2009 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
Australian Subaru driver Cody Crocker won his fourth successive title, the first driver to do so. Crocker's co-driver, Ben Atkinson likewise wrapped up the co-drivers title. Crocker scored 94 out of a possible 96 points to complete dominate the season.


2009 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
The Pacific Cup, decided over the first three rallies in the season was won by New Zealand pairing, Hayden Paddon and John Kennard. Crocker won the Asia Cup, held over the later four rallies of the season. Crocker's team mate, New Zealand driver Emma Gilmour finished second in the championship, moving past former champion Katsuhiko Taguchi at the final round to become the first woman to finish in the series top three positions. Subaru won the Manufacturers Cup.


2009 Asian Aerobic Gymnastics Championships
The 2009 Asian Aerobic Gymnastics Championships were the first edition of the Asian Aerobic Gymnastics Championships, and were held in Bangkok, Thailand from March 27 to March 29, 2009.


2009 Asian Airgun Championships
The 2009 Asian Airgun Championships were held in Doha, Qatar between December 16 and December 22, 2009. It acts as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore.


2009 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships
The 25th edition of the Men's Asian Amateur Boxing Championships were held from June 7 to June 13, 2009 in Zhuhai, China.


2009 Asian Archery Championships
The 2009 Asian Archery Championships was the 16th edition of the Asian Archery Championships. The event was held in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia from December 15 to December 21, 2009 and was organized by Asian Archery Federation.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships
The 18th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Guangzhou, China in 2009.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 10,000 metres
The men's 10,000 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 14.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 100 metres
The men's 100 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10–11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 100 metres, Results, Heats
Wind: Heat 1: -1.0 m/s, Heat 2: -1.1 m/s, Heat 3: -0.8 m/s, Heat 4: -0.5 m/s


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 110 metres hurdles
The men's 110 metres hurdles event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10–11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 1500 metres
The men's 1500 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10–11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 20 kilometres walk
The men's 20 kilometres walk event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held on November 12.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 200 metres
The men's 200 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12–13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 200 metres, Results, Heats
Wind: Heat 1: +1.9 m/s, Heat 2: +0.9 m/s, Heat 3: +0.9 m/s, Heat 4: +0.9 m/s


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase
The men's 3000 metres steeplechase event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay
The men's 4 × 100 metres relay event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12–14.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay
The men's 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 14.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10–11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres hurdles
The men's 400 metres hurdles event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12–13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 5000 metres
The men's 5000 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's 800 metres
The men's 800 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12–13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's decathlon
The men's decathlon event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12–13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's discus throw
The men's discus throw event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 14.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's hammer throw
The men's hammer throw event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's high jump
The men's high jump event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's javelin throw
The men's javelin throw event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 14.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's long jump
The men's long jump event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's pole vault
The men's pole vault event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's shot put
The men's shot put event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Men's triple jump
The men's triple jump event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 10,000 metres
The women's 10,000 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 14.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 100 metres
The women's 100 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10–11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 100 metres, Results, Heats
Wind: Heat 1: -0.5 m/s, Heat 2: -0.8 m/s, Heat 3: -1.1 m/s, Heat 4: 0.0 m/s


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 100 metres hurdles
The women's 100 metres hurdles event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10–11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 1500 metres
The women's 1500 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 20 kilometres walk
The women's 20 kilometres walk event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held on November 13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 200 metres
The women's 200 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12–13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 200 metres, Results, Heats
Wind:Heat 1: -0.6 m/s, Heat 2: +2.5 m/s, Heat 3: +0.5 m/s, Heat 4: +1.8 m/s


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase
The women's 3000 metres steeplechase event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay
The women's 4 × 100 metres relay event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12–14.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay
The women's 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 14.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 400 metres
The women's 400 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10–11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 400 metres hurdles
The women's 400 metres hurdles event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 5000 metres
The women's 5000-metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 800 metres
The women's 800 metres event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12–13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's discus throw
The women's discus throw event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's hammer throw
The women's hammer throw event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's heptathlon
The women's heptathlon event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10–11.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's high jump
The wmen's high jump event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 13.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw
The women's javelin throw event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's long jump
The women's long jump event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's pole vault
The women's pole vault event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 12.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's shot put
The women's shot put event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 10.


2009 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's triple jump
The women's triple jump event at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on November 11.


2009 Asian Baseball Championship
The 2009 Asian Baseball Championship is an international baseball competition that was held in Sapporo, Japan from July 27 to August 3, 2009. It was the 25th edition of the tournament and featured teams from China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand.


2009 Asian Baseball Championship, Qualification Tournament
Eight teams were featured in the qualifying tournament from May 25–30, 2009. In the end Indonesia advanced as the winning team to the B level competition in Narita, Japan.


2009 Asian Baseball Cup
The 2009 Asian Baseball Cup was hosted in Bangkok, Thailand after being scheduled to be held in the Philippines. The tournament was won by Indonesia in the final against Pakistan. Indonesia will continue to the 2009 Asian Baseball Championship.


2009 Asian Beach Volleyball Championships
The 2009 Asian Beach Volleyball Championship was a beach volleyball event, that was held from December 23 to 26, 2009 in Haikou, China.


2009 Asian Canoe Sprint Championships
The 2009 Asian Canoe Sprint Championships was the 13th Asian Canoe Sprint Championships and took place from September 26–29, 2009 in Azadi Lake, Tehran, Iran.


2009 Asian Championship of Ski Mountaineering
The 2009 Asian Championship of Ski Mountaineering (Chinese: 亚洲滑雪登山锦标赛) was the second edition of an Asian Championship of Ski Mountaineering.


2009 Asian Championship of Ski Mountaineering
The event was organized by the Asia Ski Mountaineering Federation (ASMF), and was the first officially sanctioned Asian Championship by the new International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF), which emerged from the ISMC in 2008. At this edition a vertical race and a relay race was added. So that the few female ski mountaineers could also participate in the relay race event, the teams were mixed with at least one female racer.


2009 Asian Championship of Ski Mountaineering
The championship was held at the Beidahu ski ressort in the Chinese Nagano Prefecture from February 10 to February 13, 2009. Participating were racers from China, South Korea and Japan.


2009 Asian Championship of Ski Mountaineering, Results, Vertical race
Event held on February 11, 2009; participating where racers from China, South Korea and Japan; course length: 720 metres


2009 Asian Championship of Ski Mountaineering, Results, Individual
Event held on February 12, 2009; course length: 1.900 metres; course of the female racers was 300 metres shortened


2009 Asian Championship of Ski Mountaineering, Results, Relay
Event held on February 12, 2009; mixed teams of at least one female (f) racer


2009 Asian Cross Country Championships
The 10th Asian Cross Country Championships took place on March 1, 2009 in Manama, Bahrain. Team rankings were decided by a combination of each nation's top three athletes finishing positions.


2009 Asian Cycling Championships
The 2009 Asian Cycling Championships took place at the Tenggarong Velodrome in Tenggarong and Samarinda, Indonesia from 14 to 20 August 2009.


2009 Asian Fencing Championships
The 2009 Asian Fencing Championships was held in Doha, Qatar from 14 November to 19 November, 2009.


2009 Asian Five Nations
For divisional competitions, see: 2009 Asian Five Nations division tournaments


2009 Asian Five Nations
The 2009 Asian Five Nations, known as the 2009 HSBC Asian 5 Nations due to its sponsorship by HSBC, was the second series of the rugby union Asian Five Nations, the flagship competition devised by the International Rugby Board to develop the sport in the Asian region. The tournament played a role in qualifying for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with Singapore, the last place team, being relegated to Division 1. As the 2010 edition will serve as the final round of Asian qualifying, Singapore is effectively eliminated.


2009 Asian Five Nations, Teams
The teams involved, with their world rankings pre tournament, were:


2009 Asian Five Nations division tournaments
For main Top 5 Division, see: 2009 Asian Five Nations


2009 Asian Five Nations division tournaments
The 2009 Asian Five Nations division tournaments, known as the 2009 HSBC Asian 5 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the HSBC, refer to the Asian Five Nations divisions played within the tournament. This was the 2nd series of the Asian Five Nations.


2009 Asian Five Nations division tournaments
There were three main divisions, with two further regional divisions. The winners of Division 1 would be promoted up to the Top Division for 2010, as will the winner of Division 2 being promoted to Division 1. The loser of Division 1, drops to Division 2. With the newly included Division 3, this also means the winner of Division 3 will replace the loser of Division 2 in 2010.


2009 Asian Five Nations division tournaments
Scoring system: 5 points for a win, three for a draw, one bonus point for being within seven points of the winning team, and one for four tries.


2009 Asian Five Nations division tournaments, Teams
The teams involved, with their world rankings pre tournament, were:


2009 Asian Five Nations division tournaments, Division 1
Division One served as the second round of qualifying for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, as the champion, Arabian Gulf, earned promotion to the Asian Five Nations for the 2010 season. The 2010 HSBC Asian Five Nations will be the final qualifying stage for the Asian representative at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.


2009 Asian Indoor Games
The 3rd Asian Indoor Games (Vietnamese: Đại hội Thể thao Trong nhà châu Á 2009) were held in Vietnam from 30 October till 8 November 2009.


