Jim Thorpe at the 1912 Summer Olympics

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2010)

A sportsperson (American English: Sports person), (gendered as sportsman or sportswoman) or athlete is a person trained to compete in a sport involving physical strength, speed or endurance. Sportspeople may be professional or amateur.^[1]

Most professional sportspeople have particularly well-developed physiques obtained by extensive physical training and strict exercise accompanied by a strict dietary regimen.

The word "athlete" is a romanization of the Greek: άθλητὴς, athlētēs, one who participates in a contest; from ἂθλος, áthlos, or ἂθλον, áthlon, a contest or feat. The term may be used as a synonym for sportspeople in general, but it also has stronger connotations of people who compete in athletic sports, as opposed to other sporting types such as horse riding and driving. In British English (as well as other variants in the Commonwealth) athlete can also have a more specific meaning of people who compete in the sport of athletics.

Titles[link]

"All-around athlete"[link]

An "all-around athlete" is a person who competes in multiple sports at a high level, for instance, someone who plays both basketball and baseball professionally. Examples of people who played numerous sports professionally are Jim Thorpe, Lionel Conacher, Deion Sanders (male), Danny Ainge (male) and Babe Zaharias (female). Others include Ricky Williams, Bo Jackson, and Damon Allen, each of whom was drafted both by Major League Baseball and by professional gridiron football leagues such as the NFL and the CFL. Another example is Kazushi Sakuraba, a Japanese athlete who competed in both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts and succeeded in both sports. Many Japanese martial artists compete in both wrestling and MMA due to their strong promotions and similarities.

"World's Greatest Athlete"[link]

The title of "World's Greatest Athlete" traditionally belongs to the world's top competitor in the decathlon (males) and heptathlon (females) in track and field. The decathlon consists of 10 events: 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters, 110 m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500 m. The heptathlon consists of seven events: the 100 m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin, and 800 meters. These competitions require an athlete to possess the whole spectrum of athletic ability in order to be successful including speed, strength, coordination, jumping ability, and endurance.

Although the title "World's Greatest Athlete" seems a natural fit for these two events, its traditional association with the decathlon/heptathlon officially began with Jim Thorpe. During the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, Thorpe won the gold medal in the Decathlon (among others). Thorpe notably also competed professionally in soccer, baseball, and basketball; and competed collegiately in track and field, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and did ballroom dancing. King Gustav V of Sweden, while awarding Thorpe the decathlon gold said: "You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world." That title has become associated with the decathlon event ever since.

See also[link]

• outdoor enthusiast
• jock (athlete)
• Athlete of the Year

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

Katie Taylor
Statistics
Rated at	60 kg
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Nationality	Irish
Born	(1986-06-02) June 2, 1986 (age 26) Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland
Stance	Orthodox
Medal record Medal record Competitor for  Ireland Women’s Boxing World Amateur Championships Gold 2006 New Dehli 60 kg Gold 2008 Ningbo 60 kg Gold 2010 Barbados 60 kg Gold 2012 Qinhuangdao 60 kg European Amateur Championships Gold 2005 Tønsberg 60 kg Gold 2006 Warsaw 60 kg Gold 2007 Vejle 60 kg Gold 2009 Mykolaiv 60 kg Gold 2011 Rotterdam 60 kg European Union Amateur Championships Gold 2008 Liverpool 60 kg Gold 2009 Pazardzhik 60 kg Gold 2010 Keszthely 60 kg Gold 2011 Katowice 60 kg

Katie Taylor (born 2 June 1986) is an Irish boxer and footballer. She studied at St. Kilian's Community School Bray from 1999-2005. Katie's 2 older brothers Peter and Lee and older sister Sarah also went to St. Kilians. She is the current Irish, European, and world women's boxing champion. She had also represented the Republic of Ireland in association football.

Career[link]

Boxing[link]

Katie Taylor started boxing (coached by her father Peter, himself a successful amateur boxer) in 1998, aged 12. Her first noteworthy success was at the 2005 European Amateur Championships, in Tønsberg, Norway. She won the gold medal, defeating Eva Wahlström of Finland in the final of the 60 kg lightweight class. Later that year, at the World Amateur Championships in Podolsk, Russia, Taylor advanced to the quarter-finals in the 60 kg weight class.

