The big sports quiz of the year 2024

Patrick Mahomes, Luke Littler and Sarah Storey. Composite: Guardian Picture Desk

1. What was the correct order at the top of the Premier League table at 00:01 on 1 January 2024?

   1. 1) Manchester City, 2) Aston Villa, 3) Liverpool, 4) Arsenal

   2. 1) Liverpool, 2) Aston Villa, 3) Arsenal, 4) Manchester City

   3. 1) Aston Villa, 2) Liverpool, 3) Manchester City, 4) Arsenal

   4. 1) Liverpool, 2) Aston Villa, 3) Manchester City, 4) Arsenal

2. Luke Humphries beat teenage sensation Luke Littler in the PDC darts final to become world champion for the first time. What age was Littler on the day of the 2024 final?

   1. 15

   2. 16

   3. 17

   4. 18

3. Which nation sacked their football manager during the Africa Cup of Nations group stage in January yet still went on to win the tournament?

   1. Senegal

   2. Egypt

   3. Ivory Coast

   4. Nigeria

4. Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open and US Open titles in 2024. Which female tennis player matched his feat?

   1. Iga Świątek

   2. Coco Gauff

   3. Aryna Sabalenka

   4. Barbora Krejčíková

5. In February Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their third Super Bowl title in five years with a thrilling 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers. In what city was it held?

   1. Chicago

   2. New Jersey

   3. Los Angeles

   4. Las Vegas

6. Ruth Chepngetich set a new women's marathon world record in Chicago in October. What was her time?

   1. 2hr 12min 12sec

   2. 2hr 11min 1sec

   3. 2hr 10min 2sec

   4. 2hr 9min 56sec

7. Emma Hayes guided the USA to Olympic gold only months after winning the WSL with Chelsea. In her 12 seasons managing the Blues, how many league titles did she win?

   1. Eight

   2. Seven

   3. Six

   4. Five

8. England's Jimmy Anderson took his 700th Test wicket against which team?

   1. Sri Lanka

   2. West Indies

   3. Pakistan

   4. India

9. Jimmy Anderson compared his enforced retirement from international cricket to a scene from which film?

   1. Casino

   2. The Godfather II

   3. Goodfellas

   4. Dude, Where's My Car?

10. What was notable about golf's four men's majors in 2024?

    1. The winners were all via playoffs

    2. All four winning scores were -12

    3. The winners all had a surname beginning with S

    4. The winners were all from the US

11. Jürgen Klopp left Liverpool after a 2-0 win against Wolves confirmed a third-place Premier League finish in May. He has the highest win percentage of any manager of the club. What is it?

    1. 59.1%

    2. 59.9%

    3. 60.9%

    4. 65%

12. “Growing up I used to be on the field struggling with no shoes, running barefoot, running in my school uniform, running all over the place. We barely have the right facilities. The stadium is not fixed. I hope this gold medal will help build a new stadium, to help the sport grow.” Who said this?

    1. Letsile Tebogo

    2. Julien Alfred

    3. Gabby Thomas

    4. Noah Lyles

13. What was the correct order at the top of the Paris Olympics medals table?

    1. 1) China 2) USA 3) Great Britain

    2. 1) USA 2) China 3) Japan

    3. 1) USA 2) China 3) Australia

    4. 1) China 2) USA 3) France

14. Which football manager was sacked by his club after 29 days and six defeats from six?

    1. Wayne Rooney

    2. Troy Deeney

    3. Neil Lennon

    4. Ivan Juric

15. "We’ve done it. We worked out exactly what we wanted to do, how we built the team, the equipment. Every detail has gone ­specifically into today.” Who said this?

    1. Max Verstappen

    2. Mark Cavendish

    3. Gareth Southgate

    4. Tom Daley

16. Great Britain's Sarah Storey won her 18th (time trial cycling gold) and 19th (road race cycling gold) Paralympic titles at the Paris Games. When did she take part in her first Games?