2009 Asian Indoor Games, Mascot
The mascot of the 2009 event is the Ho chicken (Gà Hồ), a distinctly Vietnamese rare breed of chicken, familiar as a symbol in Vietnam. According to folklore, the chicken (particularly the roosters) have the five qualities of a man of honour: literacy, martial arts, physical strength, humanity and loyalty. The symbolism in the context of the AIGs is that the Gà Hồ rooster rising himself to welcome the sun is linked to the readiness of the sports industry of Vietnam to host this major event.


2009 Asian Indoor Games, Participating nations
All of OCA members participated in the Games, excluding: Pakistan, Palestine, & Timor-Leste. In the brackets are the total numbers of the athletes.


2009 Asian Indoor Games, Sports
The 2009 Asian Indoor Games did not feature indoor cycling, extreme sports and indoor hockey which were played in the previous games. All of the demonstration sports in the 2007 Asian Indoor Games namely, 3 on 3 basketball, kurash and kickboxing, were included in this year's Asian Indoor Games.


2009 Asian Judo Championships
The 2009 Asian Judo Championships were held at Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan from 23 May to 24 May 2009.


2009 Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships
The 15th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships 2009 were held in Jaipur, India, from  22 ‐ 26 July 2009. It was organised by the Table Tennis Federation of India under the authority of the Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU).


2009 Asian Karate Championships
The 2009 Asian Karate Championships are the 9th edition of the Asian Karate Championships, and were held in Nanhai Gymnasium, Foshan, China from September 25 to September 27, 2009.


2009 Asian Martial Arts Games
The 1st Asian Martial Arts Games were held in Bangkok, Thailand from August 1, 2009, to August 9, 2009, in 9 sports. Due to Political crisis in Thailand And 2009 Swine Flu, the Bangkok Asian Martial Arts Games Organizing Committee (BAMAGOC) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Thailand decided that Asian Martial Arts Games moved from the original schedule of April 25 to May 3 now on August 1 - 9.


2009 Asian Martial Arts Games, Emblem
The emblem comprises the letter "A" which stands for Asia that would include the Asian countries and population as well; while the letter "M" stands for Martial Arts Sports. The two connected letters are reflecting the meanings of modernity, activeness and simplicity; combining with the thoughts and cohesiveness of friendship and equality among the countries in Asia for the upcoming Martial Arts Games.


2009 Asian Martial Arts Games, Emblem
For the overall picture, it is a mixture of contemporary art, manifesting that Thailand is to act as the host of the Games. Red is the main color of the OCA, reflecting the color of the fight, standing for the color of the heart and colorizing the Asian art. Gold is the color of brightness of the Thai Kingdom and is the color for creativity and determination to organize the 1st Asian Martial Arts Games 2009.


2009 Asian Martial Arts Games, Mascot
"Hanuman" is a white – creamy super monkey and considers it as the God of the ape which has every kind of fighting skill with strong determination of great success.


2009 Asian Martial Arts Games, Mascot
The Organizing Committee uses "Hanuman Yindee" as the Mascot as it wants to convey the message of the word "Yindee" which means proudness and gratification. Furthermore, the Organizing Committee is using the word "Yindee" as to extend to everybody a warm welcome and a chance of making continuous friendship and solidarity throughout the entire peoples of Asia.


2009 Asian Martial Arts Games, Participating nations
37 out of the 45 Asian countries took part. Iran, North Korea, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Timor-Leste did not compete. Iran, a favourite for a spot at the top of the leader board pulled out of the contest after fears of catching swine flu forced the Iranian National Olympic Committee to advise the country pull out of the contest. Palestine, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan did not have any competitors at the games but their athletes still counted in the draw in Taekwondo because of their late withdrawal.


2009 Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship
The 2009 Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship was the 10th staging of the AVC Club Championships. The tournament was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.


2009 Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship, Pools composition
The teams are seeded based on their final ranking at the 2008 Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship.


2009 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship
The 2009 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship was held from September 27 to October 5, 2009 in Manila, Philippines.


2009 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship, Pools composition
The teams are seeded by addition of ranking of 2007 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship and FIVB World Rankings divided by 2.


2009 Asian Netball Championships
The 2009 Asian Netball Championship was the seventh edition of the Asian Netball Championship, a quadrennial Asian netball championship co-ordinated by the Asian Federation of Netball Associations (AIFNA), inaugurated in 1985. Nine nations competed in the tournament with the Sri Lanka taking out their fourth Asian Championship over Singapore.


2009 Asian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
The 4th Seniors Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships was held in Astana, Kazakhstan during 15 – 18 October 2009.


2009 Asian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, Results, Team
The team final was held on 16 October 2010. The team final score was the total of top 10 scores.


2009 Asian Speed Skating Championships
The 2009 Asian Speed Skating Championships were held between 4 January and 5 January 2009 at the Tomakomai Highland Sports Center in Tomakomai, Hokkaidō.


2009 Asian Swimming Championships
The 8th Asian Swimming Championships were held November 25–28, 2009 in Foshan, China. It featured 38 different events (19 male, 19 female), all of which were contested in a 50m (long course) pool.


2009 Asian Swimming Championships, Participating countries
174 swimmers (102 males, 72 females) from 15 countries swam at the Championships. Teams were from:


2009 Asian Swimming Championships, Event schedule
Prelims (morning) sessions began at 9:00 a.m., Finals (evening) sessions began at 7:30 p.m.


2009 Asian Table Tennis Championships
The 2009 Asian Table Tennis Championships were held in Lucknow, India from 16 to 22 November 2009.


2009 Asian Tour
The 2009 Asian Tour was the 15th season of the modern Asian Tour, the main men's professional golf tour in Asia excluding Japan, since it was established in 1995. Prize money for the season exceeded US$39 million and Thongchai Jaidee topped the Order of Merit for the third time with US$981,932.


2009 Asian Tour, Tournament results
The number in brackets after each winner's name is the number of Asian Tour events he had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for Asian Tour members.


2009 Asian Tour, Tournament results
Only 50% of the prize money from major championships and World Golf Championships are counted towards the Order of Merit, but are not shown below.


2009 Asian Tour, Leading money winners
There is a complete list on the official site .


2009 Asian Weightlifting Championships
The 2009 Asian Weightlifting Championships were held in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan between May 11 and May 15, 2009. It was the 40th men's and 21st women's championship.


2009 Asian Weightlifting Championships, Medal table
Ranking by all medals: Big (Total result) and Small (Snatch and Clean & Jerk)


2009 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship
The 2009 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship was the 10th staging of the AVC Club Championships. The tournament was held in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.


2009 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship, Pools composition
The teams are seeded based on their final ranking at the 2008 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship.


2009 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship, Pools composition
Thailand (Host & 2nd) North Korea (4th) Chinese Taipei Iran Uzbekistan


2009 Asian Women's Junior Handball Championship
The 2009 Asian Women's Junior Handball Championship (10th tournament) took place in Bangkok from 13 August–18 August. It acts as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2010 Women's Junior World Handball Championship.


2009 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship
The 2009 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship was held in Hanoi, Vietnam from September 5 to September 13, 2009. 14 teams participated in the tournament.


2009 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship, Pools composition
The teams are seeded based on their final ranking at the 2007 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship.


2009 Asian Women's Youth Handball Championship
The 2009 Asian Women's Youth Handball Championship (3rd tournament) took place in Amman from 4 July–9 July. It acts as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2010 Youth Summer Olympics in Singapore and the 2010 Women's Youth World Handball Championship.


2009 Asian Wrestling Championships
The 2009 Asian Wrestling Championships were held in Pattaya, Thailand. The event took place from May 2 to May 7, 2009.


2009 Asian Youth Games
The 2009 Asian Youth Games or AYG 2009 (Malay: Sukan Belia Asia 2009, Sukan Belia Asia Dua Ribu Sembilan; Chinese: 2009亚洲青年运动会, Liǎngqiānjiǔ Yàzhōu Qīngnián Yùndònghuì; Tamil: 2009 ஆசிய இளைஞர் விளையாட்டுகள், Iraṇṭāyirattu Oṉpatu Āciya Iḷaiñar Viḷaiyāṭṭukaḷ) officially the 1st Asian Youth Games (Malay: Sukan Belia Asia Pertama; Chinese: 第一的亚洲青年运动会, Dìyīde Yàzhōu Qīngnián Yùndònghuì; Tamil: முதலில் ஆசிய இளைஞர் விளையாட்டுகள், Mutalil Āciya Iḷaiñar Viḷaiyāṭṭukaḷ) and commonly as Singapore 2009 (Malay: Singapura 2009, Singapura Dua Ribu Sembilan; Chinese: 新加坡2009, Xīnjiāpō Liǎngqiānjiǔ; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் 2009, Ciṅkappūr Iraṇṭāyirattu Oṉpatu), was held in Singapore from 29 June to 7 July 2009 in over 90 sporting events.