At the 2006 European Amateur Championships in Warsaw, Poland, Taylor won her second successive gold medal by stopping reigning world champion Tatiana Chalaya of Russia, also collecting the tournament's Best Boxer award. At that year's World Amateur Championships, contested in New Delhi, India, Taylor became Ireland's first World Champion, defeating Chalaya again in the semi-final and then Annabella Farias of Argentina in the 60 kg final.

In 2007 she won her third successive European Championship title in Denmark.^[1] In August 2008, she claimed her second consecutive Witch Cup gold medal in Hungary, following an inside-the-distance win in the 60 kg final against Wahlström.

Katie went on to claim her second World title at the 2008 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship, contested in November at Ningbo, China. In the 60 kg weight class, she defeated China's Cheng Dong in the final match which was her 100th bout.^[2]

On March 21, 2009 at the The O2 (Dublin), Ireland, Katie won a 27-3 win over thee time Pan American champion Caroline Barry of the United States on the undercard of a pro WBA super bantamweight world title fight between Bernard Dunne of Ireland and Ricardo Cordoba of Panama. Speaking after the fight, Taylor, who had stopped Barry in the final of the 2006 World Championships in New Delhi, said she was stunned by the welcome she received from Irish boxing fans. She said: "I couldn't believe the reception I got - it was an amazing experience for me. I knew it was going to be a tough fight and well done to her for never backing off."

Taylor won gold at the Russian Multi-Nations event at the Sports Palace in St Petersburg in July 2009 chalking up her 39th consecutive victory – and her 60th win in her last 61 bouts.^[3] She also went on to win her fourth successive European Championship title in September 2009 in Ukraine without conceding a point [2]. She picked up another gold medal at the 2010 European Union Championships in Hungary.

On 18 September 2010, Taylor went on to claim her third successive World title at the 2010 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship, in Barbados. In the 60 kg weight class, she again defeated China's Cheng Dong in the final match.^[4] This was Taylor's 100th career win.

Taylor won her second International Boxing Association (AIBA) World female boxer of the year award at a ceremony in Almaty, Kazakhstan in November 2010 [3].

She won Gold Medal at the EU Women Boxing Championships in Katowice, Poland in 2011. [4][5]

On 19 May 2012, Taylor won her fourth successive World title at the 2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship, in Qinhuangdao China. In the 60 kg weight class, she defeated Russian southpaw Sofya Ochigava [6].

Football[link]

As well as boxing, Taylor plays with the Ireland Women's senior football team. She scored in the opening UEFA 2009 qualifying round win over Hungary on 1 April 2007. She scored again and got sent off in a 4-1 loss in Italy on the 16th of February 2008.^[5] She came on as sub for Ireland days after coming back from Ukraine.^[6] Previously, she had played with the national teams at the U-17 and U-19 levels.

Katie also played Gaelic football with her local GAA club, Fergal Óg, Bray, and on a few brief occasions with Bray Emmets Under 14.

As for her preferred sport, "I love playing for Ireland, and I love soccer, but when it comes down to it I would choose boxing as my number one sport as I'd miss it too much if I wasn't involved."

Honours[link]

Advertising[link]

Taylor appeared in a Lucozade Sport advertisement in 2011 alongside English rapper Tinie Tempah and American musician Travis Barker. Her advertising of Lucozade was branded "disgusting" by the chairman of the Irish Heart Foundation Nutrition Council due to concerns that it sent the wrong message on childhood obesity.^[7][8]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site

Daniel de Faria Dias (born 24 May, 1988 in Bragança Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian swimmer.

