes, it became clear that these were men willing to sacrifice themselves for the blue and white stripes of their homeland.

Not only were Argentina drawn into what was branded the ‘group of death’, but they were also handed the enormous task of playing the fancied host nation, France, in the opening game.

Right from the off, ‘Los Pumas’ ripped into the home side and took the lead with a penalty after 5 minutes. Full back Ignacio Corleto then scored a well-taken interception try to make the score 17-9 at half time. In the second half, a resurgent France spent large periods camped on the Argentine line. But the inspired Pumas produced a monumental defensive effort and held on to win the game 17-12. The French side became only the second host nation in the history of the world cup to be defeated in their opening game.

“Our best resources are the passion and pride when we put on the jersey,” said the Argentine skipper Augustin Pichot, after the game. His side went on to beat Ireland, and top the ‘group of death’, before eventually beating France once again in the third place play off, claiming Argentina’s highest ever world cup finish. It was the gargantuan performance in the opening game, however, that really set the tone for the Pumas tournament.

The performance of the national rugby team in that opening game also captivated the football-mad public back home, so much so, that the Boca-River ‘El Superclasico’ was re-scheduled so that it would not clash with a Pumas game later in the tournament.

Las Leonas Clinch Hockey World Cup in Argentina (2010)

For those who don’t follow women’s hockey, Las Leonas is the nickname of the Argentine national team.

The hugely successful team tasted World cup glory for the first time in 2002, but it was in 2010 when their greatest moment truly arrived. In front of home fans, Las Leonas won every game in the lead up to the final, where they faced their arch nemesis, the Netherlands, in Rosario.

Local support created a cauldron-like atmosphere with deafening noise every time the home side threatened. Las Leonas made a lightning start and were two goals up within eight minutes, thanks to strikes from Carla Rebecchi and Noel Barrionuevo. In the second half the Dutch side pulled one back, before Rebecchi got her second, sending the crowd bananas and sealing a 3-1 victory.

Captain, Luciana Aymar, playing in her 300th game, capped the occasion by raising the cup aloft, amidst a cacophony of spectacular fireworks. Aymar went on to win the Player of the Tournament award and then later in the year collected her seventh World Player of the Year title. To offer an idea of how mind-blowingly incredible that is, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, combined, have a mere four of the equivalent titles in football.

In a post-match interview, coach Carlos Retegui said: “We really wanted this title. The girls won all their matches playing with fight, passion and heart”. A fitting description for the aptly named Las Leonas.

The wait is finally over. For two weeks, the entire world will look to London, UK as the best athletes from around the world all aim for that elusive gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

As a sport enthusiast, nay fanatic, this is my favourite time of year. It never ceases to amaze me how millions of people worldwide all hold their breath for something as simple as kicking a ball into a net, or throwing a stick across a field, or diving head first into a pool. For once we put aside our differences and focus on something that has no cultural boundaries.

Every second, hour, day, month, and year of training the thousands of athletes have put their bodies through will finally pay off as they compete in one of 36 different events.

As they walk into the opening ceremonies stadium donning their countries colours thousands of people will cheer them on with millions more watching on TV. Then, their entire country will stand behind them as they compete, sharing their joy when they triumph and feeling their pain when they loose.

There is nothing quite like the Olympics.

This year Argentina’s team will try to improve on their showing in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where they won six medals, two gold and four bronze. Perhaps they will draw inspiration from the last time the Olympics were held in London, in 1948, when the country scooped three golds, three silver, one bronze.

So it’s time to grab your jersey, unravel your flag, and paint your chest in blue and white, as I go through which Argentine athletes and teams are most likely to hit the podium in this years Summer Olympics.

(All event times below are for Argentina’s time zone, which is BST-4.)

Women’s Hockey

The fact that women’s hockey tops the list should come as no surprise to anyone who has lived in Argentina for more than a week. The team is practically legendary in Argentina, and one of the country’s biggest gold medal hopefuls.

“Las Leonas” or The Lionesses, will be among one of the favourites at this year’s competition, despite having never won an Olympic gold before; they had to settle for bronze in the last two Olympic games.

They will have plenty of experience leading them in their star player Luciana Aymar.

Aymar, also known as the ‘Magician’ or the ‘Maradona of Hockey’, has been named the game’s best player a whopping seven times. Her dribbling skill has launched her to the top of the list of hockey athletes around the world and captain of the Argentine team. She is also the flag bearer at today’s opening ceremonies, a testament to her popularity in her home country. It takes no great stretch of the imagination to guess what she wants for her 35^th birthday, which happens to fall on the women’s hockey final at the Olympics.

