2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Singles
At Wimbledon, he made it once again to the fourth round where he lost to Milos Raonic. A foot injury caused him to withdraw from both Toronto and Cincinnati, however he had his best run at a Grand Slam event at the US Open defeating Djokovic in the semifinals to reach his first ever Major final, where ultimately he lost in straight sets to Marin Cilic. In the Asian swing, Nishikori won back-to-back titles at the Malaysian Open and his home tournament in Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, defeating Julien Benneteau and Raonic respectively. At the Paris Masters, he reached the semifinals to cement his place at the World Tour Finals, where he is set to make his debut appearance.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Singles
Milos Raonic had a breakthrough season. He made it to the third round at the Australian Open, losing to Grigor Dimitrov. He exited at the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open, the Sony Open Tennis, and the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Raonic made it to his first semifinal of the year, losing a tight three set battle against Novak Djokovic in Internazionali BNL d'Italia. At the French Open, he reached his first ever Grand Slam quarterfinal, where he lost to eventual finalist Djokovic.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Singles
Raonic went on to reach his first Major semifinal at Wimbledon Championships, where he lost to Roger Federer in straight sets. He won his first title of the year in Washington, defeating fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil in the final for the loss of just 5 games. He then lost to Feliciano López in the quarterfinals and Federer in the semifinals in Rogers Cup and Cincinnati respectively. At the US Open, Raonic reached the fourth round for the third year in a row, losing to eventual finalist Nishikori in a tight 5-set match that lasted over 4 hours.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Singles
He reached his second final of the year in Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships; however, for the third year in a row he finished as runner-up, losing to Nishikori once again in three sets. He sealed his place at the season finale by reaching the final of the Paris Masters, where he lost to Djokovic in straight sets. This is the first time Raonic qualified for the year-end championships.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
On 14 July, Bob and Mike Bryan became the first doubles team to qualify for the finals.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan entered the year as the no. 1 team; however, they did not start the year well, including a third-round loss at the Open to Butorac/Klaasen, their first loss prior to the semifinals of a Grand Slam since 2011 US Open. The brothers bounced back by reaching the final of the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships, but once again lost to Butorac and Klaasen.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
The Bryans then continued their good form and captured five titles in a row, winning in the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships over Čermák and Elgin, BNP Paribas Open over Peya and Soares, Sony Open Tennis over Cabal and Farah, U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships over Marrero and Verdasco, and the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters over Dodig and Melo. Their 24-match winning streak was snapped by the Nestor and Zimonjić in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open. At the French Open, they suffered another surprising loss in the quarterfinals to Granollers and López.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
They reached their first Grand Slam final of the year at the Wimbledon Championships, but lost to Pospisil and Sock. At the US Open Series, after disappointing exits in their first events, they won the Western & Southern Open over Pospisil and Sock, avenging their loss at Wimbledon. They then captured the US Open against the Spanish team of Granollers and López, extending their streak to 10 consecutive years of at least winning one Grand Slam. They then captured the last two Masters events of the year, the Shanghai Rolex Masters over Benneteau and Roger-Vasselin and the BNP Paribas Masters over Matkowski and Melzer. This was the 13th consecutive time they qualified for the event.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
On 9 September, Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić became the second team to qualify.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjić rekindled their partnership in 2014. They began the year by winning the Apia International Sydney, defeating Bopanna and Qureshi. They followed it up with a semifinal showing at the Australian Open, losing to Butorac and Klaasen. They reached their second final of the year at the Dubai Tennis Championships, once again facing Bopanna and Qureshi, but this time they ended up in the losing side. They also lost their next final at Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell to lucky losers Huta Galung and Robert.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
They bounced back by winning back-to-back Masters titles: the Mutua Madrid Open over Bob and Mike Bryan and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia over Haase and López. However, at the French Open, they suffered a surprising loss in the quarterfinals to Draganja and Mergea. They also lost in the quarterfinal of Wimbledon to Paes and Štěpánek. At the US Open, they made an early exit, losing in the third round to Americans Lipsky and Ram.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
The pair was also successful with different partners, with Nestor winning the Brisbane International with Mariusz Fyrstenberg over Cabal and Farah and Zimonjić winning the Swiss Indoors Basel with Vasek Pospisil against Draganja and Kontinen. They also did well in mixed doubles, with Nestor winning the Australian Open with Kristina Mladenovic, defeating Mirza and Tecău, and Zimonjić winning Wimbledon with Samantha Stosur defeating Mirnyi and Chan and the final of the French Open with Julia Görges defeating Grönefeld and Rojer. This was their fourth finals appearance as a team, the 15th for Nestor, and the seventh for Zimonjić