He has Laureus Award for Sportsperson with a Disability of the Year, winning in 2009.[1]

This article about a Paralympic medalist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article related to a Brazilian swimmer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Ajit Chandila is an off spin bowler from Haryana, India.^[1] He plays for Rajasthan Royals currently but was previously known for his performance for the Air India North Zone team.^[2]

Indian Premier League Career[link]

His IPL career started when Delhi DareDevils in 2011 selected him in their probable team. In 2012, he made his IPL debut on April 23, 2012 at Jaipur. Ajit became the first bowler in the Indian Premier League- Season 5 to take a hat-trick. He is now the seventh bowler to get hat-trick in the history of the IPL. ^[3]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ajit Chandila profile at ESPNCricinfo
• First hat-trick of IPL Season Five

Fernando Torres

Torres playing for Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League Final 2012
Personal information
Full name	Fernando José Torres Sanz[1]
Date of birth	(1984-03-20) 20 March 1984 (age 28)[2]
Place of birth	Fuenlabrada, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3]
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Chelsea
Number	9
Youth career
1995–2001	Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2007	Atlético Madrid	214	(82)
2007–2011	Liverpool	102	(65)
2011–	Chelsea	46	(7)
National team‡
2000	Spain U15	1	(0)
2001	Spain U16	9	(11)
2001	Spain U17	4	(1)
2002	Spain U18	1	(1)
2002	Spain U19	5	(6)
2002–2003	Spain U21	10	(3)
2003–	Spain	92	(28)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:45, 13 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14:45, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Fernando José Torres Sanz (Spanish pronunciation: [ferˈnando ˈtores]; born 20 March 1984), nicknamed El Niño (The Kid in Spanish),^[4] is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker.

Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, progressing through their youth system to the first team squad. He made his first team debut in 2001 and finished his time at the club having scored 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Prior to his La Liga debut, Torres played two seasons in the Segunda División for Atlético Madrid, making 40 appearances and scoring seven goals. He joined Premier League club Liverpool in 2007 after signing for a club record transfer fee. He marked his first season at Anfield by being Liverpool's first player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995–96 season to score more than 20 league goals in a season. Torres became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals after scoring against Aston Villa in December 2009. He left the club in January 2011 to join Chelsea for a record British transfer fee of £50 million, which also made him the most expensive Spanish player in history.

Torres is a Spanish international and made his debut for the country against Portugal in 2003. He has since participated in four major tournaments, UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Torres did not score at Euro 2004, but netted three at the 2006 World Cup. He scored twice at UEFA Euro 2008, including the winning goal for Spain in their 1–0 win over Germany in the Final. He won the 2010 World Cup with Spain, but did not score any goals during the tournament.

Early career[link]

Born in Fuenlabrada, Community of Madrid,^[5] Torres became interested in football as a child and joined his first team, Parque 84, at the age of five.^[2] His father José Torres worked during Torres' childhood, and his mother Flori Sanz traveled daily with him to training sessions.^[6] His grandfather was not a passionate football fan, but took pride in being an Atlético Madrid supporter, and Torres inherited his love for the club.^[2]

Torres started playing football as a goalkeeper, the position his brother played in.^[7] When he was seven years old, however, he started playing regularly as a striker in an indoor league for the neighborhood club, Mario's Holland,^[2] using the characters from the anime Captain Tsubasa as inspiration.^[8] Three years later, aged 10, he progressed to an 11-side team, Rayo 13.^[9] He scored 55 goals in a season and was one of three Rayo 13 players to earn a trial with Atlético.^[9] He impressed the scouts and joined the club's youth system at the age of 11 in 1995.^[9]

Club career[link]

Atlético Madrid[link]

Torres arguing with referee Ralf Frubel during a match with Atlético Madrid in July 2006^[10]

After progressing through the ranks, Torres won his first important youth title in 1998.^[9] Atlético sent an under-15 team to compete in the Nike Cup, in Spain and Europe, to play against youth teams from other clubs; Atlético won the tournament.^[9][11] He was later voted the best player in Europe for the age group.^[11] In 1999, at the age of 15, Torres signed his first professional contract with Atlético.^[9] He spent his first year playing in the youth team and moved onto the participating in the Honor Division when he was 16.^[12] The 2000–01 season had started badly, as Torres suffered from a cracked shinbone which kept him out until December.^[12] Torres trained with the first team to get prepared for pre-season, but eventually made his debut for the team on 27 May 2001, at Vicente Calderón, against CD Leganés.^[12] A week later, he scored his first goal for the club against Albacete Balompié and the season finished with Atlético narrowly missing out on promotion to La Liga.^[12]