    1. 1988 (Seoul)

    2. 1992 (Barcelona)

    3. 1996 (Atlanta)

    4. 2000 (Sydney)

17. After winning seven of the first 10 races in the F1 season, how many grands prix did eventual champion Max Verstappen go winless before his success in Brazil?

    1. 11

    2. 10

    3. Nine

    4. Eight

18. England’s Dan Mousley is the fastest spinner in world cricket. What’s the highest speed at which he was clocked during The Hundred?

    1. 70mph

    2. 74mph

    3. 78mph

    4. 82mph

19. Who said: "I’m absolutely devastated so I’m going to try to cleanse the training ground area because people are telling me it’s haunted. Seriously, there’s a graveyard somewhere near. I’m not joking. I think our training ground is very close to an ancient burial site so I’m going to get my wife to come up and say sorry to all these people and hopefully we’ll have a bit more luck.”

    1. Neil Warnock

    2. Ian Holloway

    3. Unai Emery

    4. Chris Wilder

20. Wigan Warriors won the World Club Challenge, the Challenge Cup, the League Leaders' Shield and the Super League Grand Final in 2024. They have achieved a quadruple only once before. When?

    1. 1992-93

    2. 1993-94

    3. 1999-2000

    4. 2005-06

21. Which team won their 18th NBA title this year, to go clear at the top of the all-time standings?

    1. Boston Celtics

    2. Los Angeles Lakers

    3. Golden State Warriors

    4. Chicago Bulls

22. How many gold medals did Simone Biles win at the Paris Olympics?

    1. Two

    2. Three

    3. Four

    4. Five

23. In September, which rugby union team defeated men's world champions South Africa 29-28?

    1. Japan

    2. England

    3. Argentina

    4. Barbarians

24. In November, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player ever to earn an IPL cricket deal. How old is he?

    1. 13

    2. 14

    3. 15

    4. He hasn't been born yet

25. What was the score in the Euro 2024 opener between hosts Germany and Scotland?

    1. Germany 3-0 Scotland

    2. Germany 5-1 Scotland

    3. Germany 5-0 Scotland

    4. Germany 6-2 Scotland

26. How many athletics world records were set at the Paris Olympics?

    1. 0

    2. 1

    3. 2

    4. 3

27. Which teams won the men’s and women’s cricket T20 World Cups respectively?

    1. India and India

    2. India and Australia

    3. India and New Zealand

    4. Australia and Australia

28. The final gold medal of the Paris Paralympics was awarded to Iran's Ahmad Aminzadeh, who competed in the men's para-powerlifting +107kg category. What was his heaviest lift?

    1. 193kg

    2. 203kg

    3. 233kg

    4. 263kg

29. Who was the player of the match in England’s remarkable men's Test victory over India in Hyderabad?

    1. Tom Hartley

    2. Ben Stokes

    3. Ollie Pope

    4. Yashasvi Jaiswal

30. What did Erling Haaland say to Mikel Arteta after the final whistle of Manchester City’s fractious 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September?

    1. You’re the Spanish George Graham

    2. Be kind

    3. Stay humble

    4. Good vibes only

31. Which team won Australia's NRL rugby league title for the fourth year in a row?

    1. Sydney Roosters

    2. Penrith Panthers

    3. Melbourne Storm

    4. Brisbane Broncos

32. Who scored Liverpool’s final goal under Jürgen Klopp?

    1. Mo Salah

    2. Alexis Mac Allister

    3. Jarell Quansah

    4. Harvey Elliott

33. Britain's Tom Pidcock won gold in men's mountain biking at the Olympics despite being hampered by what on the fourth lap?

    1. A vomiting bug

    2. A deer

    3. Broken brakes

    4. A puncture

34. All the televised darts tournaments in 2024 were won by players from two countries. England is one. What’s the other?

