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There are a number of athletes who could be considered for the best of 2008 accolade, each with their own defendable argument. However, despite the Beijing Olympics providing some quite unforgettable moments for the likes of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods doing what we does best and some magical moments in the NFL and NBA, being British, there is a sense of patriotism niggling on my mind. Please excuse me now if there is too much bias in my selections but it's a case of heart over head for now.

Before getting into the nitty gritty of the best athlete of 2008, an honourable mention must go to Rohullah Nikpai who I'm sure everyone has heard of. No? Ok, lets see actually what this man did. Nikpai managed to win a first ever medal of Afghanistan at the Beijing Olympics. Living in a war-torn country, where fighting is often a part of everyday life, training for the Olympics is something that very few can afford or even imagine. However, Nikpai proved that it can be done by defeating the defending champion from Spain to win the taekwondo (58kg) bronze medal.

Nikpai has become a personal role model for Aghans since his success, sparking huge applause on his return home and bringing smiles to the homes. He has even been given a house at the expense of the government for his achievement. Nikpai only started the sport as an escape from the woes of his home country and was only able to train at a proper gymnasium six months prior to the Olympics.

In these circumstances, there is a very good reason to name Nikpai as athlete of the year but with taekwondo being a very unknown competition and him being a nationality very outside of the spotlight when it comes to sport, his recognition is minimal. However, it must be appreciated that in incredibly adverse conditions, Rohullah Nikpai performed well beyond his expected capability and managed to bring a country together, even if only for a short time.

Keeping with the Beijing Games for now, it would be wrong not to talk about Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals and taking Mark Spitzs' 36 year record. Although it was widely speculated that he would win all of them, actually doing it is another matter. After a tough start to his training schedule when Phelps broke a wrist slipping on ice, like a fish out of water, he ended the Beijing Games in near perfection with a world record setting victory. During his record breaking Olympics, Phelps swam all four strokes at distances ranging from 100 to 400 metres, facing three

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