Alessandrodelpiero.com the official website

30.12.20092009 TOP TEN SPORTSMEN

Who can resist the temptation to fill out the placing table at the end of the year to find out who is the best and who is the worst of the season? Well, I'm interested only in the best and so I decided to try to put together the overall placing of the 2009 ten best sportsmen of the world , those who excited me not only as the professional player, but as a fan and as a person who is keen on sport in general. I had to leave out a lot of names, very few of us can't help but admire Valentino Rossi, Jenson Button, Michael Phelps, our cyclist Tatiana Guderzo, our World Champions - the girls of National Italian eurhythmics team... But it's just for fun, and the number in the placing doesn't correspond to the value, otherwise I'd put everyone on the first place. So, are you ready? Let's start the hit parade!

10. Edoardo and Francesco Molinari They are THE Italian brothers.
Never before Italy has managed to win the World Cup. Their victory in China crowned the extraordinary year for Italian National Golf team (and don't forget the success  of Diana Luna in the women category). As we all live in the same city, Torino, I have had an opportunity to play with and  get to know better Edoardo and Francesco and trust me, they are two extraordinary guys who are worth everything they obtain. And this is only the beginning. Hope, they will share with me some of their secrets, so I can improve my performance on the green.

9.Kim Cljisters
The performance of this Flemmish tennis player in the US Open was the one that impressed me most in the whole 2009.  It was so moving to see her, celebrating with her one- and- a -half year old daughter Jada Elly on the Flushing Meadows central court. Just few months after coming back to professional sport (in May 2007 she announced the career break) Mum Kim managed to win the slam competition, leaving behind Serena Williams in semifinal. Applauses!

8.Roger Federer
To last in the time, overcome the difficulties, resist the valid competitors, never stop looking for improvement, setting new targets - all these are the characteristics of a real Champion. And Roger
Federer has them all. This Swiss player managed to win the only Slam competition he was missing , the Roland  Garros, and proved himself once again at Wimbledon. An extraordinary season, that couldn't be but wrapped up with the place number one in the ATP placing. This year I have had an honor to meet him and to spend some time with him in Genova, where Davis Cup was played and where he managed to outpace us with his Swiss team. A real legend!

7.Kobe Bryant
Here the fan is speaking!!! It's real hard to find the right words to describe a player like this... Kobe Bryant led my favorite NBA team the Los Angeles Lakers to conquer the 'basket net ring', his fourth personal in his  professional career. And for the first time, apart from all in front of my eyes, as I was at the stadium sector, he earned the MVP title in Finals. And like all this wasn't enough, on the 17th of November he reported 40 points for the 100th time in his career. The same words said about Federer can be dedicated also to Kobe Bryant.

6.Usain Bolt
If he takes part in the competition, the others run for the second best. He won two golden medals in the Olympic Games in Peking in 2008 (in 100 and 200 meters run) and after that another two golden medals in the World Competition in Berlin in 2009, establishing the new world record twice. He is the fastest man in the world. I go crazy for the sport images in general and watching him running (especially in close-up tv transmission) gives me an impression of something fantastic.

5.National Italian Volleyball Team (Women)
Few of us ,men, would have something to argue: the Italian sport in 2009 is Female. They really knew how to grant us the great satisfactions, thanks to the performances like the one of the National
Italian Female Volleyball team, that in the final run managed to conquer the second European title in a row.

4.Flavia Pennetta and the Fed Cup National Italian Team
Talking about the women... Also in tennis they were in the spotlight. Flavia Pennetta reached the historical target: she was the first Italian woman to enter the WTA top ten. And to end up this year in the grand manner together with Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani e Roberta Vinci she gave to Italy the Fed Cup. The World Champions!

3.Leo Messi
Together with his Barcelona team he won everything, what was there to win in this year: Liga, Rey Cup, Champions League, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Clubs World Championship. More than that, he thought well to increase the value of this extraordinary year with two personal victories , winning the Golden Ball and the Fifa Best Player title. I know very well that the great victories and achievements never happen by chance: Leo always has been the great player, so - I take my hat off to you! And hope that sooner or later we'll meet on the pitch.

2.Federica Pellegrini
To keep the position on the high level is probably much more difficult than to win for the first time. Federica Pellegrini managed to stay there and even more she managed to do so in 2009, being the one who had no right to make a mistake , who had a lot to risk in front of her spectators (as Flavia Fillippi). What Federicca managed to achieve during the World Championship in Rome places her among the very first of Italian sport: the World Champion in 200 and 400 meters free style, and obviously with the world record set. I do remember well also her last victory in European  Championship, 200 short length. The first competition after the death of her coach Alberto Castagnetti. Really well-done, Federica! And the fact that she is the Juventus fan surely helps a lot...

1. Mike Bongiorno
The first place in my opinion belongs to Mike, who unfortunately passed away. I know, he wasn't a professional player, but he loved sport, probably, more than all of us together. He practiced and he
followed sport with enormous passion and above all the Juventus. We lost our great fan, but above all the real number one. He is worth being on the first place in whatever placing tables and for sure he'll remain the icon and  of Italian television and Italian image. I will always remember him as a 'President' of my team 'Ale+10' for the 'La Partita Del Cuore' match  against the Italian National team of Singers on the 18th of May. I'm particularly fond of the images  that bring back the memories of that day...We gathered them in the video, that you can find in the Adp TV section, that I'd like to dedicate to the memory  of  Mike.