2009 Asian Youth Games
The plan for the Asian Youth Games was part of Singapore's bid to stage the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics (YOG). The purpose was to allow youths to use the chance to benchmark their performances against youth teams from Asian nations. The Games also provided Singapore with an opportunity to test organisational and logistical capabilities in advance of the 2010 YOG. The organisation of the Games, spearheaded by the Singapore Sports Council, cost S$15 million, which was part of the $130 million for YOG.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Torch relay
The 1st Asian Youth Games torch relay started on 28 June morning with the Community and Corporate Leg. The flame lighting ceremony was held on 28 June at the Kallang Waterfront. The flame is then carried across the island in buses to arrive at the start of the three routes, named after the Olympic values of Friendship, Excellence and Respect. A total of 70 torchbearers were involved in day one of the relay.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Torch relay
The torch relay resumed on 29 June for the Schools leg, with the flame travelling to 45 schools around Singapore, where over a hundred runners had the honour of carrying the torch.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Torch relay
The relay ended at the Singapore Indoor Stadium where three athletes ran in with the torches and light the cauldron as part of the Opening Ceremony celebrations.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Branding, Theme song
The theme song entitled Asia's Youth, Our Future was unveiled on 19 March 2009.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Branding, Theme song
The song carries the message of hope and friendship and was composed by musician Iskandar Ismail, and written jointly by Jose Raymond and Hoo Cher Liek.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Branding, Emblem
The official emblem of the 2009 Asian Youth Games was unveiled on 14 November 2008 and designed by Brainwave Design. The logo, as described by Olympic Council of Asia, represents excellence and victory that the athletes will bring during the Games.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Branding, Mascot
Frasia, which means Friends of Asia, is the name of the official mascot for the 1st Asian Youth Games. The mascot embodies the values and spirit of the Asian Youth Games. The sprightly lion exemplifies friendship, respect and excellence. It constitutes a spirited representation of young hearts and minds in pursuit of sporting excellence.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Branding, Stamps
Many countries' postal services have also released stamps, such as Uzbekistan.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Broadcast
The sports events were broadcast 'live' primarily via the official website through 4 concurrent 'live' streams during the games period. It was the first multi-sport event to receive approval from the Olympic Council of Asia to provide broadcast coverage of all the sports events completely via digital channels. Singapore's television channel, MediaCorp Channel 5 provided daily highlights of the Games. StarHub TV had 4 dedicated TV channels to provide coverage for the Games.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Broadcast
The opening ceremony was broadcast 'live' via the website. In addition, Video On-Demand Clips capturing key sporting highlights of the various games were made available.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Venues
The Asian Youth Games and the 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games are expected to use the same competition venues.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Venues
NTUC Downtown East originally was the planned Games Village for athletes and officials. However, a decision was made to move the Games Village to central Singapore at Swissotel The Stamford. The change was made as NTUC Downtown East does not have enough beds for the athletes. Due to the H1N1 outbreak, Swissotel The Stamford catered the ninth floor to suspect cases in athletes.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Opening ceremony
Themed Asia's Youth, Our Future, the inaugural Asian Youth Games opening ceremony on 29 June was held in the Singapore Indoor Stadium. More than 1,400 performers from 20 schools and tertiary institutions took part in the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was graced by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Representatives from the Olympic Council of Asia and the Singapore National Olympic Council were also present. There were three segments which were showcased: 'Asia's Zest', 'Garden in the City', and 'Spirit Of Evolution'. The AYG cauldron was lit by three Singaporean young athletes, Tao Li (swimming), Remy Ong (bowling), and Jasmine Ser (shooting).


2009 Asian Youth Games, Participating nations
The Singapore Asian Youth Games 2009 saw an estimated 1,300 athletes aged between 14 and 17 from 43 countries competing in more than 80 sporting events.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Sports
Attempts were made to stage all 26 YOG sports but, due to time and resource constraints, Singapore and the Olympic Council of Asia trimmed it to nine.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Sports
There were a total of 9 sports, the 8 that the Singapore and the Olympic Council of Asia trimmed down from the 26 YOG sports as well as an addition sport of Bowling which is not an official Olympics Sport.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Incidents
An athlete from Philippines who was participating in the football matches came down with H1N1 flu, causing the Group A football preliminary match between Philippines and Chinese Taipei due to be played at Meridian Junior College at 5pm (1700hrs) on 20 June 2009 to be suspended till further notice. The player's condition is stable, according to the AYG2009 website.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Incidents
Four cases of H1N1 flu virus were discovered from the Hong Kong booters on 22 June.


2009 Asian Youth Games, Incidents
Malaysia has withdrawn most of its athletes (with the exception of their sailors) due to concerns over the H1N1 outbreak.


2009 Asian Youth Para Games
The 2009 Asian Youth Para Games (Japanese: 2009年アジアユースパラゲームズ, romanized: Nisenkyū-Nen Ajiayūsuparagēmuzu), officially known as the 1st Asian Youth Para Games,  was an Asian youth disabled multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan from 10 to 13 September 2009. Around 466 athletes from 29 participating nations participated at the games which featured 6 sports consisted of 5 main sports and 1 demonstration sport.


2009 Asian Youth Para Games
This was the first time Japan hosted the games. Japan is the first nation to host the Asian Youth Para Games. The games was opened and closed by Akihito at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.


2009 Asian Youth Para Games
The final medal tally was led by host Japan, followed by Iran and China.


2009 Asian Youth Para Games, Organisation, Development and preparation
The Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Para Games Organising Committee (TAYPOC) was formed to oversee the staging of the games.


2009 Assam bombings
The 2009 Assam serial blasts occurred on 6 April 2009 in the Maligaon and Dhekiajuli areas of the Assamese capital Guwahati on the eve of the Assamese Rajya Sabha MP and Indian Prime Minister's visit to address poll rallies. It also came during the campaigning phase of the 2009 Indian general election.


2009 Assam bombings, Background
In the light of 2008's attacks around the country, particularly the Mumbai attacks, as well as other bombings in Assam in both 2008 and New Year's Day 2009, this adds to the instability of the insurgency-racked Seven Sister States. After the Mumbai attacks security in the country was a major concern due to the elections. This led to a vociferous debate in the country of the ability to manage security along with the elections.


2009 Assam bombings, Background, Follow-up
Earlier in the day suspected members of the militant outfit Karbi Longri National Liberation Front exploded a bomb near a BSF camp at Jengpha in the central Karbi Anglong district. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also scheduled to hold a poll rally in the district headquarters of Diphu, which itself was cancelled from the previous day due to unspecified reasons.


2009 Assam bombings, Bomb attacks
The DGP of Assam said 7 were killed and 56 injured in the Maligaon blast at around 14:00 IST. The blast also sparked a fire that set ablaze two cars and 20 motorcycles as it spread to a three-storey building housing the area police station.


2009 Assam bombings, Bomb attacks
Hours later, five people were reported injured in the Dhekiajuli blast that was, according to reports, planted on a cycle. Six were killed at the blast site, while one succumbed to injuries after jumping from an adjacent building which had caught fire.


2009 Assam bombings, Perpetrators
Though it was still too early to point any fingers the media said "suspected ULFA militants" had a hand in carrying out this attack. Assam DGP J M Srivastav said that "this is the handiwork of ULFA boys ahead of the outfit's 'Raising Day,'" while adding that the militants used hi-tech explosives.


2009 Assam bombings, Reactions
Assam CM Tarun Gogoi immediately acknowledged a lapse in security, saying the attack could have been prevented.


2009 Assembly of Experts by-election in Tehran Province
A by-election was held on 12 June 2009 for the vacant seat of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran Province, caused by death of Mohammad-Hassan Marashi. It was held along with the 2009 Iranian presidential election.


2009 Assembly of Experts by-election in Tehran Province
The seat was won by Mahmoud Alavi, who gained more than 2.6 millions out of 5.8 millions of votes cast. He was not supported by major clerical organizations, The Two Societies had endorsed Mohammad-Ali Taskhiri.


2009 Assen Superbike World Championship round
The 2009 Assen Superbike World Championship round will be the fourth round of the 2009 Superbike World Championship season. It took place on the weekend of April 24–26, 2009 at the TT Circuit Assen located in Assen, Netherlands.


2009 Astana season
The 2009 season for the Astana cycling team began in January with the Tour Down Under and ended in October with the Giro di Lombardia. As a UCI ProTour team, they were automatically invited to and obliged to attend every UCI ProTour event, and were invited to every event in the inaugural UCI World Calendar as well.


2009 Astana season
With a strong identity as a stage racing team, Astana's leaders in 2009 were Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer, and Lance Armstrong, who returned to competitive cycling in 2009 after a four-year absence. The team's manager up through the Tour de France was Johan Bruyneel.


2009 Astana season
The team's biggest success in 2009 was Contador's overall victory in the Tour de France. Elsewhere, their main successes in 2009 were in small stage races, with Contador winning the Volta ao Algarve and the Vuelta al País Vasco as well as two stages in Paris–Nice, and Leipheimer winning the Tour of California and the Vuelta a Castilla y León. The team also won the team classification at numerous events. The team failed to live up to lofty expectations in the Giro d'Italia; Leipheimer was widely considered a favorite for victory, as was Armstrong before a collarbone injury sustained weeks before, but Leipheimer finished sixth overall and the team did not win any stage.


2009 Astana season
Away from competition, the team's season was marked by financial troubles with their sponsors in the Kazakhstani government, which threatened the team's makeup and very existence for a time. The return of Alexander Vinokourov from retirement and a ban for doping, which ended just as the 2009 Tour de France did, changed the team's makeup for 2010.


