But, it was former Bendigo gymnast Chantelle Newbery, nee Michell, who provided one of the outstanding sporting highlights of 2004, joining Faith Leech as a golden girl with strong connection to the area.

Chantelle Newbery, the former Castlemaine schoolgirl and talented member of John Palmer's tumbling ensemble from Bendigo Gymnastics Centre, led Australia's remarkable diving peformance at this year's Athens Olympic Games.

She outperformed the world's best in Chinese diver Lao Lishi and colleague Loudy Tourky in the 10 metre platform, to win Australia's first gold in the sport since Dick Eve way back in Paris in 1924.

A bronze in the three metre synchronised springboard with veteran Irina Lashko made her the most successful diver in Australian Olympic history.

An old hand at gathering titles, Glen Ashby added another sailing championship to his scrapbook.

After collecting three A class catamaran world crowns since 1996, Ashby tamed a new challenge with New South Welshman Darren Bundock to claim his fourth world title.

The pair won the F18 class world title off the sandy beaches of Tuscany in the Gulf of Follonica.

The dual winner of The Advertiser Southern Cross TEN Sports Star of the Year award is now weighing up a tilt at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in the Tornado class events.

Also setting herself for the first Olympics to be held in China is diminutive basketballing star Kristi Harrower.

After coming so close to the gold at this year's Athens Games, the lure of another go is irresistible.

Harrower marked herself as one of the leading point guards of world basketball in Greece, putting in a superb performance for the Opals.

Harrower averaged 8.25 points for the tournament and saved her best for the Aussies' desperate attempt to beat the US in the gold medal game.

She shot 11 points as Australia fell tantalisingly short of an historic victory.

Closer to home, Gisborne also fell agonisingly close to an historic win, succumbing to a determined and young Sandhurst in the All Seasons Bendigo Football League grand final.

Led by the classy Leigh Gathercole, midfield workhorse Rick Andrews, defensive duo Matt Keown and Mal Borchard, and ruckman Darren Atkinson, Sandhurst swept past Mick McGuane's Bulldogs three times in the space of two months to win The Advertiser premiership cup.

The Dragons' extra-time second semi-final win will be remembered for its thrilling conclusion and an immortal goal on the run from veteran Matt Sexton.

The grand final was a celebration for long-suffering Dragons supporters, who had waited 21 years between senior grand final wins.

The win made Sandhurst the most successful club in BFL history.

It was a success-starved club which picked up Bendigo cricket's top prize.

Kangaroo Flat created its own bit of history with a remarkable eight wicket win over Strathdale-Maristians at Eaglehawk's famous Canterbury Park.

The Suns batted first on the Saturday and never really got going, finishing at 9-231, with Blair McCormick compiling a patient 59.

Kangaroo Flat opener Tony Taig proceeded to write himself into Bendigo cricketing record books on Sunday afternoon.

In front of a packed grandstand, Taig steadily gathered runs, while partner Steve Newlan blasted his way to 89.

Along the way, Taig broke a 75-year-old Bendigo District Cricket Association record for the most runs in a season, previously held by Harcourt's outstanding batsman of the 1920s, Ron Porter.

But the best moment was yet to come.

With victory just four runs away, and Taig needing five runs for a ton, the `Smiling Assassin' stared down young spinner Cam Taylor.

Taig took an almighty swipe at the delivery and hit high and hard straight back over the bowler.

The ball soared over the straight boundary for six as Taig completed a remarkable moment in local sporting history.

Another breakthrough victory many years in the making was Nash Rawiller's front-running ride to victory on Elvstroem in the Caulfield Cup.

Rawiller's mount started a warm favourite and was immediately taken to the front by the top-weight jockey.

It proved a shrewd strategy on a track suited to the leaders.

Rawiller announced himself as a star of the `Sport of Kings' as Elvstroem kicked at the turn and held off a fast finishing Makybe Diva to claim the Cup.

He has since jetted off to Macau, but not before finishing the year with 14 metropolitan wins.

Popular racing commenator Ken Callander described Rawiller's ride in the Caufield Cup as "masterful" - a term equally applicable to the riding of a youngster seemingly on the cusp of greatness.

Zak Dempster has enjoyed a year he could only have dreamt of.

It all started back in February, with his shock win in the historic Austral Wheelrace at Melbourne's Vodafone Arena.

Dempster, a 17-year-old Catholic College Bendigo student, upstaged greats such as Shane Kelly to claim the 105th edition of the 2000 m handicap, becoming its youngest winner in the process.

Dempster later became the star of Bendigo's Commonwealth Youth Games - an event which lived up to the pre-event hype.

Gold in the 10 km scratch race at the Tom Flood Sports Centre was followed the next evening with victory in the 3000 m pursuit.

Dempster also collected silver in the 24 km points race, to cap off a simply outstanding performance.

Eaglehawk golfer Andrew Martin is another youngster set to make his mark on the international scene.

Martin emerged from a rare wrist injury to beat a quality young field for the Australian Amateur Championship at Royal Adelaide Golf Club. The win gave Martin the chance to appear in the Australian Open and Masters. He also won the Victorian Golf Association's Champion of Champions tournament.