Atlético were promoted to La Liga at the end of the 2001–02 season, although Torres did not perform well in the season, as he netted only six times in 36 appearances in the Segunda División.^[13] Torres' first season in La Liga, 2002–03, was better, however, as he scored 13 goals in 29 appearances, with Atlético finishing in 11th place.^[12][13] In the 2003–04 season, his second in La Liga, Torres made further strides, scoring 19 league goals in 35 appearances,^[13] meaning he finished as joint third highest scorer in the league.^[14] At the age of 19, Torres was named Atlético's captain.^[11] Atlético narrowly missed out on qualification for the UEFA Cup, but by finishing in seventh place in the 2003–04 season, they qualified for the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup, giving Torres a first taste of a competition at the European level.^[15] He scored two goals in the two fourth round matches against OFK Beograd, with one coming in each leg.^[15] Atlético reached the Final, but lost 3–1 on a penalty shoot-out to Villarreal CF following a 2–2 draw on aggregate.^[15] FA Premier League champions Chelsea were believed to be interested in signing Torres during the summer of 2005, but Atlético president Enrique Cerezo said that they had "no chance" of signing him.^[16] Cerezo later said in January 2006 that the club was willing to listen to offers for Torres, and Torres claimed Newcastle United of the FA Premier League had made a bid to sign him in March.^[17][18]

He stated after the 2006 FIFA World Cup that he had turned down an offer to join Chelsea at the end of the 2005–06 season.^[19] Torres scored 14 league goals in the 2006–07 season.^[13] The English media reported that he was the main transfer target of Premier League Liverpool,^[20] but Cerezo stated "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player".^[21] However, a few days later, new reports suggested Atlético had agreed a deal with Liverpool for Torres; the fee was rumored to be £25 million with Luis García moving to Atlético in a separate transfer deal.^[22] On 30 June, Atlético announced a deal to sign Diego Forlán from Villarreal, in what was seen as a move to replace Torres before his departure became official.^[23] On 2 July, it was reported that Torres had cut short a vacation to fly back to Madrid to finalise the move to Liverpool.^[24] The following day, Torres passed a medical at Liverpool's Melwood training ground.^[25] He held a press conference in Madrid on 4 July to bid farewell to the Atlético fans, before completing his move to Liverpool on a six-year contract.^[25] The transfer fee was the highest in Liverpool's history.^[23] In March 2008, manager Rafael Benítez stated in an interview with The Times that Torres was acquired for around £20 million, although this figure takes into account García's move to Atlético.^[26]

Liverpool[link]

2007–08 season[link]

Torres made his competitive debut for Liverpool against Aston Villa in a 2–1 win on 11 August 2007.^[27] He made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League four days later in a 1–0 victory over Toulouse, after coming on as a 79th minute substitute.^[28] His first Premier League goal came on his Anfield debut on 19 August, in the 16th minute in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea.^[29] His first hat-trick came in a 4–2 victory over Reading in the League Cup in September, with all of his goals coming in the second half.^[30] His first goals in the Champions League came on his third appearance in the competition as Liverpool beat Porto 4–1, as he scored twice.^[31]

Torres playing for Liverpool against Middlesbrough on 23 February 2008, against whom he scored a hat-trick