2009 Astana season, One-day races, Spring classics
By their own admission, Astana did not aim for the classics. Astana's first one-day race of the season was Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Their best-placed rider was Michael Schär in 35th. Aside from their one podium finish, with Maxim Iglinsky in E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, the seventh place attained by Daniel Navarro in the Gran Premio di Lugano was the team's best result in a one-day race in the spring season. Through Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, Milan – San Remo (which saw the participation of Armstrong), the Tour of Flanders, Gent–Wevelgem, Paris–Roubaix, the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège they did not have a rider finish higher than 16th (Assan Bazayev in Milan – San Remo)


2009 Astana season, One-day races, Fall races
Astana raced a light schedule in the fall, with the pinnacle of their season having come at the Tour de France. The team sent squads to the Clásica de San Sebastián, Vattenfall Cyclassics, the GP Ouest-France, the Giro dell'Emilia, the GP Beghelli, the Giro del Piemonte, and the Giro di Lombardia. Their best results from this crop of races came from Alexander Vinokourov, who finished seventh in Lombardy and fifth in the Giro dell'Emilia.


2009 Astana season, Stage races
The first event in which the team participated in 2009 was the Tour Down Under. As it was Armstrong's first event back after four years of retirement, he made many headlines and was even specially promoted on the event's webpage, though neither he nor the team were especially competitive in the event. Armstrong finished 29th overall, with the same time as Jesús Hernández in 28th as the best-placed Astana riders. The team did not finish in the top ten in any stage.


2009 Astana season, Stage races
In February, the team competed in the Tour of California, where Leipheimer won the individual time trial in Solvang and the Tour itself for the third straight year. The team also won the teams classification. While the Tour of California was ongoing, the team sent another eight-man squad including Contador and Andreas Klöden to the Volta ao Algarve. Contador and Klöden were first and third, respectively, in the time trial in Stage 4, giving Contador the overall lead which he retained through the conclusion of the race the next day.


2009 Astana season, Stage races
At Paris–Nice in March, Contador appeared well in line to repeat his victory there from two years prior, winning the opening individual time trial  and the mountainous sixth stage. He dramatically faltered in Stage 7, however, losing the yellow jersey and three minutes to Luis León Sánchez, and ultimately finishing fourth. He was unable to chase down Sánchez because of what was later blamed on dietary problems. The team experienced both success and hardship in the Vuelta a Castilla y León later in the month. Leipheimer won the event overall, with Contador having ridden the event in support for him.


2009 Astana season, Stage races
The first day, however, Armstrong was involved in a crash and taken to the hospital with was later revealed as a fractured clavicle. The injury was thought to take away from Armstrong's previously high odds to win the Giro d'Italia, and there was briefly speculation that he would even pull out of the Giro because of the injury.


2009 Astana season, Stage races
In April, Contador claimed a convincing victory in the Vuelta al País Vasco, taking the race lead by winning the mountainous Stage 3 and dominating the final time trial. Though they did not race as Astana due to UCI rules, Armstrong, Leipheimer, and Chris Horner took part in the Tour of the Gila at the end of April and early May in what was Armstrong's first race back from the collarbone injury, with Leipheimer and Armstrong finishing in the top two places. With a squad made up of riders that normally ride in support for others, the team took a stage win (Klöden) and second overall (Janez Brajkovič) in the Giro del Trentino, also in April.


2009 Astana season, Stage races
Astana participated in the Volta a Catalunya in May, while the Giro d'Italia was ongoing. The team did not win any stage, but Haimar Zubeldia took third overall in the event, and the team won the teams classification. In the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré in June, Contador was thought to be a favorite for victory, but he did not seem to try his hardest to win, not attacking or taking any pulls on the mountainous Stage 5 and seeming to work for Alejandro Valverde on the race's last two days. The team next took part in the Tour de Suisse, with Klöden in fourth their highest-placed rider.


2009 Astana season, Stage races
Astana sent squads to the Brixia Tour, the Tour de Pologne, the Tour of Ireland, the Eneco Tour, the Tour of Missouri, and Franco–Belge, but did not obtain a stage win, podium finish, or classification victory in any of them. The squad sent to the Tour de l'Ain was more successful. Chris Horner obtained the race lead after the individual time trial in stage 3B, which was won by Alexander Vinokourov riding for the Kazakh national team. Though Horner fell to second behind Tour de l'Ain champion Rein Taaramäe the next day as the race concluded, he did win the points classification.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Giro d'Italia
Astana was one of 22 teams which participated in the Giro d'Italia. Contador chose to skip the Giro, despite his status as reigning champion, in order to concentrate on the Tour de France. The squad Astana sent to the Giro included Armstrong, in his first Grand Tour since the 2005 Tour de France and first ever Giro, and Leipheimer, who was considered to be a favorite to win the event. Support riders on the squad included Yaroslav Popovych, Chris Horner, and Janez Brajkovič.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Giro d'Italia
The team started well, coming in third place in the team time trial in Stage 1, putting Leipheimer and Armstrong 13 seconds off the race lead. In the first mountain stage three days later, Leipheimer finished with Popovych and Horner with the same time as stage winner Danilo Di Luca, while Armstrong lost 15 seconds. The next day, Armstrong lost nearly three minutes and effectively lost any chance in the General Classification, while Leipheimer remained within ten seconds of stage winner Denis Menchov.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Giro d'Italia
Leipheimer was fourth overall after that stage and remained there until Stage 12, the very long and irregular individual time trial in Cinque Terre, where he was the only rider within a minute of the winning time put up by Menchov and moved to third overall. Horner withdrew from the race after Stage 10, after sustaining a leg injury that for a time prevented him from even being able to stand.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Giro d'Italia
Leipheimer would fall from a podium position days later, though. After stages won by sprinters and breakaways, Stage 16, with a summit finish at Monte Petrano, was the next real test for riders aiming for the General Classification. Leipheimer was dropped by other leading riders on the climb and wound up losing almost three minutes on the stage, to fall to sixth overall. With their GC hopes all but dashed, Astana decided to try for stage wins on the remaining mountain days in the Giro.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Giro d'Italia
Armstrong attacked on Stage 17 and got clear of the leading group, but was unable to bridge to the man in first position on the road, Franco Pellizotti, who went on to win the stage. Ultimately, Astana did not win any stage at the Giro, but they did win the Trofeo Fast Team, beating Team Columbia–High Road by over 24 minutes.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Tour de France
The team was one of 20 to receive an invitation to the Tour de France. Contador, Leipheimer, and Armstrong were all named to the team. There was much speculation and controversy, which began when Armstrong first signed with the team, over who would be the team's protected rider in the Tour. Though Armstrong's express goal in returning from retirement was to win an eighth Tour de France, Contador had won his last three Grand Tours and insisted that he deserved leadership of the team and hinted that he might leave if forced to support Armstrong. Bruyneel assured Contador that he would be the leader before the season began. Contador was also publicly named team leader shortly before the Tour began.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Tour de France
The team showed well in the Stage 1 individual time trial, with Contador, Klöden, Leipheimer, and Armstrong all finishing in the top ten, and Contador just 19 seconds off the time put up by stage winner Fabian Cancellara. Two days later, a surprising move made by Team Columbia–HTC resulted in the field being split, as eight members of that team pushed a 28-man breakaway toward the finish line ahead of the main peloton.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Tour de France
Armstrong, Popovych, and Zubeldia were in the first group, as Popovych and Zubeldia had helped to drive the break, while Leipheimer, Contador, and the other members of the team were in the second group 41 seconds back. This resulted in Armstrong rising to third overall and displacing Contador as the team's best-placed rider. Speculation ensued that this move was meant to firmly install Armstrong as the team's leader, and Contador was visibly stunned by the stage result when interviewed afterward.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Tour de France
Astana won the Stage 4 team time trial the next day, putting Armstrong a mere 22/100ths of a second off the race lead and Contador, Klöden, and Leipheimer behind him third through fifth, with Zubeldia also in the top ten at seventh. After a couple of sprinter-friendly stages where the main contenders stuck together out of trouble, the high mountain Stage 7 shook the standings, and Astana, again. Coming to the finish line, a group of overall contenders was in ninth position on the road, as remnants of the morning's breakaway were scattered ahead of them.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Tour de France
Instead of finishing as a cohesive group, Contador attacked from this group and gained 21 seconds, putting him ahead of Armstrong as Astana's best-placed rider again, though both were within 8 seconds of new race leader Rinaldo Nocentini. Armstrong said of Contador's attack that it "wasn't really the plan," but that he was nonetheless unsurprised by it. The team was dealt a major blow in Stage 12, when Leipheimer, after crashing with Cadel Evans in the final kilometers of the stage, was forced to leave the Tour with a broken wrist.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Tour de France
Stage 15 proved to be a crucial one, as the Tour entered Switzerland in a stage with many high mountain climbs. With about three kilometers gone by in an 8.8 km final climb to Verbier, Contador attacked and got free of the leading group, that included Klöden and Armstrong, soloing to the line for the stage win and the yellow jersey. Armstrong said after the stage that he had given it everything he had in the climb and Contador was simply the stronger rider; it was seen as settling any lingering controversy over the squad's leader and protected rider.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Tour de France
Contador all but cemented the Tour title by winning the time trial in Annecy in Stage 18, just beating out Cancellara to post the day's best time. Armstrong gained a little over a minute on Fränk Schleck by finishing 16th, and climbed back into a podium position, third, with the result. The two finished the Tour in those positions after holding them on Mont Ventoux, and then riding home safely in the Tour's largely ceremonial finale in Stage 21.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Vuelta a España
The team was one of 22 to receive an invite to the Vuelta a España. After having first been named only as a reserve, the returning Alexander Vinokourov was named to the squad five days before the race began.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Vuelta a España
Astana's Vuelta was a quiet one. Vinokourov placed in the top ten of the opening individual time trial but he fell out of the top ten of the overall standings the next day due to a crash. Haimar Zubeldia's 18th-place finish on stage 8, which was the Vuelta's first high mountain stage, propelled him into eighth overall until the next day, when he lost time and fell to ninth. In stage 10, Vinokourov figured in a winning breakaway, but his poor positioning in the four-man sprint finish meant the stage victory went to Cervélo TestTeam's Simon Gerrans.