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
On 8 October, Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares became the third team to qualify. This was their second year in the finals in a row, having reached the semifinals the previous year.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
Alexander Peya & Bruno Soares continued their partnership from the previous year. They began the year reaching back-to-back finals, but losing in both at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and Heineken Open to Berdych and Hájek and Knowle and Melo, respectively. They fell in the third round of the Australian Open to Llodra and Mahut. They reached their third final of the year at the BNP Paribas Open, but once again lost, this time to the world no. 1 team of Bob and Mike Bryan.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
In the grass season, they won their first title of the year at the Aegon Championships, defeating to Murray and Peers. The following week, they reached the final of Aegon International, losing to Huey and Inglot. At the Wimbledon Championships, they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Pospisil and Sock. They reached their sixth final of the year at the International German Open, falling to Draganja and Mergea. They claimed their biggest title of the year at the Rogers Cup, defeating Dodig and Melo. At the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, they lost to Granollers and López in the quarterfinals. Soares also claimed the mixed doubles title at the US Open with Sania Mirza, defeating Spears and González.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
On 9 October, Julien Benneteau and Édouard Roger-Vasselin became the fourth team to qualify.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
Julien Benneteau and Édouard Roger-Vasselin began a new partnership at the start of 2014. They had good results, but failed to win a title until the Open 13, defeating Hanley and Marray in a match tie-break. They made their breakthrough at the French Open, when they defeated Granollers and López in the final, winning their first Grand Slam and becoming the first French team to win at Roland Garros since 1984. The pair also reached the final of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, losing to Bob and Mike Bryan. Bennneteau also reached the final of the China Open with Vasek Pospisil, losing to Rojer and Tecău. This was their maiden appearance in the season finale.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
On 29 October, after the conclusion of the second-round matches in the BNP Paribas Masters, the teams Łukasz Kubot and Robert Lindstedt, Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecău, and Marcel Granollers and Marc López took the next three spots.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
Łukasz Kubot and Robert Lindstedt won only a single title during the year. They won the Australian Open, defeating Butorac and Klaasen. This was their first Grand Slam title as a pair and as individuals. They also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, losing to Golubev and Groth. It was the third time Lindstedt had qualified Kubot's third appearance at the season finale. They qualified as the highest ranked Grand Slam champions between 8th and 20th position.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecău had a breakthrough season, winning eight titles as a team, only behind Bob and Mike Bryan. They won their first title of the year at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors, defeating Marx and Mertiňák. They reached a final the following week at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, losing to Llodra and Mahut. During the European clay season they won the Grand Prix Hassan II and BRD Năstase Țiriac Trophy over Bednarek and Dlouhý and Fyrstenberg and Matkowski, respectively. In the grass season, they won the Topshelf Open, defeating González and Lipsky.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
They won their biggest title of the year at the Citi Open, defeating Groth and Paes. During the Asian swing, they won back-to-back titles at the Shenzhen Open and the China Open, beating the teams of Guccione and Groth and Benneteau and Pospisil, respectively. They won their eighth title of the year at the Valencia Open 500, defeating Anderson and Chardy. Tecău also reached the final of the Australian Open in mixed doubles with Sania Mirza, but lost to Mladenovic and Nestor. Despite their success, they failed to get past the third round of any Grand Slam. This is the third time they qualified, but first time as a team.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Qualified players, Doubles
Marcel Granollers and Marc López  teamed up for the fourth year in a row. The Spanish duo won only one title in the year, the Copa Claro, defeating Cuevas and Zeballos. However, they reached two Grand Slam finals in the year, the first at the French Open, losing to Benneteau and Roger-Vasselin and the US Open losing to Bob and Mike Bryan. This was their third appearance at the tour finals, having won the event on their debut in 2012.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals, Champions, Doubles
Bob Bryan /  Mike Bryan def. Ivan Dodig /  Marcelo Melo, 6–7(5–7), 6–2, [10–7]


2014 ATP World Tour Finals – Doubles
David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco were the defending champions, but did not qualify this year. Bob and Mike Bryan won the title, defeating Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in the final, 6–7(5–7), 6–2, [10–7].