He was named Premier League Player of the Month for February,^[32] during which he scored four goals in four appearances, including a hat-trick against Middlesbrough on 23 February 2008.^[33] This hat-trick and another in a 4–0 victory over West Ham United on 5 March 2008 meant he became the first Liverpool player since Jack Balmer in November 1946 to score a hat-trick in successive home matches.^[34] Later in March, after he scored a 47th minute header against Reading at Anfield, becoming the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995–96 season campaign to score 20 league goals in a season.^[35] In April, he scored another Champions League goal, this time against Arsenal in the quarter-final second leg, as Liverpool advanced to the semi-final.^[36] This goal took him onto 29 goals for the 2007–08 season in all competitions,^[33] eclipsing Michael Owen's personal record for goals in a season.^[37] On 11 April 2008, it was announced Torres had made a six man shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award,^[38] which was eventually won by Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.^[39] The Spanish international was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, which was won by Cesc Fàbregas of Arsenal and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.^[39] In May, he finished second to Ronaldo for the FWA Footballer of the Year award.^[40]

On 4 May 2008, Torres scored a 57th minute winner against Manchester City, which equalled the consecutive Anfield league goal record of eight games set by Roger Hunt.^[41] After scoring his 24th league goal in the final game of the season, a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, he set a new record for the most prolific foreign goal scorer ever in a debut season in England, eclipsing Ruud van Nistelrooy's 23 goals.^[33][42] He ended the season in joint second place with Emmanuel Adebayor in the race for the Premier League golden boot.^[43] Torres was subject to media speculation that Chelsea were willing to pay £50 million to sign him but Torres responded by saying it would be "many years" before he left Liverpool.^[44][45] Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks also negated the idea of a transfer, saying he would not allow Torres to leave the club at any price.^[46]

2008–09 season[link]

Torres celebreates scoring against Vålerenga Fotball on 5 August 2008

Torres made a promising start to the 2008–09 Premier League season, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Sunderland.^[47] He suffered what was later confirmed as a hamstring tear in a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa, which would keep him out for two to three weeks.^[48] Torres made his return in a 2–1 victory against Marseille in the Champions League and went on to score two goals in the Merseyside derby against Everton on 27 September to give Liverpool a 2–0 win.^[49][50] He followed this up with another two goals the following weekend against Manchester City in a 3–2 win away at the City of Manchester Stadium as Liverpool came back from a two goal deficit.^[51] The first of these was the thousandth Liverpool goal to be scored in the Premier League.^[52] Torres picked up a hamstring injury during a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier, meaning he was likely to miss three games for Liverpool.^[53] On 22 October, Liverpool played Torres' former club Atlético in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderón, but his injury meant he missed out on the game.^[54] The Atlético president, Enrique Cerezo, had given him a VIP invitation to watch the game, but he declined this to recover his rehabilitation from injury in Merseyside.^[55] He was named in the FIFPro World XI team for the 2007–08 season on 27 October.^[56]

Torres during Liverpool's 3–2 victory against Manchester City on 5 October 2008, in which he scored two goals

Torres made his return for Liverpool after coming on as a 72nd minute substitute in a 3–0 victory against West Bromwich Albion (West Brom).^[57] He said he would be interested in returning to former club Atlético eventually, saying "I don't know if I will retire there, but I would like to go back and finish some things that are left to do."^[58] He was ruled out of action for two to three weeks following Liverpool's 1–0 victory over Marseille in the Champions League in November, where he picked up a hamstring strain,^[59] which was later extended to at least four weeks by specialists.^[60] He was named on the shortlist for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in December,^[61] and eventually came in third place behind Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.^[62] Torres returned to action on 3 January 2009 as a substitute with a goal in the 2–0 win over Preston North End; his first in the FA Cup.^[63] He scored two late goals for Liverpool to secure a 2–0 victory over Chelsea on 1 February.^[64] Despite having spent a year and a half at the club, Torres was chosen as number 50 in The Times's list of "The 50 greatest Liverpool players", reinforcing the impact he had made at Liverpool in such a short period of time.^[65]

Torres faced his old rivals Real Madrid on 10 March in the Champions League last 16 and due to an ankle injury, he had a painkilling injection before the game to enable him to play.^[66] He scored the first goal of the game, which ended as a 4–0 victory, meaning Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals 5–0 on aggregate.^[67] Four days later he lined up against Manchester United at Old Trafford and he scored the equaliser in a game that finished as a 4–1 victory.^[68] He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second season running in April 2009.^[69] Torres scored his 50th goal for Liverpool on 24 May against Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the 2008–09 season, which was his 84th appearance.^[70]