2009 Astana season, Grand Tours, Vuelta a España
Before stage 12, Astana held ninth overall. They continued to hold it after the stage, but the rider in that position changed; Zubeldia had been in the top ten, but finished further behind stage winner Ryder Hesjedal than Daniel Navarro, so it was Navarro who was the team's highest-placed rider after the stage. After the next two stages, Navarro also fell from the top ten, and the team did not achieve anything further, with Navarro in 13th their highest-placed rider in the race's final standings.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Financial troubles
Shortly before the beginning of the Giro d'Italia, it was reported that many of the team's sponsors in Kazakhstan had not paid their full obligations to the team, and that most of the riders had been underpaid to that point in the season as a result. One sponsor, the Kazkhstani state carrier Air Astana, dropped its sponsorship entirely. There was concern that the team itself may fold, as UCI ProTour teams must meet certain financial parameters to stay active, or risk losing their UCI license.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Financial troubles
In protest to the underpayment by the team's sponsors, the team decided to change their jersey a week into the Giro. The new jersey was revealed on May 15, the date of Stage 7 when the Giro returned to Italy from Austria, as having the names of the underpaying sponsors faded out to the point of being unreadable. Of the nine Astana riders in the Giro, eight wore the new jerseys - Andrey Zeits, who is from Kazakhstan, was the only one to stay with the original jersey. The squad at the concurrent Volta a Catalunya did not wear the faded jerseys.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Financial troubles
It was announced on June 19 that the situation had been resolved, with the Kazakh Cycling Federation agreeing to pay what the sponsors were indebted to the team. The team reverted to its normal jerseys in the Tour de France, with nothing faded out.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Financial troubles
Shortly after this announcement, rumors circulated that Garmin–Slipstream had been close to signing Contador away from the team, should the Kazakhstani government have failed to pay its obligations and the team defaulted to the ownership of Armstrong or Bruyneel. Other unspecified Spanish Astana riders were also said to be close to jumping to the American team to follow Contador. Garmin team manager Jonathan Vaughters refused to address the rumors, saying that all negotiations are confidential until finalized, but Contador himself commented in September that he had been close to switching before the 2009 Tour began.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Return of Alexander Vinokourov and departure of Johan Bruyneel
While riding for Astana in the 2007 Tour de France, Alexander Vinokourov tested positive for blood doping, causing the entire team to be removed from the race and Vinokourov to retire after being banned from the sport by his national federation and the UCI. After confirming in October 2008 his intention to return to competitive cycling, Vinokourov stated on the eve of the 2009 Tour de France that he would rejoin Astana, the team he believes was created expressly for him, at the expiration of his two-year ban on July 24. He indicated that Astana manager Johan Bruyneel will be bound by the team's sponsors to accept him, or else Bruyneel would be forced from the team. Bruyneel publicly stated in April 2008 that he did not want Vinokourov on a team he ran.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Return of Alexander Vinokourov and departure of Johan Bruyneel
The next day, it was further revealed that not only Bruyneel stood to be forced from the team according to Vinokourov, but also Armstrong and other riders from the former Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. The team would be built around Vinokourov and Contador, who would be able to choose which riders he wanted his teammates. It would contain almost exclusively Kazakhstani and Spanish riders, in the image of the former Liberty Seguros team, for which Contador previously rode. The matter was even addressed by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. The new team organization would be in place by the Vuelta a España, which Vinokourov would ride.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Return of Alexander Vinokourov and departure of Johan Bruyneel
On 21 July, with Contador, Armstrong and Klöden holding three of the top four places in the Tour de France, Bruyneel told Belgian channel VRT that Astana as currently constituted was "finished" and that he would be leaving the team, as Vinokourov and the Kazakh federation had discussed, after the season.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Return of Alexander Vinokourov and departure of Johan Bruyneel, Disposition of riders for 2010
In the wake of Bruyneel's announcement about leaving Astana during the Tour, Contador said that he would not consider his future until after the race was over. On 23 July, Lance Armstrong announced the formation of a new U.S. cycling team, Team RadioShack, for 2010. Whether Bruyneel would take part in this venture was not addressed at the time, but Armstrong then announced Bruyneel's participation on 25 August.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Return of Alexander Vinokourov and departure of Johan Bruyneel, Disposition of riders for 2010
On 31 July, Contador's agent announced that Contador had turned down an offer to remain with Astana under a new four-year contract because he had felt uncomfortable being caught between the Kazakhs on one side and Bruyneel on the other, and he was hoping to leave Astana before his contract expired in 2010. However, on 11 August, Contador's close friend Sergio Paulinho accepted a two-year contract with Team RadioShack, indicating that Contador might not be able to leave Astana as he and his agent wished. This was confirmed on 15 August, when a spokesperson for the Kazakh sponsors of Astana said that they intended to sponsor the Astana team on the UCI ProTour through 2013 and that they intended to enforce the last year of Contador's contract with Astana in 2010.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Return of Alexander Vinokourov and departure of Johan Bruyneel, Disposition of riders for 2010
Once Bruyneel's move to Team RadioShack was confirmed, the squad began filling with transfers from the 2009 Astana team. In addition to Armstrong and Paulinho, Tomas Vaitkus and Gregory Rast joined Team RadioShack as one-day classics specialists, and Jose Luis "Chechu" Rubiera joined for Grand Tour support. On September 1, Levi Leipheimer's move to Team RadioShack was confirmed and on October 2, Andreas Klöden's move was confirmed. On October 4, Chris Horner also signed with Team RadioShack for two years. On October 15, Yaroslav Popovich's move was also confirmed.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Return of Alexander Vinokourov and departure of Johan Bruyneel, Disposition of riders for 2010
It was also reported that Haimar Zubeldia was to remain with Astana, on order from Contandor, though for unclear reasons this changed, as Zubeldia's transfer to Team RadioShack was confirmed weeks later. With Dimitry Muravyev's transfer, Astana's entire 2009 Tour de France squad, Contador aside, had moved to Armstrong's new team.


2009 Astana season, Away from competition, Return of Alexander Vinokourov and departure of Johan Bruyneel, Disposition of riders for 2010
Two other Astana riders moved with former Discovery Channel rider George Hincapie to team BMC for 2010: Steve Morabito and Michael Schär.


2009 Atlanta Braves season
The 2009 Atlanta Braves season was the 44th season in Atlanta and the 139th overall. The Braves were once again skippered by Bobby Cox, then in his 24th season managing the team. It was the Braves' 44th season in Atlanta, and the 138th season overall for the franchise.


2009 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases


2009 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts


2009 Atlanta Dream season
The 2009 WNBA season was the 2nd season for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Dream qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, they were eliminated by the Detroit Shock in a sweep in the first round.


2009 Atlanta Dream season, Offseason, Dispersal Draft
Based on the Dream's 2008 record, they would pick 1st in the Houston Comets dispersal draft. The Dream picked Sancho Lyttle.


2009 Atlanta Dream season, Offseason, WNBA Draft
The following are the Dream selections in the 2009 WNBA Draft.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2009 Atlanta Falcons season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League. The team looked to match or improve upon their 11–5 record from 2008 and return to the playoffs, however, the Falcons were eliminated from contention in Week 15 for the first time since 2007, after the Dallas Cowboys upset the New Orleans Saints. Despite not making the playoffs, the team, with a record of 9–7, posted consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. The only Falcon this year to play in the Pro Bowl was Roddy White. He finished the game with 8 catches and 84 yards.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, 2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was held on April 25 and 26, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The Falcons selected eight players which included seven players on the defensive side of the ball. The Falcons also made a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, giving the Cowboys their fifth round (143rd overall) pick in exchange for Dallas’ fifth (156th overall) and seventh round (210th overall) selections. With the 24th selection in the first round, the Falcons selected defensive tackle and All-SEC performer Peria Jerry from Ole Miss to continue to beef up the line.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, 2009 NFL Draft
Highly regarded, hard hitting safety William Moore from Missouri was chosen in the second round and speedy corner Christopher Owens of San Jose State was the Falcons’ third round choice. Rounding out the draft were defensive end Lawrence Sidbury of Richmond(fourth round), cornerback William Middleton from Furman (fifth round), tackle Garrett Reynolds of North Carolina(fifth round), linebacker Spencer Adkins from Miami (sixth round), and local product defensive tackle Vance Walker from Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football (seventh round).