2014 ATP World Tour Finals – Doubles, Draw, Group B
Standings are determined by: 1) Number of wins; 2) Number of matches; 3) In two-player ties, head-to-head records; 4) In three-player ties, percentage of sets won, or of games won; 5) Steering Committee decision.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals – Singles
Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic successfully defended his title after Roger Federer withdrew from the final, winning the Singles tennis title at the 2014 ATP Finals. It was the first walkover in a final in the 45-year history of the ATP World Tour Finals.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals – Singles
Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic & Marin Čilić made their debuts at the event.


2014 ATP World Tour Finals – Singles, Draw, Group B
Standings are determined by: 1) Number of wins; 2) Number of matches; 3) In two-player ties, head-to-head records; 4) In three-player ties, percentage of sets won, or of games won, then head-to-head records; 5) ATP rankings


2014 ATP World Tour Masters 1000
The twenty-fifth edition of the ATP Masters Series. The champion of each Masters event is awarded a 1,000 rankings points.


2014 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour
The 2014 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour was a domestic professional beach volleyball circuit organized in the United States by the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) for the 2014 beach volleyball season.


2014 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Schedule
This is the complete schedule of events on the 2014 calendar, with team progression documented from the semifinals stage. All tournaments consisted of single-elimination qualifying rounds followed by a double-elimination main draw.


2014 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Awards
The 2014 AVP year-end award winners were announced on November 19. The season's top performers were chosen based on statistics, player votes and AVP national ranking points earned during the year.


2014 Aaha! Rara Gold Cup
The 2014 Aaha! Rara Gold Cup is the 12th edition of the Aaha Gold Cup held in Pokhara and organised by Sahara Club. 12 teams participated in the tournament. The defending champions Three Star Club did not participate. All matches were held at the Pokhara Rangasala. Due to a sponsorship deal with Him-Shree Foods (a Pokhara-based food company), the tournament is officially known as the 12th Aaha! Rara Gold Cup 2014. Which is named after its flagship product, "RARA" instant noodles.


2014 Aaha! Rara Gold Cup, Sponsorship
Main sponsors of the tournament, Him Shree Foods Pvt Ltd provided 900,000 NPR to the organisers as the title sponsors.


2014 Aalesunds FK season
The 2014 season was Aalesunds FK's eight consecutive season in the Tippeligaen, and their second season was with Jan Jönsson as their manager. They finished the season in 7th position, and reached the Fourth round of the Norwegian Cup, where they were defeated by Lillestrøm.


2014 Aalesunds FK season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.


2014 Aalesunds FK season, Transfers, Winter
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.


2014 Aalesunds FK season, Transfers, Winter
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.


2014 Aalesunds FK season, Transfers, Summer
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.


2014 Aalesunds FK season, Transfers, Summer
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.


2014 Aaron's 499
The 2014 Aaron's 499 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race run on May 4, 2014, at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Contested over 188 laps on the 2.66 mi (4.28 km) tri-oval, it was the tenth race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Denny Hamlin won the race, his first points paying win at a restrictor plate track, and joined a list of drivers to win in their 300th start, while Greg Biffle finished second and Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, and A. J. Allmendinger rounded out the top five. The top rookies of the race were Kyle Larson (9th), Austin Dillon (15th), and Michael Annett (16th). This was the last race for the sponsor Aaron's


2014 Aaron's 499, Previous week's race
Joey Logano came from fourth on the final restart to win his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Logano triumphed in a furious battle over the last five laps with Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski to score his fifth career win.


2014 Aaron's 499, Previous week's race
Casey Mears and Marcos Ambrose were both fined and placed on probation following their post-race altercation in the garage area in which Ambrose appeared to punch Mears in the face. NASCAR reviewed the fight and found that no punch was actually landed, so no penalty was issued for that part of the incident.


2014 Aaron's 499, Report, Background
The track, Talladega Superspeedway, is a four turn tri-oval track that is 2.66 miles (4.28 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 33 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is 18 degrees. The back stretch, opposite of the front, is at only two degrees. The racetrack has a seating capacity for 80,000 spectators. David Ragan was the defending race winner after winning the event in 2013.