2009–10 season[link]

Torres lines up before Liverpool's game against Wigan Athletic on 9 March 2010

Following the end of the season, he agreed a new contract with Liverpool,^[71] which he signed on 14 August.^[72] By signing this contract, Liverpool increased his wage to £110,000 a week and included the option of a one-year extension after its expiry in 2013.^[73] Torres scored two goals in a 3–2 win over West Ham United on 19 September 2009, a result that took Liverpool to third in the Premier League.^[74] A week later he scored his first hat-trick of the 2009–10 Premier League season in a 6–1 victory over Hull City at Anfield.^[75] He was named Premier League Player of the Month for September, after scoring five goals during the month and becoming the Premier League's top goalscorer.^[76] On 25 October, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 victory for Liverpool over Manchester United,^[77] after which Benítez praised Torres' performance, saying "We were waiting for that final pass. When it came we knew he would score."^[78] Torres was named in the FIFPro World XI for the second successive season in December.^[79] His stoppage-time winning goal against Aston Villa on 29 December 2009 made him the fastest Liverpool player ever to score 50 league goals.^[80] He was substituted on 65 minutes in a 1–1 draw with Birmingham City on 4 April 2010, which Benítez justified by saying Torres was "exhausted".^[81] Torres made his last appearance of the season scoring twice in a 4–1 victory over S.L. Benfica in the UEFA Cup on 8 April,^[82] and it was announced on 18 April that he would miss the rest of the season to undergo knee surgery.^[83] This meant that Torres finished the season with 22 goals in 32 games in all competitions, finishing as Liverpool's top scorer for the second time.^[82] His surname was the most popular name to feature on replica Premier League shirts sold across the world in the 2009–10 season.^[84]

2010–11 season[link]

Following Roy Hodgson's appointment as Liverpool manager he stated that Torres would not be sold by the club, saying "He is not for sale and we don't welcome any offers for him. We want to keep him."^[85] Hodgson dismissed reports Torres was set to leave Liverpool by saying "He has told us that he is looking forward to Monday, to getting back to work and looking forward to playing for Liverpool next season. That is what I know so other reports, I would suggest, are erroneous."^[86] Torres stated his commitment to Liverpool on 3 August, saying "My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed."^[87]

Torres in Liverpool away colours in a UEFA Europa League match against FC Utrecht on 30 September 2010

He made his first appearance of the 2010–11 season in the opening game, a 1–1 draw with Arsenal on 14 August, entering the game as a substitute in the 74th minute.^[88] He scored his first goal of the season with the winner in a 1–0 victory over West Brom on 29 August,^[89] which was his 50th goal in all competitions to be scored at Anfield.^[90] Torres scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory at home to Blackburn Rovers on 24 October, which was his first goal since August.^[91] He followed this up by scoring both goals in Liverpool's 2–0 win at home to Chelsea on 7 November.^[92] On 1 January 2011, Torres scored the equaliser in a 2–1 win at home to Bolton Wanderers.^[93] He scored his final goals for Liverpool in a 3–0 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 22 January.^[94]

Chelsea[link]

On 27 January, Torres was the subject of a £40 million bid from Chelsea, which was rejected by Liverpool.^[95] He subsequently handed in an official transfer request to Liverpool the next day, which was rejected.^[96] Torres completed his move to Chelsea on a five-and-a-half year contract on 31 January for an undisclosed fee reported to be £50 million, which set a new record for a British transfer and made him the sixth most expensive footballer in history.^[97] He made his Chelsea debut on 6 February in a 1–0 home defeat to former club Liverpool.^[98] On 23 April, Torres scored his first goal for Chelsea against West Ham United in a 3–0 victory, which ended a run of 903 minutes of football without a goal.^[99]

2011–12 season[link]