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Schedule, Regular season
The Falcons' regular season schedule was released on April 14, 2009.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins
The Falcons began their season at home in an inter-conference battle with the Miami Dolphins. After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta took off in the second quarter as quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Ovie Mughelli, followed by kicker Jason Elam making a 36-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Falcons continued their stellar play as Ryan completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez (with a failed PAT). Atlanta concluded its game in the fourth quarter as Elam nailed a 50-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Dolphins got their only score as quarterback Chad Pennington completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Ricky Williams.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins
With the win, the Falcons began their season at 1–0.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins
Tony Gonzalez (5 receptions, 73 yards, and a TD) became the 21st player in NFL history to collect 11,000 career receiving yards.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 2: vs. Carolina Panthers
Coming off their win over the Dolphins, the Falcons stayed at home, donned their throwback uniforms, and prepared for a Week 2 NFC South showdown against the Carolina Panthers. Atlanta trailed early in the first quarter as Panthers kicker John Kasay got a 38-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Falcons answered with quarterback Matt Ryan completing a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez. In the second quarter, Carolina replied with running back DeAngelo Williams getting a 3-yard touchdown run. Atlanta struck back as Ryan completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jason Snelling.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 2: vs. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers crept close as Kasay nailed a 50-yard field goal, yet the Falcons increased their lead prior to halftime as Ryan completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White. After a scoreless third quarter, Atlanta got some distance from Carolina as running back Michael Turner got a 1-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, Carolina mustered an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jake Delhomme to tight end Dante Rosario. On another Panthers possession, Delhomme threw an interception to cornerback Chris Houston. After yet another possession, with time running out, the Panthers tried to rally as Delhomme threw a deep desperation pass, but it resulted incomplete as cornerback Brent Grimes batted it down.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 3: at New England Patriots
Coming off a successful two-game home stand, the Falcons flew to Gillette Stadium for a Week 3 inter-conference battle with the New England Patriots. Atlanta led early with a 26-yard field goal from Jason Elam, but the Patriots tied the game with a 21-yard field goal from kicker Stephen Gostkowski. New England took the lead in the second quarter with running back Fred Taylor's 8-yard touchdown run, yet the Falcons answered with running back Michael Turner's 2-yard touchdown run. New England closed out the half with Gostkowski's 33-yard field goal.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 3: at New England Patriots
The entire second half was completely dominated by the Patriots. Gostkowski nailed a 22-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, while quarterback Tom Brady closed out the game with a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chris Baker.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 3: at New England Patriots
With the loss, the Falcons went into their bye week at 2–1.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers
Coming off their bye week, the Falcons flew to Candlestick Park for a Week 5 duel with the San Francisco 49ers. Atlanta took off in the first quarter with running back Michael Turner's 7-yard touchdown run, followed by quarterback Matt Ryan hooking up with wide receiver Roddy White on a 31-yard touchdown pass. The 49ers answered with running back Glen Coffee getting a 2-yard touchdown run. San Francisco started the second quarter with kicker Joe Nedney making a 39-yard field goal, but the Falcons began to soar. It started with Ryan's 90-yard touchdown pass to White and concluded with Turner's 3-yard and 1-yard touchdown runs. Atlanta closed out the game with kicker Jason Elam's 40-yard field goal in the third quarter and Ryan's 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers
Atlanta's 35 first-half points was the most in franchise history.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears
Coming off their impressive road win over the 49ers, the Falcons went home for a Week 6 Sunday night duel with the Chicago Bears. After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta trailed early in the second quarter as Bears quarterback Jay Cutler found wide receiver Johnny Knox on a 23-yard touchdown pass. Afterwards, the Falcons took the lead as quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White and a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears
After a scoreless third quarter, Chicago tied the game in the fourth quarter with Cutler hooking up with tight end Greg Olsen on a 2-yard touchdown. Atlanta regained the lead as running back Michael Turner got a 5-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, the defense fended off a last-second Bears drive to lock up the victory.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 7: at Dallas Cowboys
Coming off their Sunday night home win over the Bears, the Falcons flew to Cowboys Stadium for a Week 7 duel with the Dallas Cowboys. In the first quarter, Atlanta took flight as quarterback Matt Ryan hooked up with wide receiver Roddy White on a 4-yard touchdown pass. The Cowboys took the lead in the second quarter with kicker Nick Folk nailing a 38-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Tony Romo completing a 59-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Miles Austin and a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Patrick Crayton.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 7: at Dallas Cowboys
In the third quarter, the Falcons answered with running back Michael Turner got a 2-yard touchdown. However, Dallas came right back with Romo finding Austin again on a 22-yard touchdown pass. The Cowboys increased their lead in the fourth quarter with Folk booting a 46-yard field goal, followed by Crayton returning a punt 73 yards for a touchdown. Atlanta tried to come back as Ryan completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Weems, but the Cowboys closed out the game with Folk's 34-yard field goal.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 8: at New Orleans Saints
Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Cowboys, the Falcons flew to the Louisiana Superdome for a Week 8 NFC South showdown against the undefeated New Orleans Saints on Monday night. Atlanta took flight in the first quarter as running back Michael Turner capped off the game's opening drive with a 13-yard touchdown run. The Saints responded by capping off their opening drive with a 22-yard touchdown run from running back Pierre Thomas.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 8: at New Orleans Saints
Afterwards, the Falcons regained the lead with free safety Thomas DeCoud sacking quarterback Drew Brees, which caused Brees to fumble the ball, allowing defensive end Kroy Biermann to pick the ball up and run 4 yards for a touchdown. However, New Orleans exploded with points in the second quarter as Brees hooked up with wide receiver Marques Colston on an 18-yard touchdown pass, running back Reggie Bush getting a 1-yard touchdown run, and cornerback Jabari Greer returning an interception 48 yards for a touchdown.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 8: at New Orleans Saints
Atlanta started to rally in the third quarter as quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 68-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White, followed by a 25-yard field goal from kicker Jason Elam. However, the Saints answered with Brees connecting with Thomas on a 1-yard touchdown pass. The Falcons tried to come back as Elam booted a 40-yard field goal, but an interception from free safety Darren Sharper ended any hope of a rally.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 8: at New Orleans Saints
This marked the first time in the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era that the Falcons suffered consecutive losses.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 9: vs. Washington Redskins
Hoping to snap a two-game losing streak, the Falcons went home for a Week 9 duel with the Washington Redskins. Atlanta took flight in the first quarter as quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez, followed by cornerback Tye Hill returning an interception 62 yards for a touchdown. The Redskins answered in the second quarter as kicker Shaun Suisham nailed a 48-yard field goal, yet the Falcons kept their attack on as running back Michael Turner got a 30-yard touchdown run, followed by kicker Jason Elam booting a 33-yard field goal.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 9: vs. Washington Redskins
Washington began to rally in the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Ladell Betts. The Redskins came closer in the fourth quarter as quarterback Jason Campbell hooked up with tight end Todd Yoder on a 3-yard touchdown pass, yet Atlanta closed out the game with Turner's 58-yard touchdown run.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 10: at Carolina Panthers
Coming off their home win over the Redskins, the Falcons flew to Bank of America Stadium for a Week 10 NFC South rematch against the Carolina Panthers. Atlanta began to fly in the first quarter as kicker Jason Elam nailed a 35-yard field goal, but the Panthers replied with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Jonathan Stewart. Carolina extended their lead in the second quarter with quarterback Jake Delhomme completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Smith, yet the Falcons answered as fullback Jason Snelling got a 1-yard touchdown run. The Panthers closed out the half with Delhomme hooking up with Smith again on a 4-yard touchdown pass.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 10: at Carolina Panthers
In the second half, Atlanta worked their way back into the game as Elam booted a 24-yard field goal in the third quarter, followed by quarterback Matt Ryan finding tight end Justin Peelle on a 3-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter (with a failed 2-point conversion). However, Carolina closed out the win with Stewart's 45-yard touchdown run, getting their revenge.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 11: at New York Giants
Hoping to rebound from a loss against the rival Panthers, the Falcons flew to Giants Stadium for a Week 11 duel with the New York Giants.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 11: at New York Giants
In the first quarter, the Falcons trailed early with kicker Lawrence Tynes making a 39-yard field goal. In the second quarter the Falcons came on top with fullback Jason Snelling getting a 7-yard touchdown run, until they fell behind with quarterback Eli Manning hooking up with tight end Kevin Boss on a 4 and a 28-yard touchdown pass. In the third quarter, fullback Jason Snelling got a 1-yard touchdown run for the Falcons.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 11: at New York Giants
The Giants made it a 2-possession game with running back Brandon Jacobs getting a 2-yard touchdown run, until the Falcons replied with kicker Jason Elam making a 25-yard field goal. The Giants tried to pull away in the fourth quarter with Manning passing to fullback Madison Hedgecock 3 yards for a touchdown, until the Falcons stepped up to tie the game with quarterback Matt Ryan completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Weems, then found tight end Tony Gonzalez on an 11-yard touchdown pass. At overtime, the Falcons lost the game with kicker Lawrence Tynes getting the game-winning field goal from 36 yards away.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hoping to rebound from their loss against the Giants, the Falcons went home, re-donned their throwback uniforms, and prepared for an NFC South showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first quarter, things looked bad as Matt Ryan was sacked, injured his toe, and got taken out of the game as his back-up Chris Redman got on the field. In the second quarter, the Falcons drew first blood as kicker Jason Elam nailed a 45-yard field goal. Atlanta extended their lead as Redman threw a shovel pass to Jerious Norwood for a 22-yard touchdown.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay responded with Josh Freeman's 42-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant and tied the game at halftime with Connor Barth's 39-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Bucs safety Corey Lynch blocked a Falcons punt, which set Freeman up for an 8-yard touchdown pass to running back Carnell Williams to take the lead. The Falcons struck back as Elam nailed a 37-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Bucs punter Dirk Johnson faked a play which was backfired. Several plays later, Elam attempted a 43-yard field goal, but he missed as it went too much to the left. The same happened with Bucs kicker Barth as he missed a 51-yard field goal attempt. Atlanta was facing fourth and goal with 26 seconds remaining and no timeouts left, as Redman connected with Roddy White for a 5-yard touchdown pass.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With the win, the Falcons improved to 6–5. It was later revealed that Matt Ryan was out for several weeks.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 13: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Coming off a relief home win against their rival Tampa Bay, the Falcons stayed home and got set for a Week 13 duel with the Philadelphia Eagles. Due to Matt Ryan's toe injury against the Bucs, Chris Redman was set to start. The Falcons trailed early as Eagles kicker David Akers made a 33-yard field goal. After that, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb connected with Leonard Weaver for a 4-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter, the Eagles extended their lead with another 33-yard field goal from David Akers.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 13: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
In the third quarter, things got uglier for the Falcons as their former quarterback Michael Vick rushed 5 yards for a touchdown. The Falcons got the ball back, only for Redman to throw an interception to Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown, which he took 83 yards for a defensive touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Vick threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Eagles tight end Brent Celek. With time already running out, Redman threw a last second 3-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White, avoiding a shutout.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints
Hoping to rebound from their disappointing home loss against the Eagles, the Falcons remained at home and prepared for an NFC South rematch against the undefeated New Orleans Saints, with Matt Ryan still injured. In the first quarter, the Falcons drew first blood as kicker Matt Bryant nailed a 36-yard field goal. The Saints tied the game with kicker Garrett Hartley nailing a 33-yard field goal. The Falcons closed the first quarter with Bryant nailing a 30-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Saints quarterback Drew Brees connected with running back Reggie Bush for a 6-yard touchdown pass.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints
The Saints extended their lead as Brees connected with Marques Colston for a 3-yard touchdown pass (with a failed PAT). The Falcons closed out the first half as Bryant nailed a 27-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Reggie Bush took a 21-yard touchdown pass from Brees to extend the Saints' lead even more. The Falcons got their first touchdown of the game as Redman connected with Michael Jenkins for a 50-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter, Jason Snelling got 4-yard touchdown run to tie the game, giving Atlanta some hope.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints
Hartley gave the Saints the lead as he made a 38-yard field goal. After Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma intercepted Redman's pass, the Saints attempted yet another field goal, which was a fake that resulted in an incomplete pass. The Falcons faced fourth and 2 at the 49-yard line with less than 2 minutes, where Redman completed a pass to Snelling, but Vilma stopped him at the line of scrimmage.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 15: at New York Jets
Having already been eliminated from playoff contention because the Cowboys upset the Saints the day before, the Falcons flew a second time to Giants Stadium for a Week 15 inter-conference battle with the New York Jets; Matt Ryan returned from his toe injury. In the first quarter, Atlanta drew first score with Matt Bryant kicking a 24-yard field goal. The Jets took the lead with Mark Sanchez launching a 67-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braylon Edwards.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 15: at New York Jets
The second quarter remained scoreless as the Jets attempted a 19-yard field goal, but Kellen Clemens fumbled the ball, causing him to get tackled by Brent Grimes. After yet another scoreless quarter (third), the Jets attempted a 37-yard field goal, but it was blocked by Chauncey Davis. The Falcons, with one last chance, made a late fourth and goal play, where Ryan hooked up with Tony Gonzalez for a 6-yard touchdown pass. New York got the ball back, but Brent Grimes' interception sealed the win for Atlanta.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 15: at New York Jets
With the win, the Falcons improved to 7–7 and ended a two-game losing streak.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills
After a close call against the Jets, the Falcons went home for a Week 16 inter-conference battle with the Buffalo Bills. In the first quarter, the Falcons got straight to work as Matt Ryan completed a 42-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White. In the second quarter, Matt Bryant's 51-yard field goal extended the lead for Atlanta. As the first half was closing, Buffalo blocked Atlanta's field goal and things got crazy as a couple of Bills possessed the ball, but they could not manage to get it into the end zone.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills
In the third quarter, Atlanta extended their lead even more as Marty Booker caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ryan. Things got better for the Falcons as Buffalo running back Fred Jackson fumbled the ball, which led Lawrence Sidbury to return it for an 11-yard defensive touchdown as he dragged a few Buffalo players. The Bills finally got on the board as kicker Rian Lindell nailed a 42-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Ryan re-connected with White for a 5-yard touchdown pass, as it was too late for the Bills to catch up.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coming off their home win against the Bills, the Falcons flew to Raymond James Stadium for a Week 17 NFC South rematch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the opening kickoff, Falcon Eric Weems fumbled the football, causing the Bucs to recover, which set up Connor Barth for a 48-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Falcons responded by taking the lead with Matt Bryant's 36-yard field goal, followed by Matt Ryan's 2-yard touchdown pass to Justin Peele. After a scoreless third quarter, Tampa Bay tied the game with Josh Freeman's 8-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant. Atlanta answered back as Ryan threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White. After another possession, the Falcons sealed the deal with Bryant's second 36-yard field goal.