    1. Netherlands

    2. Germany

    3. Scotland

    4. Belgium

35. Manchester City lost five matches in a row between 30 October and 23 November. Name the teams they lost to, in order?

    1. Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting, Brighton, Liverpool

    2. Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting, Brighton, Tottenham

    3. Tottenham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Sporting, Tottenham

    4. Tottenham, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Sporting, Brighton

36. The USA and Australia were the top two countries in the swimming medal table at the Paris Olympics – who came third?

    1. Great Britain

    2. Canada

    3. France

    4. Hungary

37. Albania's Nedim Bajrami scored the fastest-ever goal in a European Championship match with his opener against Italy. What was the recorded time?

    1. 15 seconds

    2. 23 seconds

    3. 27 seconds

    4. 45 seconds

38. Who said: "I just don’t like this place. I find it disgusting. Everywhere is dirty. It’s cold. It’s freezing. I have to wear my coat everywhere. You go through car parks. There are bins. Honestly, it just makes me feel ill."

    1. Antony

    2. José Mourinho

    3. Noah Lyles

    4. Ronnie O'Sullivan

39. Who did Emma Hayes’ USWNT beat in the Olympic final to win gold?

    1. France

    2. Netherlands

    3. Brazil

    4. Canada

40. Who won the 2023-24 men's Premiership rugby union final?

    1. Bath

    2. Northampton Saints

    3. Saracens

    4. Sale Sharks

41. Erling Haaland scored more than 50 goals for Manchester City and Norway in the 2023-24 season, including five in one match in February against which team?

    1. Wolves

    2. Sheffield United

    3. Luton Town

    4. Kosovo

42. What Premier League record did Cole Palmer set in Chelsea's 4-3 win at Tottenham in December?

    1. He became the youngest-ever player to score a Panenka penalty in the Premier League

    2. He became the first Chelsea player in history to score or assist in 10 consecutive Premier League matches

    3. He became the first Chelsea player to win 20 Player of the Match awards in the Premier League

    4. He became the first Premier League player to score 12 penalties out of 12

43. How many saves did Georgia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili make in four games at Euro 2024?

    1. 17

    2. 21

    3. 25

    4. 29

44. Winless Wales took the wooden spoon at this year's men's Six Nations, ending Italy's run of finishing last in every tournament from 2016-2023. This time, the Italians finished fifth with 11 points, helped by two wins and a draw, but against which sides did these results come?

    1. Beat Ireland and Scotland, drew with England

    2. Beat Scotland and Wales, drew with France

    3. Beat Wales and France, drew with Ireland

    4. Beat England and Wales, drew with Scotland

45. To which singer did Sky Sports’ Kelly Cates compare Roy Keane during Man Utd’s draw with Chelsea in November?

    1. Shane MacGowan

    2. Suggs

    3. Barry White

    4. Cardi B

46. The Golden Boot at Euro 2024 was shared between how many players?

    1. 3

    2. 4

    3. 5

    4. 6

47. England's Kyren Wilson beat Wales' Jak Jones in this year's World Snooker Championship at the Crucible. Who were the last pair to contest an England v Wales final?

    1. Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Williams

    2. Peter Ebdon and Matthew Stevens

    3. Steve Davis and Terry Griffiths

    4. John Spencer and Ray Reardon

48. Who scored the winner as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 in the Copa América final?

    1. Lionel Messi

    2. Lautaro Martínez

    3. Júlian Álvarez

    4. Enzo Fernández

49. Which female golfer enjoyed a superb August, claiming a gold medal at the Paris Olympics before winning the AIG Women's Open at St Andrews?

    1. Nelly Korda

    2. Jeeno Thitikul

    3. Lydia Ko

    4. Lilia Vu

50. "Apologies if I offended Amorim yesterday. Didn't actually realise he was being interviewed at the time. Was popping to say hi and bye to Jamie. Great game, congrats on all involved." Who said this?

