Best of 2011: individual performances

Editor's note: You're right, there's no Cadel Evans in this instalment of BigPond Sport's Best of 2011 series. That's because our 'individual performances' entry celebrates, well, strictly individual feats of brilliance. Look out for Cadel and others in the 'champions' edition of our series on December 25.

Paul Gallen (NSW)

If New South Wales wrest back State of Origin supremacy in 2012, we may look back on the second game of the 2011 series as the turning point. Despite the Blues' eventual capitulation in Brisbane in Game Three, this was the match that made NSW believe again. And that was largely down to one man.

Gallen, who made his name as one of the NRL's best as a lock, was asked by coach Ricky Stuart to play prop – challenge enough for a man who is dwarfed by Queensland front rowers Matt Scott and Petero Civoniceva. But there was more: Gallen played the entire 80 minutes, a superhuman feat of endurance and fitness.

Some brilliant pieces of skill from Jamie Soward and Will Hopoate got NSW their tries, but it was Gallen's titanic effort that will pass into Origin lore.

Sally Pearson (Australia)

Australian success on the world athletics stage is a rare thing, let alone the dominance enjoyed by sprint hurdler Pearson. Her gold medal at the World Championships in Daegu stands with Sam Stosur's US Open win as being the finest achievement by any Australian woman in 2011.

Pearson obliterated the field to win in 12.28 seconds, the fourth fastest time on record. She suffered just one defeat during the 2011 season, and became the first Australian to win the IAAF female athlete of the year.

Will Genia (Queensland Reds)

Genia's partnership with Quade Cooper set Super Rugby alight in 2011. But against the might of the Crusaders in the final, he had a stressful night, constantly harried by a streetwise and wary opposition pack. However, come the 67th minute, with the scores locked at 13-all, his predatory instincts took over.

As the Crusaders' defence drifted to cover Cooper, Genia dummied from inside his own half and scythed through the middle to score, his speed and strength too much for the cover defence. The Reds won 18-13, marking the high point of Genia's year, with a disappointing World Cup campaign with the Wallabies bringing him sadly back down to earth.  

James Magnussen (Australia)

Such was the explosive brilliance of Magnussen's first appearance at a world swimming championships that he probably still finds it hard to believe the experience was real.

The 20-year-old from Port Macquarie was part of a 4x100m freestyle relay team that overcame the USA and France to take a remarkable gold medal; Magnussen's leg being the fastest 100m freestyle since polyurethane suits were banned.

Days later, he comfortably took the 100m freestyle title, securing Australia's first major success at the distance since Mike Wenden's triumph at the 1968 Olympics.

Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Argentina's September clash with Nigeria was 'only' a friendly, but Messi made sure it would be remembered as much more by staging one of football's most brilliant individual displays. Every time Messi won the ball, defenders became visibly alarmed. He set up two goals, one from a typically Maradona-esque dance through tackles from the halfway line; the other an impossibly deft chip for Gonzalo Higuaín.

Less brilliant but more important was Messi's role in Barcelona's destruction of Manchester United in May's Champions League final. His exquisite strike early in the second half was the tip of the icecap in terms of how completely he destroyed the English champions.

Mitchell Williams

Queensland beach sprinter Mitchell Williams may not have garnered too many headlines with his victory in the prestigious Stawell Gift, but his effort tapped into the heart of many an Australian sports fan.

Leading comfortably with just metres to go, Williams tore a hamstring. But he ploughed on, lunging to scrape a victory by two hundredths of a second, and claim a spot in Australian sporting legend.

Kevin O'Brien (Ireland)  

The Cricket World Cup remains a rather damp squib of an event, with this year's tournament notable for two things. One, the joy that swept across India after their team's win, and the other a remarkable innings played by a 27-year-old Irishman in his side's extraordinary win over England.

O'Brien smashed a century from 50 balls – the fastest in World Cup history – before being out for 113 from 63. Ireland chased down England's massive total of 328 to win by three wickets in the Group B match in Bangalore. "The greatest day of our lives," said Irish captain William Porterfield.

Next up: goats

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of BigPond Sport.