2009 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season results, Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With the win, not only did the Falcons improve to 9–7, but they also posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history under head coach Mike Smith.


2009 Atlanta elections
A municipal election in the City of Atlanta was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia and is the largest city in Georgia and is the center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the South.


2009 Atlanta elections
Voters filled the offices of mayor of Atlanta, members of the Atlanta City Council and members of the Atlanta Board of Education, for terms commencing January 2010 and ending January 2014. Voters also voted in retention elections on a number of Municipal Court judges. The election was non-partisan, meaning that political party affiliations did not appear on the ballot.


2009 Atlanta elections, Mayor
The Mayor is the city's chief executive officer and head of the executive branch, which carries out the laws that have been instituted by the Council. The mayor is responsible for the day-to-day operations of city government.


2009 Atlanta elections, Mayor
Incumbent mayor Shirley Franklin was prevented by term limits from running for another term in 2009.


2009 Atlanta elections, Mayor
The four leading mayoral candidates, based on standing in polls, took part in a final debate sponsored by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB-TV were City Council President Lisa Borders, City Councilwoman Mary Norwood, state Senator Kasim Reed, and attorney Jesse Spikes. Minor candidates included Peter Brownlowe, Kyle Keyser, and write-in candidates. Previously on October 14, 2009, Emory University sponsored a debate which included the six front running candidates.


2009 Atlanta elections, Mayor
Mary Norwood received the most votes in the November election but did not win a majority. Therefore, she and Kasim Reed, who placed second, advanced to a runoff where Kasim Reed won the election.


2009 Atlanta elections, City Council members and President of the City Council
The City Council has fifteen members. The Council's role is to advise the mayor and pass local ordinances. Twelve are elected in single-member districts by area, while three are elected at-large from one-third (four) of the 12 voting districts (referred to as "posts").


2009 Atlanta elections, City Council members and President of the City Council
The President of the Council is elected from the city at-large and is the presiding officer of the Council, acting as chair of all Council meetings. The President of the Council votes on the Council only in case of a tie. The President of the Council appoints chairs and members of the various committees, subject to rejection by a majority of the Council and also acts as acting mayor (exercising all powers and discharging all duties of the mayor) in case of a vacancy in that office or during the disability of the mayor.


2009 Atlanta elections, City Council members and President of the City Council
There were three candidates for Council President: Ceasar C. Mitchell, Clair McLeod Muller, and Dave Gregory Walker.


2009 Atlanta elections, City Council members and President of the City Council
Mitchell placed first in the November election, with 48.67% of the vote, but not a majority. Therefore, he and Muller, who placed second, advanced to a December runoff.


2009 Atlanta elections, Board of education
The Atlanta Board of Education establishes and approves the policies that govern the Atlanta Public Schools. The Board consists of nine members, representing six geographical districts and three "at-large" districts. One person is elected per district to represent the schools in a given district for a four-year term.


2009 Atlanta elections, City of Atlanta Municipal Court Judges
The following current City of Atlanta Municipal Court Judges were on the November 3, 2009 ballots for either dismissal or retention:


2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Championship was held from May 20–23 at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, OH. It featured the top six regular-season finishers of the conference's 14 teams. Third-seeded Xavier defeated Rhode Island in the title game to win the tournament for the first time, earning the A-10's automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.


2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding and format
The league's top six teams, based on winning percentage in the 27-game regular-season schedule, were seeded one through six. The top two seeds, Dayton and Rhode Island, received byes into the second round of play in the double elimination tournament.


2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding and format
In the three-way tie for fourth-place, the conference's tiebreaking procedures gave Massachusetts the fourth seed, Fordham the fifth, and Charlotte the sixth.