    1. Roy Keane

    2. Ed Sheeran

    3. Mick Hucknall

    4. James Corden

Solutions

1:D - Aston Villa were level on 42 points with Liverpool though they had played a game more. , 2:B - The final was on 3 January. Eighteen days later, he turned 17., 3:C - Jean-Louis Gasset was dismissed after a 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea. The hosts then snuck into the last 16 and went on to win the tournament with caretaker manager Emerse Fae. "It is greater than a fairytale," he said. , 4:C - She beat Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in Melbourne and Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in New York., 5:D - It was the first Super Bowl to be held in Sin City, which had previously been shunned for 58 years. , 6:D - Chepngetich smashed the women's world record by nearly two minutes. "This is my dream that has come true," said the Kenyan athlete. , 7:B - She scooped No 7 with a 6-0 demolition job of Manchester United at Old Trafford and then departed to take charge of the USWNT. , 8:D - Anderson's milestone wicket (Kuldeep Yadav) came in the fifth Test defeat by India in March. England lost the series 4-1. , 9:C - In his autobiography, Anderson wrote of his meeting with Rob Key, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum: “I feel like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, ushered into a room under the impression that I’m going to get made, only to be shot.” , 10:D - Scottie Scheffler (Masters), Xander Schauffele (US PGA Championship), Bryson DeChambeau (US Open), Xander Schauffele (The Open). It was the first time US golfers had completed a clean sweep in 42 years, 11:C - Klopp won 299 of his 491 matches. 299 wins in 491 matches. Kenny Dalglish had a slightly better win rate than Klopp at 60.91% for the 1985–1991 term, but his combined win rate, including the 2011–2012 season, comes down to 58.27%, 12:B - The sprinter won the women's 100m Olympic final in a time of 10.72sec. She was the first St Lucian athlete to ever win an Olympic medal. She followed this up with silver in the 200m final. , 13:B - USA and China finished with 40 gold medals apiece, but the US team scooped 44 silvers to China's 27., 14:B - Forest Green sacked the former striker after a tumultuous time at the club, which involved a very public dressing down of defender Fankaty Dabo and a red card at Swindon. As well as the poor form, obviously. , 15:B - The Manx Missile was talking about his record-breaking 35th stage win at the Tour de France, finally taking him clear of Eddy Merckx., 16:B - She won two golds, three silvers and a bronze in Barcelona in 1992 at the age of 14. She switched from swimming to cycling in the mid-2000s and never looked back. , 17:B - The Red Bull driver failed to win in Austria, Britain, Hungary, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Azerbaijan, Singapore, United States and Mexico. His mid-season stuggles added to the drama at least., 18:D - Mousley was officially timed at 82mph during an extraordinary match-winning spell for Birmingham Phoenix against Trent Rockets, although even he accepted the speedgun probably had an off night. , 19:B - With League Two Swindon struggling in November, the veteran manager suggested the bad fortune could be because their training ground is haunted., 20:B - In the 90s the season ran through the winter and Wigan scooped the domestic treble then travelled to Australia, where they defeated Brisbane to be crowned world club champions. , 21:A - Boston beat the Dallas Mavericks by four games to one, to move ahead of the Lakers (17 titles). Golden State have won 12, Chicago six., 22:B - She won team gold, all-around gold and vault gold. Biles has won 10 Olympic medals in total, the most by any American gymnast. , 23:C - Flyhalf Tomas Albornoz kicked a penalty 11 minutes from the end to secure one of the Pumas' greatest victories. The Springboks went on to win the Rugby Championship, with the All Blacks second and Argentina third. , 24:A - Suryavanshi was born in March 2011. He was sold for 11m rupees (around £104,000) to Rajasthan Royals at the IPL auction., 25:B - The hosts scored all the goals with Antonio Rüdiger putting through his own net for Scotland's