Torres playing for Chelsea in 2012

Torres got the 2011–12 season underway in Chelsea's 0–0 draw away against Stoke City, in which his "link-up play was sharp, plus he was willing to make intelligent runs into space to receive the ball".^[100] He scored his second goal at Chelsea, and his first of the season, on 18 September, during an away game against Manchester United, which was the side's only goal in a 3–1 defeat.^[101] He scored his second goal of the season against Swansea City in a 4–1 victory.^[102] However, 10 minutes after his goal, a two-footed challenge on Mark Gower resulted in his first red card in English football and a three-match domestic suspension.^[103][104] On 19 October, Torres scored two goals in a 5–0 victory against Genk in the Champions League, his first in Europe since the quarter-final of the 2008–09 Champions League with his old club Liverpool, against Chelsea.^[105] His next Chelsea goals came after scoring twice and also assisting two others against Championship side Leicester City in an FA Cup quarter-final on 18 March 2012, ending a goal drought that stretched 24 games.^[106] On 31 March 2012, Torres scored his first Premier League goal since 24 September 2011 against Aston Villa in a 4–2 away win.^[107]

Torres came on as a substitute for Didier Drogba on 24 April 2012 to score a last-minute goal against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, which gave Chelsea a 2–2 draw, and also eliminated Barcelona from the tournament, as Chelsea won 3–2 on aggregate.^[108] He scored the first hat-trick of his Chelsea career in a 6–1 win against Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge on 29 April.^[109] Torres came on in the second half of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, directly after Bayern Munich's opening goal, and was heavily involved with Didier Drogba's equalizer, earning the corner kick from which the Ivorian scored to bring the game into extra time.^[110]

International career[link]

In February 2001, Torres won the Algarve Tournament with the Spain national under-16 team.^[111] The under-16s took part in the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship in May, which they also won, with Torres scoring the only goal in the Final, as well as finishing as the tournament's leading scorer, and was also named the player of the tournament.^[11][13] In September 2001, Torres represented the under-17 team at the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship, but the team failed to progress through the group stage.^[13] In July 2002, he won the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship with the under-19 team and was again the only goalscorer in the Final.^[11] Also, he finished as top scorer and was named player of the tournament.^[13]

Torres made his debut for the senior Spanish national team on 6 September 2003 in a friendly against Portugal.^[13] His first goal for Spain came against Italy on 28 April 2004.^[13] He was selected for the Spanish squad for UEFA Euro 2004.^[13] After appearing as a late substitute in Spain's first two group games, he started for the deciding game against Portugal.^[13] Spain were losing 1–0 and, towards the end of the game, he hit the post.^[13]

Torres celebrating victory with Spain at UEFA Euro 2008

He scored seven goals in 11 appearances in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup,^[113] making him Spain's top scorer for qualification, including a vital two goals against Belgium and his first international hat-trick against San Marino.^[13] At his first ever appearance in a FIFA World Cup finals at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Torres scored the final goal in a 4–0 victory over Ukraine with a volley.^[114] In the second group match, Torres scored twice against Tunisia, first in the 76th minute to take Spain 2–1 into the lead, and then again from a penalty kick in the 90th.^[115] With three goals, he finished the tournament as Spain's top scorer along with fellow striker David Villa.^[116]

Torres scoring his goal against Sweden at UEFA Euro 2008

He was called up for Spain's UEFA Euro 2008 squad,^[117] where he set up Villa to score Spain's first goal of the tournament in the first game in the group stage against Russia.^[118] Torres came under criticism for apparently refusing to shake the hand of Spanish manager, Luis Aragonés, after being substituted.^[119] He subsequently denied being angry with the coaching, saying that he was actually "irritated with himself".^[119] He scored his first goal of the tournament in Spain's next game, a 2–1 win over Sweden.^[120] Torres scored the winner and was named the man of the match in the Final against Germany in a 1–0 victory.^[121][122] He said "It's just a dream come true. This is my first title and I hope it's the first of many. Victory in a Euro, it is almost as big as a World Cup. We are used to watching finals on television, but today we were here and we won. My job is to score goals. I want to win more titles and be the most important player in Europe and the world."^[123] He was later named as a striker along with his striking partner Villa in the Team of the Tournament.^[124]