However, even with two World Cup titles, five Championship Trophies, and six Pan-American Championship titles, Argentina will not be able to simply stroll in and grab the gold.

A recent loss to the United States team has proved that although Argentina is strong they are beatable. However, with the loss the team was forced to struggle for an Olympic berth and most times falling and down and having to get back up is the best way to learn your strengths and weaknesses.

Argentina has been placed in group B of round robin along with the US, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Germany. The US will prove to be their biggest challenge.

Group A looks stronger, with defending Olympic champion Holland grouped with Belgium, Japan, China, South Korea and Britain. If Argentina makes it past group stage it will likely face some tough competition from the Dutch or British.

Although it will be a rough road to the championship game I think a gold medal is definitely attainable for the tenacious Lionesses.

The women kick off their campaign on 29th July at 12pm against South Africa.

 

Men’s Sailing

When the sailboats rip through the water at Weymouth and Portland in Dorset, England, Argentina will have medals high hopes in Julio Alsogaray, as he takes sail in the men’s laser event.

Having finished seventh in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Alsogaray is no stranger to the pressure the world stage throws at athletes. Back then, despite making it all the way to the medal round Alsogaray couldn’t quite reach the podium; this year will hopefully be different.

According to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), Alsogaray is ranked second in the world in men’s laser behind Australian Tom Slingsby, the ISAF world’s champ.

In March, Alsogaray defeated close rivals Bruno Fontes of Brazil, and Alenjandro Foglia of Uruguay to win the Central South American Laser Standard Championship.

Britain, however, boasts the returning gold medalist Paul Goodison, who came fifth at the World’s competition and will be sailing on local waters. New Zealand also has a strong option in Andrew Murdoch, third in the World’s and sixth in the ISAF rankings; he managed to grab the Olympic spot ahead of world No. 4 Andy Maloney.

Sailing at the Olympics falls into two categories, fleet races and match racing, with men’s laser in the former. In fleet racing, each event has a series of races. Points are awarded in each race: first scores one point, second scores two points, third scores three points, etc.

After 10 races, points from the worst race are discarded and the remaining points are added together. The 10 best athletes or crews then advance to the medal race, where points are doubled. At the end of the entire competition the winner is the athlete or crew that comes up with the most points.

In London Alsogaray’s biggest competition will be Slingsby, Goodison, and Murdoch. Despite going up against some superb athletes Alsogaray himself is a force to be reckoned with and an Olympic gold is not out of sight. He’ll be going for gold, but if that is out of his reach he should at least get onto the podium.

Alsogaray dips into the water on 30th July at 8am in his first race of the Men’s Laser event.

 

Men’s Basketball

Although visions of gold may not dance around the Argentine men’s basketball team, the group of giants is certainly a force to be reckoned with in this year’s competition.

The “Golden Generation” of basketball in Argentina is still intact, with players like Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni and Carlos Delfino taking the court. Ginobili and Scola are the best players on the team although Delfino provides a necessary offensive spark with his shooting ability.

The four men have played together for a decade, often citing cohesion as a serious advantage. Ginobili and Scola also do battle several times a year against the likes of US Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant in the NBA. As evidenced by last Sunday’s tight six-point loss to the US, this is a team that can hang with the best.

As one of the more undersized teams in the tournament, they’ll have to rely on solid team defense and rebounding if they hope to medal. Right now Argentina has been slotted a spot in group A along with the US, France, Tunisia, Nigeria, and Lithuania.

Fortunately, Argentina should be standing right next to the US at the top end of the table with serious hopes of moving on. The top three teams advance to the quarterfinals where they will face winning teams from Group B, which includes Spain, Australia, Brazil, Great Britain, China, and Russia.

Argentina will want to finish at least second to avoid playing Spain, who will most likely finish first in Group B and play whoever is in third place in Group A.

In their own group, the US is obviously their biggest foe. The team is a powerhouse of star NBA players including LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, Durant, and Bryant. But having a team of all-stars isn’t always successful. Playing as a team can be just as crucial especially in an international game that requires more ball movement because of better defense.

In group B, Spain is the biggest threat with the Gasol brothers and Serge Ibaka forming a formidable front line with Jose Calderon manning the point and deadly shooter Juan Carlos Navarro at the two.

Although I think capturing the gold would be a bit of a stretch, Argentina should at least be on for a bronze medal and have a shot at reaching the final.

The men tip off against Lithuania in their first game on 29th July at 6.15pm.