2014 Aaron's 499, Report, Entry list
The entry list for the Aaron's 499 was released on Monday, April 28, 2014 at 1:11 p.m. Eastern time. Forty-seven drivers were entered for the race.


2014 Aaron's 499, Practice, First practice
Martin Truex, Jr. was the fastest in first practice with a time of 47.708 and a speed of 200.721 mph (323.029 km/h). Marcos Ambrose had to go to a backup car after an unusual incident.


2014 Aaron's 499, Practice, Final practice
Trevor Bayne was the fastest in final practice with a time of 48.117 and a speed of 199.015 mph (320.284 km/h).


2014 Aaron's 499, Qualifying
Three rounds of Knockout Qualifying took place, the first instance that the new qualifying format was used in the Sprint Cup Series on a super speedway. Brian Scott captured his first career pole with a time of 48.293 and a speed of 198.290 mph (319.117 km/h). Paul Menard, A. J. Allmendinger, Casey Mears and Austin Dillon rounded out the top five. The drivers had a wide range of opinions on the new format. "I don't know if anybody can really quite capture how intense that is. I'm telling you, it's just nerve-racking.


2014 Aaron's 499, Qualifying
You're trying to make all the right decisions as well as not wreck. It wasn't too crazy, but it was crazy enough to be fun," said Jeff Gordon. "It's hard because everybody wants to lag and nobody wants to go because the speed is at the back and not the front," said Brad Keselowski. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. did not like the new format at Talladega. "It just wasn't much fun. I'd like to do some heat races or something maybe. That would be a little funner than this."


2014 Aaron's 499, Qualifying
Kasey Kahne and Truex, Jr. started at the rear of the field after failing post-qualifying inspection. Kahne's car was too light and Truex's car failed to meet height requirements. "Basically we had a malfunction with a ballast container," Kahne's crew chief Kenny Francis said in a manufacturer release. "The cap that holds the ballast in came out. It could be mechanical or human error we are not really sure what happened. At the end of the day 25 pounds of ballast came out and we were 25 pounds light at the scales. The time was disallowed and we will have to start at the back." Dave Blaney, Eric McClure, Joe Nemechek and J. J. Yeley failed to qualify for the race.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Brian Scott led the field to the green flag at 1:20 p.m. Eastern time. He wouldn't lead a lap at all as his teammate Paul Menard took the lead with the stronger push coming from the inside line.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Leading the bottom line, Danica Patrick took the lead from Menard on lap six.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Jeff Gordon, who was pushing Patrick on the bottom, jumped to the middle line and assumed the lead on lap eight.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Paul Menard found his way back to the front on lap 14.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Brad Keselowski jumped up to the middle in front of Gordon on lap 14, but as he tried to clear Danica, he got turned down into the paved runoff area going into turn 1. He saved it, but the car turned back up onto the track in turn 1 where he was about rammed in the rear by Trevor Bayne and Terry Labonte and cut down his right-front tire driving it through the grass. This would bring out the first caution of the race. “I’m not really sure what happened,’’ Keselowski said.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
“I made an aggressive move to take the lead and next thing I know I was spinning. Obviously, there was some kind of contact but I don’t know what happened.’’ “Danica made a mistake early,’’ Gordon said. “I don’t think that was an aggressive move. I think it was just a mistake that got (Keselowski) turned. She just misjudged him.’’ Landon Cassill stayed out to lead a lap before giving it back to Paul Menard.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Matt Kenseth took the lead on lap 20 riding the push from the high line.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Joey Logano used the inside line to take the lead on lap 21.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Denny Hamlin in the middle line took the lead on lap 32.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Carl Edwards used a push from the inside line to take the lead on lap 35.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Joey Logano, riding the bottom, took back the lead on lap 38.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Jimmie Johnson got a push from the middle line to take the lead on lap 41.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Debris in turn 1 brought out the second caution of the race on lap 50. David Gilliland opted to stay out to lead a lap before handing over to Kyle Busch.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
The race restarted on lap 55. Joey Logano jumped to the bottom line in front of Kyle to take back the lead.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Greg Biffle rode the bottom to take the lead on lap 57.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Jimmie Johnson used the middle line to retake the lead on lap 59.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Biffle was pushed back to the lead on lap 60.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Greg hit pit road on lap 95 to make his scheduled stop and handed the lead to teammate Carl Edwards.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Edwards made his stop on lap 96. Michael McDowell took the lead exiting pit road. He was not up to speed when Greg Biffle zipped right by him on the backstretch to take back the lead on lap 97.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
The third caution flew on lap 106 after the cover to one of the backstretch caution lights was blown off. David Ragan stayed out to lead a lap before handing the lead to both Casey Mears and Dale Earnhardt, Jr..


