THE highlight for everyone in 2012 were the London Olympics and Paralympics.

And as a rash of gold medals prompted celebrations throughout Great Britain, Yorkshire played a huge part in the home success.

At one stage in the first week of competition Yorkshire had won more medals than Australia, and among those winners was former Holme Valley Wheeler Ed Clancy.

The 27-year-old cycle star – already an Olympic winner in Beijing four years before – teamed up with Geraint Thomas, Steven Burke and Peter Kennaugh to win the men’s team pursuit gold in world record-breaking time as Australia were pushed into the silver medal place in the final.

Clancy also participated in the Omnium, claiming a bronze medal.

Dewsbury-born Alistair Brownlee also enjoyed a stunning Olympics winning the gold in the triathlon.

The 24-year-old went into the Games as reigning world champion after winning the Grand Final in Beijing and struck Olympic gold on August 7, while his younger brother Jonny finished in third to take the bronze medal.

There were also celebrations in Huddersfield as Leeds-based boxer Nicola Adams, whose father Innocent lives in the town, shot to fame with her gold medal and equally golden smile.

And in the Paralympics there were two golden moments for Halifax’s Hannah Cockroft.

On August 31 the wheelchair racer took Great Britain’s first track and field gold medal of the 2012 Summer Paralympics, winning the final of the 100 metres T34 in 18.05 seconds – a Games record.

A week later the 20-year-old won another gold in the 200 metres T34 in 31.90 seconds – another a Paralympic record.

Cockroft was awarded the freedom of Calderdale at a homecoming event at the Halifax Piece Hall.

2012 Local Sport Review

Bay surrender county crown

Amateur Football: Bay Athletic surrendered their hold on the West Riding County FA title. They were unable to make it five championships in a row but made amends by lifting both the Northern Counties Challenge Cup and the Huddersfield FA Challenge Cup. The latter came courtesy of a 1-0 win over Lepton Highlanders at the John Smith’s Stadium. The Stadium also hosted an enthralling Barlow Cup final which ended with Diggle beating Kirkheaton Rovers 4-2 after extra time, while Lindley Lib were the third winners on the ground, beating Coach & Horses 2-1 in the Works League’s Hoyle Cup final. In the league, Hepworth United retained their District League title for a second year, having won it in 2011 for the first time. Pak Rangers won the Kirklees Sunday League while the Get Smart Cup was won by Wellington A, defeating Huddersfield Irish at Emley.

Rangers denied

Amateur RL: There was no Grand Final repeat for Underbank Rangers as they fell to a 17-10 defeat to Hemel Stags at Featherstone Rovers’ Big Fellas Stadium. Head coach Richard Knight’s men may have finished this summer’s National Conference League III campaign as minor champions and had the experience of winning last season’s Grand Final against Kippax Knights at Warrington. But the Stags showed exactly why they’ll be stepping up into the semi-professional Co-operative Championship I next season with a hard-fought triumph. There was some consolation for the club, with stand-off and goalkicker Neil Barrett, prop Dave Valentine and Australian second-row forward Nick Briggs named in the National III Team of the Year. On the Huddersfield front, Slaithwaite Saracens were the dominant force. The Saracens made their Pennine League Premier Division status tell as they secured a hard-fought 24-6 Holliday Cup final triumph over First Division Newsome Panthers at Lockwood Park and that helped erase Slaithwaite’s bitter memories of their final defeat at the hands of St Joseph’s 12 months earlier.

Young stars

Cycling: Local cyclists have made 2012 an outstanding year of success at regional, national and international level. In the girl’s section Abby-Mae Parkinson and Amira Mellor shone, with RST team racer Parkinson starting the year by becoming Youth A National Cyclo-Cross Champion, then being invited to join the GB Talent Team before signing off in December by becoming North of England Cyclo-Cross Champion, while Holme Valley Wheelers’ Mellor was Invited to join the Talent Team for a second year. In the boys junior section Jake Womersley (Sportscover) became North of England Cyclo-Cross Champion, while at Youth A level clubmate Leon Gledhill became both National Youth Omnium Champion and East Midlands, Yorkshire & North East Track Champion before being invited to join the sprint division of the Olympic Development Programme’s Under 18 section. Also at Youth A, Levi Moody (RST) was winner of the Woesten Nieuwelingen Open in Belgium before adding the National Youth & Junior Track Scratch titles. RSA clubmates Struan McInnes and Gabriel Cullaigh both prospered at Youth A, with McInnes becoming Yorkshire Regional Youth Circuit Race champion, while Cullaigh was a winner in Belgium at the Kruishouten Nieuwelingen Open Omloop and went on to become the first British winner of the North West International Youth Tour, he then won the Otley Criterium Races, Brighouse Criterium Races, became the National Youth Circuit Race champion, won the Youth National Circuit Series and was invited to join the Olympic Development (Endurance) Programme. Harry Hardcastle (Kirklees Cycling Academy) impressed at Youth B becoming North of England Cyclo-Cross Champion and Jack Ford, Youth C, (Wakefield Junior Triathlon) became East Midlands, Yorkshire & North East Track Champion.

It’s all change

GOLF: Two golf clubs welcomed new professionals, with Simon Race taking over at Meltham from Paul Davies and a familiar face, that of Alex Keighley, who succeeded Paul Carman at Fixby. On the Yorkshire Inter-Union front, the Halifax, Huddersfield side finished second to champions Sheffield, being edged out of the title hunt by a defeat to the champions at Ogden in the final match of the season. Ed Battye became the Union’s Matchplay champion for the first time, beating Aaron Schnacke in the final, while Sandra Paul took the ladies honours after beating Anne Taylor in the final. Professional Chris Hanson embarked on his first season on the Challenge Tour, one of his highlights coming in Colombia where he notched an excellent fourth-place finish.