 

Men’s Taekwondo

Sebastian Crismanich is one of Argentina’s strongest golden promises heading to the Olympics to compete in the 80 kg category of Taekwondo.

Born in the province of Corrientes, the 25-year-old athlete is coming into the Olympics in great form. He qualified by defeating the two-time Olympic champion Steven Lopez in qualifiers. Lopez is a five-time world champion and has won Olympic gold in 2000 and 2004, with a bronze in Beijing in 2008.

Crismanich also grabbed the gold medal at the Pan-Am Games in Mexico in 2011. In Guadalajara he ran through his rivals knocking out the Beijing bronze medalist Sebastien Michaud of Canada and pummeling Guatemalan Stuardo Solozarno 8-1. Although the finals were closer, Crismanich still defeated Carlos Vazquez of Venezuela 12-9 to take the gold medal.

Taekwondo, which is loosely translated into “the way of the hand and foot,” is the combination of combat techniques, self defense, and in some cases even meditation. The sport in general emphasizes kicking techniques because of the legs’ longer reach than the arm. However, it can also include a system of blocks, kicks, punches, and open-handed strikes and may also include various takedowns or sweeps, throws, and joint locks.

Points are awarded for accurate and powerful kicks (delivering a strike using an area of the foot below the ankle) and punches (delivering a strike using the closed fist) to the legal scoring areas; light contact does not score any points. The points are awarded by three corner judges using electronic scoring tallies.

A kick or punch that makes contact with the opponent’s hogu (the body guard that functions as a scoring target) scores one point. A kick to the head scores three points. Punches to the head are not allowed.

The referee can give penalties at any time for rule-breaking, such as hitting an area not recognised as a target, usually the legs or neck. Penalties mean that either half a point or a whole point is dropped.

At the end of three rounds, the competitor with more points wins the match.

Crismanich’s biggest opponents in London will be Ramin Azizov, Azerbaijan; Issam Chernoubi, Morocco; Sebastien Michaud, Canada and Lopez. All four rank in the top ten of the World Taekwondo Federation’s rankings, while Crismanich sits just outside at 11th.

Although it will not be easy, Crismanich certainly has the ability to win gold for Argentina.

Sebastian Crismanich will take on his first opponent on 10th August at 5.15am.

 

Women’s Judo

Judo, which actually means “gentle way” in Japanese, is another sport in which Argentina is hoping it can grapple its way onto the podium.

Paula Pareto is returning to the Olympics after winning the bronze medal in Beijing in 2008 in the 48kg category. This year in London she hopes to again grace the platform with either a repeat bronze or better.

Judo contests are a five-minute whirlwind of attack and defence in which the athletes try a mix of holds and throws in order to defeat their opponent.

Developed from jujitsu and established as a sport in the late 19th century by Dr Jigoro Kano, the sport can be tough, tense and explosive, but in the end the athlete with the most points wins the match.

The best score is ippon, which can be achieved for a throw, a hold, a strangle or an armlock, and results in immediate victory. A lesser throw, where the opponent is thrown onto his back, but with insufficient force to merit an ippon, scores waza-ari, two scores of waza-ari equal an ippon. A throw that places the opponent onto his side scores a yuko; no amount of yukos equal a waza-ari. Tapping the mat or the opponent at least twice with the hand or foot signals a submission.

A medical student at the University of Buenos Aires, Pareto’s past is heavily decorated with medals of the bronze, silver, and gold colour.

Most recently Pareto won the gold medal at the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara after defeating Cuban Dayaris Mestre 110-001.

In total Pareto has picked up two gold, one silver, and three bronze for Judo at the Pan-Am Games. She also earned the South American Championship title in 2010.

Her biggest competition will come from Japan’s Tomoko Fukumi, the world runner up, and Brazil’s Sarah Menezes. Beijing gold medalist Alina Dumitru is also still in the top five and a contender in this year’s competition. With all the talent in the competition, it may be impossible for Peralta to grab the gold but a silver or bronze certainly isn’t out of the picture.

Peralta steps onto the mat on 28th July at 5.30am against Italian Elena Moretti.

 

Men’s Track Cycling

Omnium will make its Olympic debut in London this year and competing in it will be another one of Argentina’s hopefuls Walter Fernando Pérez.

Pérez is the only other athlete to win a gold medal for Argentina in Beijing in 2008 in men’s madison. This year however, he has decided to switch events and compete in the Omnium.