consolation., 26:D - Sweden's Armand Duplantis set a new pole vault mark of 6.25m, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lowered her own 400m hurdles record to 50.37sec but the Team USA mixed 4x400m team peaked early – they ran 3:07.41 in the qualifying round but were beaten to gold by the Netherlands in the final., 27:C - South Africa, who are still to win their first World Cup, were defeated in both finals., 28:D - Aminzadeh had already secured gold with his first lift of 253kg, following it up with efforts of 258kg and finally 263kg. He was the third Iranian lifter to win gold in Paris, after victories for teammates Rouhollah Rostami and Aliakbar Gharibshahi., 29:C - Pope’s extraordinary innings of 196 trumped Hartley’s debut seven-for., 30:C - Haaland, who was bristling during and after the game, gave Arteta a serve when he came on to the pitch at the final whistle., 31:B - The Panthers beat Melbourne Storm 14-6 to win their sixth title overall, and fourth in succession., 32:C - Quansah’s goal sealed a 2-0 win over Wolves in Liverpool’s final Premier League game of 2023-24., 33:D - A fourth-lap puncture meant Pidcock ended up trailing the leader by 40 seconds but he clawed back the time and won gold in Paris with an incredible effort., 34:D - Dimitri Van den Bergh (UK Open) and Mike De Decker (Grand Prix) flew the flag for Belgium., 35:B - They also drew with Feyenoord and lost to Liverpool to record seven games without a win before beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 to end that winless streak., 36:C - The hosts won four golds, one more than Canada although the Canadian team won one more medal overall. Hungary were fifth and Britain were in ninth., 37:B - It wasn't enough to secure victory. Italy came back to win 2-1. , 38:D - The snooker legend hit out at the condition of Alexandra Palace, labelling the Masters snooker venue “disgusting” in January., 39:C - Mallory Swanson scored the only goal of the final to give the Americans their first Olympic gold since 2012., 40:B - Saints topped the league table and then went on to win in the playoffs, beating Bath 25-21 in the final., 41:C - He scored all five of his goals in 58 minutes against the hatters in a fifth-round FA Cup match at Kenilworth Road, which City won 6-2. , 42:D - Palmer's two penalties against Tottenham took him past Yaya Touré, who scored all 11 penalties he took for Manchester City. , 43:D - Mamardashvili, who will join Liverpool from Valencia next summer, made 11 more saves than the next best keeper, Netherlands’ Bart Verbruggen., 44:B - Italy narrowly lost 27-24 to England in Rome, were thrashed 36-0 by Ireland in Dublin, but then drew 13-13 in a thriller against 14-man France in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, beat Scotland 31-29 and closed their campaign with a 24-21 victory over Wales in Cardiff., 45:D - Keane, on punditry duties, was wearing a cardigan in the Sky studio, which led to Cates’ quip at half-time: “Olivia Rodrigo was watching on from the stands and we’ve got Cardi B in the studio.”, 46:D - England's Harry Kane, Spain's Dani Olmo, the Netherlands' Cody Gakpo, Germany's Jamal Musiala, Slovakia's Ivan Schranz and Georgia's Georges Mikautadze all shared the prize with just three goals. Previously, assists were used to determine the winner in case of a tie but this year Uefa announced only goals would be taken into account., 47:C - Davis claimed the fifth of his six world titles by beating Griffiths 18-11 in the 1988 final. His first came against another Welshman, Doug Mountjoy, in 1981 (18-12). The other three above match-ups have never been played although all eight have contested at least two finals., 48:B - Martínez struck in extra time to earn Argentina a dramatic victory in Miami., 49:C - The gold medal completed a full set of podium finishes after her silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo. Victory on the Old Course was her third major championship success but first since 2016., 50:B - The singer and Ipswich fan interrupted a TV interview after Ruben Amorim's first game in charge of Manchester United, a 1-1 draw at Portman Road

Scores

1. 0 and above.

   Thanks for playing – and have a very happy new year!