GALLERY

Consider, for a moment, the year's moments: the few extra ones Rick Mears spent in the Indy pits (right) that gave Gordon Johncock the closest 500 victory in history; the few ticks of the clock that made the difference in Alberto Salazar's marathon wins in New York and Boston; and the few that separated the winners from the also-rans in the big horse races. Gato del Sol won the Kentucky Derby, then passed up the Preakness; Aloma's Ruler won the Preakness, only to finish ninth in the Belmont; and Conquistador Cielo, the eventual Horse of the Year, won the Belmont by 14 lengths but came in third in the Travers—just a few days after being syndicated for $36.4 million. Bowler Glenn Allison had his moment of a lifetime-a landmark 900 series-bowled over when the ABC ruled that the lane conditions weren't up to snuff. For a happy few, the moments lingered. Tracy Caulkins became the most titled swimmer in U.S. history, breaking Johnny weissmuller's mark of 36 national championships. (She's at 42 and counting.) American men, thanks in part to Lee Kemp's third world title, won four of a possible 10 medals at the World wrestling Championships to place second, behind the U.S.S.R. American women, thanks to Christin Cooper, Cindy Nelson and Holly Flanders, won skiing's world Cup team title. And North Carolina (above) won a second straight NCAA lacrosse crown by a nose, defeating Johns Hopkins.

Salazar started with 14,307 others, mere dots on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Some 26 miles later, he'd won his third New York Marathon.

Salazar also garnered the garland in Boston.

Lendl forsook Wimbledon for Westchester to show that he could, too, play on the grass.

Turkey's Asian Seyhanli put the squeeze on Iran's Amir Tehrani and took this 114.5-pound match at the World Championships in Edmonton.

Once limited to Australian waters, 18-footers and their crews could be found hanging out at such all-American venues as San Francisco Bay.

Sometime-cellist Craig Beardsley has strung together the six best 200-meter butterfly times ever. He's lost one U.S. 'fly race in 33 months.

Landaluce, Seattle Slew's undefeated daughter, was named 2-year-old Filly of the Year six weeks after she died of a virus

On a misty October morning, Timely Writer headed for a workout. Two days later, he snapped a leg in the Cold Cup and was destroyed.

The U.S. enjoyed its best ski season ever as Phil Mahre (above) won the World Cub, and his twin brother, Steve, took a gold at the Worlds.

ELEVEN PHOTOS