2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Tournament, All-Tournament Team
The following players were named to the All-Tournament Team. Xavier's Billy O'Conner, one of six Musketeers selected, was named Most Outstanding Player.


2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Tournament, All-Tournament Team
Xavier's Jordan Conley and Charlotte's Rob Lyerly, both selected in 2008, were second-time selections.


2009 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament was played at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey from March 11 through March 14, 2009. The winner of the tournament received an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and was crowned Atlantic 10 Conference champion. Temple won the tournament with a 69–64 victory over Duquesne.


2009 Atlantic Championship
The 2009 IMSA Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship season was the thirty-sixth Atlantic Championship season. It was the first full season of the Championship under the sanctioning of the International Motor Sports Association. After a three-way title battle into the final round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, John Edwards became the series' youngest champion, beating Jonathan Summerton on a tie-breaker, after both drivers finished on 182 points. They also finished tied on four victories, but Edwards broke the tie with four second-place finishes compared to Summerton's three.


2009 Atlantic Championship, Schedule
Seven rounds are held jointly with the American Le Mans Series: Sebring, Miller, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, Mosport, Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca.


2009 Atlantic Championship, Schedule
The series planned to open its season on a road course on Hutchinson Island in Savannah, Georgia, on March 15. The race was postponed until 2010, as further work on the track was required before it could be homologated for professional open wheel racing. A second race at New Jersey Motorsports Park and Autobahn Country Club were added instead.


2009 Atlantic Championship, Drivers and teams
The following teams and drivers competed in the 2009 Atlantic Championship. All teams are using the Swift 016.a chassis powered by a Mazda-Cosworth MZR 2.3-litre inline-4 engine and Cooper tires. C2 Class teams use the Swift 014.a chassis.


2009 Atlantic Championship, Championship Standings
The point system was modified from previous years for the 2009 season. Points are awarded as follows:


2009 Atlantic Championship, Television and other video
For the 2009 season, a new Atlantic Championship high definition television package was announced on HDNet, which features live coverage of certain events, and replays of others.


2009 Atlantic Championship, Television and other video
Web video of events has also historically been available on the series website, and the series also has its own official YouTube channel under the username "AtlanticRacingSeries."


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC from May 20 through May 24. It was the first time the tournament has been played at the ballpark since 1999 and fourth time overall since the ballpark opened in 1995. The #6 seeded Virginia Cavaliers won the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record, earning the Atlantic Coast Conference's automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. It was Virginia's first conference championship in baseball since 1996, and their second tournament championship ever.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament
The tournament was originally scheduled to be contested at Fenway Park in Boston, home of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox. But on August 14, 2008 it was announced by Fenway Sports Group, along with the Atlantic Coast Conference, that the location of the tournament would have to be changed due to a scheduling error. The ACC chose the Bulls' ballpark as Fenway's replacement.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament
2009 was the third year in which the conference used a round robin tournament format, with the team with the best record in each group at the end of the three-game round robin advancing to a one-game championship.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding
The top two teams from both the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, as determined by conference winning percentage, in addition to the four teams with the next best conference winning percentage, regardless of division, will be selected to participate in the ACC Baseball Championship. The two division champions will automatically be seeded number one and two based on winning percentage in overall conference competition. The remaining teams will be seeded (three through eight) based on winning percentage in overall conference competition without regard to division. All ties will be broken using the tie-breaking provisions.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament, Tournament
Notes† - Denotes extra innings‡ - Denotes game shortened due to Mercy Rule1 - Florida State beat Boston College head-to-head


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament, Results, Division B
1 - Game ended in the bottom of the eighth inning due to the Mercy Rule.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season
The 2009 ACC football season was an NCAA football season that was played from September 3, 2009, to January 5, 2010. The Atlantic Coast Conference consists of 12 members in two divisions. The Atlantic division consists of Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. The Coastal division consists of Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. The division champions met in the 2009 ACC Championship Game, where Georgia Tech defeated Clemson by a score of 39–34. Georgia Tech represented the ACC in the BCS, being invited to the FedEx Orange Bowl where they lost to Iowa. The ACC had a total of seven teams play in a bowl game and finished the bowl season with a record of 3–4.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Previous season
Boston College and Florida State tied for the Atlantic division championship. Boston College beat Florida State during the regular season so they represented the Atlantic division in the 2008 ACC Championship Game. A similar situation occurred in the Coastal division where Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech tied. Virginia Tech won the regular season meeting so they represented the Coastal division in the championship game. Virginia Tech would win the ACC championship game 30-12 over Boston College and would represent the ACC in the FedEx Orange Bowl where they would defeat Cincinnati, the champions of the Big East Conference, 20-7.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Previous season
The ACC would ultimately send 10 teams to bowl games, the most of any conference in 2008. Boston College (9-5) lost to Vanderbilt 16-14 in the Music City Bowl. Florida State (9-4) beat Wisconsin 42-13 in the Champs Sports Bowl. Georgia Tech (9-4) lost to LSU 38-3 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Maryland (8-5) beat Nevada 42-35 in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl. North Carolina (8-5) lost to West Virginia 31-30 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Wake Forest (8-5) beat Navy 29-19 in the EagleBank Bowl. Miami (7-6) lost to California 24-17 in the Emerald Bowl. Clemson (7-6) lost to Nebraska 26-21 in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl. North Carolina State (6-7) lost to Rutgers 29-23 in the PapaJohns.com Bowl. The only two teams not to go to a bowl game were Virginia (5-7) and Duke (4-8).


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Preseason, Preseason poll
The 2009 ACC Preseason Poll was announced at the ACC Football Kickoff meetings in Greensboro, North Carolina on July 27. Virginia Tech was voted to win Coastal division and the conference. Florida State was voted to win the Atlantic division. Jonathan Dwyer of Georgia Tech was voted the Preseason ACC Player of the Year.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Preseason, Preseason All Conference Teams, Offense
QB Russell Wilson- NC State,       RB Jonathan Dwyer- Georgia Tech,       RB C. J. Spiller- Clemson,       WR Demaryius Thomas- Georgia Tech,       WR Jacoby Ford- Clemson,       TE Greg Boone- Virginia Tech,       OT Jason Curtis Fox- Miami,       OT Anthony Castonzo- Boston College,       OG Sergio Render- Virginia Tech,       OG Rodney Hudson- Florida State,       C  Matt Tennant- Boston College,       PK Matt Bosher- Miami.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Preseason, Preseason All Conference Teams, Defense
DE Jason Worilds- Virginia Tech,       DE Willie Young- NC State,       DT Vince Oghobaase- Duke,       DT Marvin Austin- North Carolina,      LB Dekoda Watson- Florida State,        LB Quan Sturdivant- North Carolina,       LB Alex Wujciak- Maryland,        CB Ras-I Dowling- Virginia,        CB Kendric Burney- North Carolina,       S Morgan Burnett- Georgia Tech,       S Kam Chancellor- Virginia Tech,       P Travis Baltz- Maryland,        Specialist: C. J. Spiller- Clemson.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Regular season
Rankings reflect that of the USA Today Coaches poll until week eight when the BCS poll will be used.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Regular season, Week One
ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Virginia Tech and Alabama.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Regular season, Week Five
ESPN's College Gameday broadcast from Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts for the Boston College vs Florida State game. Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, the 2008 ACC Defensive player of the year who earlier in the year was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, announced he was now cancer free.


2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Regular season, Week Thirteen
ESPN's College Gameday broadcast from Gainesville, Florida for the Florida vs Florida State game.


2009 Atlantic Cup
The 2009 Atlantic Cup, known as the Hotels of Jacksonville Atlantic Cup for sponsorship purposes, was the first Atlantic Cup rugby league football tournament. It was held on November 14, 2009 at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. This inaugural contest was a single test between the United States and Jamaica. The event was deemed a success, and sponsors hoped the Atlantic Cup would become an annual event, with other developing rugby league nations such as South Africa and Japan competing. It was followed by the 2010 Atlantic Cup, which featured the United States, Jamaica, and Canada.


2009 Atlantic Hockey Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic Hockey Tournament was the 6th Atlantic Hockey Tournament played between March 7 and March 21, 2009 at campus locations and at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. Air Force won their third consecutive Atlantic Hockey Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and received Atlantic Hockey's automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.


2009 Atlantic Hockey Tournament, Format
The tournament features four rounds of play. In the first round, the seventh and tenth seeds and eighth and ninth seeds play a single game with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. There, the first seed and lowest ranked first round winner, the second seed and highest ranked first round winner, the third and sixth seeds, and the fourth and fifth seeds play a best-of-three series, with the winner advancing to the semifinals.


2009 Atlantic Hockey Tournament, Format
In the semifinals, the highest and lowest seeds and second highest and second lowest seeds play a single-game, with the winner advancing to the championship game and the loser advancing to the third place game. The tournament champion received an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament.


2009 Atlantic Hockey Tournament, Format, Regular season standings
Note: GP = Games Played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against


2009 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Melching Field at Conrad Park on the campus of Stetson University in DeLand, Florida from May 21 through 24. Jacksonville won its fourth tournament championship to earn the Atlantic Sun Conference's automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. The event was heavily marred by rain, resulting in two format changes. Originally planned as a six team double-elimination tournament, the format was changed to a single elimination format.