The Omnium is a compilation of six track cycling races. The athletes are given points according to what position they finish in, first place one point, second two points, third three points etc. Much like golf, the athlete with the least amount of points at the end of the competition wins the medal.

The event begins with the flying lap time trial, during which each competitor records a time over a single lap of the Velodrome track. This is followed by a 30 km points race, each rider scores points for their position in sprints that occur every ten laps and for lapping the rest of the field.

The first day of racing is completed with an elimination race, the rider in last position in sprints that occur every two laps is eliminated until only one rider remains. Day two begins with an individual pursuit, with two riders racing against the clock on the track at each time. Then the scratch race, a 16km sprint with all cyclists on the track with the winner the first to cross the finish line. The final event of the Omnium is the 1km time trial, during which each rider completes the distance and records a time, the fastest time wins the event.

Pérez recently nabbed the bronze medal at the Pan-American games in Omnium after finishing third in individual pursuit and fourth in 1km time trial, elimination race and points race. Despite having a poor showing at the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Championships in 2012, where he finished 18, Perez has plenty of Olympic experience. He’s been there before, and won.

Although this is a new event to the Olympics it is not new to Perez who won the silver medal in Omnium in the UCI World Championships in 2007. His biggest competitors will be Australian Glenn O’Shea and Canadian Zachary Bell who came first and second, resectively, at the UCI Championships this year. Although a top two finish may be out of his reach, Pérez has an outside chance of grabbing the bronze medal.

Perez hits the track on 4th August at 6.30am for his first race in the Omnium.

 

Men’s Doubles Kayak 200m

Cutting through the water of England in the men’s doubles kayak, is one of Argentina’s most prominent canoers, Miguel Correa.

Experience is certainly the strongest aspect behind the paddles in this kayak, as Correa returns to the Olympics for the second time after he was eliminated in the semifinals of both the K-1 500m and K-1 1000m in Beijing in 2008.

Switching events the 28-year-old paddler has now teamed up with Ruben Rezola to stir up the waters of the men’s doubles kayak, 200m.

The team proved themselves a serious threat with a silver medal at the Pan-American Games in Mexico. The men fell behind the Canadian team of Ryan Cochrane and Hugues Fourne with a time of 32.494 seconds. The Canadians took the gold medal with 32.375 seconds.

Correa is the younger brother of a family of four rowers, the most famous of whom, Jorge Correa, represented Argentina at the Olympics in Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004.

Correa and Rezola came together last year and competed in the world cup in Szeged, Hungary, where they finished in ninth place.

The event, which will take place at the Eton Dorney Rowing Centre at Dorney Lake, around 30km west of London, is a simple 200m sprint to the finish line with the winners moving on until the final medal race. Correa will look to revenge his semi-final run by making it all the way to the finals.

The team will face some stiff competition in not only the pair of Canadians but also France’s Arnaud Hybois and Sebastien Jouve, who finished first at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Sprint World Championships.

The other biggest threat will come from the British pair, Jon Schofield and Liam Heath. The team finished second at the ICF Championships behind the team from France.

Even with the stiff competition, Correa and Rezola should definitely have their sights set on a podium spot.

Correa and Rezola cut through the water in their first heat at 6.30am on 10th August.

 

Men’s Gymnastics (Rings)

In an event that profiles an athlete’s balance of masculine strength and grace, Argentina will have high hopes for Federico Molinari, who gave an exclusive interview to the Argentina Independent before travelling to London 2012.

The 28-year-old gymnast competed at the Pre-Olympic qualifiers back in January 2012 and ranked high enough to earn a ticket to the Olympics. Then at the 2012 Pan-American Championships in Medellín, Colombia, he won the gold medal proving his capability to become a champion.

Molinari comes from a family of gymnasts with both his parents coaching at his local Club Atlético, in San Jorge. He started gymnastics at a young age and after a silver medal in the rings at the South American Championships in Santiago, Chile, in 1997, he realised the event was perfect for him physically.

Since 2002 he has been training in Buenos Aires at the National Centre for High Performance Sports under coach Vladimir Makarian.

He just missed qualifications for the Beijing 2008 Olympics due to an injury in his leg. Now, back at full strength, he’ll compete on the world stage in hopes of winning a medal.

The podium however, is not something he can simply walk onto. He’ll have some very tough competition from China’s Yibing Chen, who won gold in Beijing, as well as Brazilian star Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti who won the silver medal at the Pan-American Games in 2011.

Molinari will be very hard pressed to win gold but he is not incapable of winning a silver or bronze.

Molinari will first step onto the mat on 28th July at 7am