Strange moments in the world of sports in 2016
A well-oiled Olympic flagbearer, a martial artist with lethal heels, a surfing dog and a goalkeeper who proves that he is no Tarzan. Here's our look back at some of the strange and amusing moments in sports from 2016.
Oiled up for the opening ceremonies
Pita Taufatofua stole the show at the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, bearing Tonga's flag while shirtless and covered in oil. Having competed in Taekwondo in Rio, he now says he wants to switch to cross-country skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Lethal weapon
Apropos taekwondo: At an event held at Eintracht Frankfurt's home ground, the Commerzbank Arena, in October, Germany's Jaclyn Hagemann set a new world record in the "high-heel balloon kick," using her heels to pop 37 balloons in 90 seconds. Among the other records set was the one for "most sit-ups with swallowed sword."
Everything that could go wrong...
Just about anything that could go wrong, did go wrong in this attempted jump at the Rio Games. Instead of jumping over the obstacle on the back of his horse, eventing rider Ruy Fonseca went over by himself, taking one of the rails with him. Had the Brazilian been competing in the pool, his dive might have earned him style points.
Dog's medal hopes scuppered
Here too the animal has the upper hand. At the Surf Dog Competition off the coast of San Diego, this Labradoodle (a Labrador/Poodle cross) named Kona Kai rode the wave with aplomb, something that could not be said for his master and tandem partner, who lost his balance and went into the drink - scuppering his dog's shot at a medal.
Renegade saddle
A lonely German bicycle saddle lies on the indoor cycling track at the Rio Games. In the women's sprint final, Kristina Vogel was the first to cross the finish line and win the gold medal - without her saddle. The moral of the story; not even a renegade saddle could stop Kristina Vogel.
Heavy burden
Ethiopia's Robel Kiros Habte (above, right) doesn't quite have the chiseled body of his competitors, so it came as no surprise when he struggled to keep up in the Olympic 100-meter freestyle and recorded the worst time of all in the heats. The good news is that he did manage to finish his heat.
Bottoms up!
It seems unlikely that it would improve the taste - or aroma. However, after winning the Grand Prix of San Marino, motorcycle-racing superstar Valentino Rossi chose to drink his champagne out of his boot. Bottoms up!
No Tarzan
Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was so overjoyed by his team's 2-0 victory over Belgium in the group stage of Euro 2016 in France, the 38-year-old ran the length of the pitch, jumped up and attempted to swing on the crossbar of the opposing goal. However, he quickly lost his grip and tumbled into the back of the net. A goal of sorts - that didn't count.
Security? What security?
Despite the much-talked-about high security at Euro 2016, this Portuguese fan (above, top row, right) somehow managed to sneak into the team photo ahead of Portugal's semifinal match against Wales. Even Cristiano Ronaldo seemed amused.
New taylor needed?
Zinedine Zidane is a sharp dresser, but could it be that his trousers are too tight? What other reason could there be for a pair of wardrobe malfunctions in the Champions League? First the Real Madrid coach's frustration caused him to split his pants during a match against Wolfsburg. Then, he did the same in a semifinal at Manchester City. "It's not a big issue so don't worry about it," he said.
Bundled up
Bayern Munich players aren't used to sitting on the bench in below-freezing temperatures - and it showed. Germany's perennial champions faced Rostov in a Champions League match in Russia in November and were upset 3-2, a defeat that cost them the top place in Group D. It turned out that playing a temperature of -6 degrees Celcuis (21 degrees Fahrenheit) just didn't suit the Bavarians.
OMG! A ball!
Considering what he does for a living, you would normally expect Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to be pleased when a football comes his way. This was clearly not the case at this particular moment in a match in Hertha Berlin's Olympic Stadium. Or was he simply working on his moves for a new Dortmund war dance - along the lines of the haka that New Zealand's rugby team perform before each game.
Just over the bar
Somehow, during a Premier League match against Southampton, the ball wound up on the roof of one of the stands at Crystal Palace's home ground, Selhurst Park. This was only temporary. The ball also found its way into Southampton's goal - three times.
Pickpocket
Is there no escape from petty crime? Not even on the basketball court? The replay shows that in this Euroleague game between Real Madrid and Zalgiris Kaunas, one of the on-court officials clearly slips his hand into the jacket of the head coach of the visitors, Sarunas Jasikevicius. Where are the cops when you need them?