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Trevor Bayne used a push from the top line to pull alongside Earnhardt, Jr. before taking the lead on lap 113.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. eventually moved back to the head of the field on lap 119.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Despite being six laps down, Brad Keselowski pulled the middle line up to the front to help another driver challenge Dale for the lead. Unfortunately, coming through turn 4, Keselowski got loose and spun out in front of the field and collected eleven other cars, including points leader Jeff Gordon, defending race winner David Ragan and pole sitter Brian Scott, in the Big One on lap 137. “I was trying to get to the front and trying to stay up there and trying to  get my lap back,’’ Keselowski said.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
“For some reason, the car took off on me and spun out. I feel bad that we tore up a bunch of cars. Certainly I wanted to get my laps back and have a shot to win at the end. The only way I was going to do that was by being really aggressive at the front of the field.’’ “He was driving really, really, really aggressively to get back up there,’’ Kenseth said of Keselowski. “I didn’t realize he was that many laps down.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
I don’t know what his strategy was but just lost control of his car in front of the field and when that happens it always collects a bunch of them." Asked if he was bitter with the way Keselowski was racing, Kenseth said, “If it was the other way around and it was anybody else except for him, we’d all be getting lectured.’’ “I don’t know what he was doing,’’ Gordon said. “Obviously thinking that was going to be the way to get his lap back. All that it did was get a bunch of other cars wrecked.’’ Marcos Ambrose took over the lead by beating Dale off pit road.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
The race restarted with 45 laps to go. Greg Biffle got a good push on the outside line and dropped down in front of Ambrose to take back the lead.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. dropped to the bottom line to take back the lead with 43 laps to go.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
The fifth caution of the race flew with 38 laps to go after David Gilliland's engine blew up going down the backstretch (recently named Alabama Gang Superstretch). Greg Biffle opted not to pit to assume the lead.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Brian Vickers jumped from the middle to the inside line to take the lead with 30 laps to go.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Denny Hamlin, leading the middle line, took the lead with 27 laps to go.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Vickers and Hamlin swapped the lead back and forth for the next five laps until Kevin Harvick jumped to the head of the table with 21 laps to go.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Jimmie Johnson got loose in turn 3, overcorrected, hit Joey Logano and started an eight car crash. David Ragan, who made it through the first big wreck with no damage, was boxed in by Logano and Kurt Busch. This brought out the sixth caution of the race.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
Denny Hamlin took back the lead on the restart. Hamlin and Harvick swapped the lead back and forth until Hamlin took the lead with six laps to go and the seventh caution of the race flew on the same lap. Carl Edwards was riding the third line from the bottom when he got loose and spun in turn 1. He was signaling the drivers behind him he might have had a left-rear tire going flat. He was hit driver side by Ryan Newman who, despite hitting him at high speed, suffered virtually no damage from the collision.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
As the field was coming to the white flag, Alex Bowman got hit from behind by Ryan Newman and turned down into Jimmie Johnson. He then turned head on into the wall just in front of the start/finish line. Also, Justin Allgaier got turned by Cole Whitt and slid through a small section of the infield grass that destroyed the nose of his car. A big piece of it detached from the car and landed in the middle of the track just a few feet from the start/finish line.


2014 Aaron's 499, Race
With the field halfway down the backstretch, the caution was thrown and Denny Hamlin scored the victory. “We really just want to win races regardless of the implications this means for the Chase,” Hamlin said. “It feels like food to be back in Victory Lane. I’m just proud of our day today. We’ve come a long way. We couldn’t finish 22nd at the superspeedway races for a long time. It feels good to come to this type of racetrack and know you can win.” "It's frustrating because the simple fact is that we both felt we had the opportunity to pounce," Clint Bowyer said of the finish he’d hoped for teaming up with Biffle to catch the leader. "But NASCAR did the right thing. You can't put people in danger."


2014 Aberto de São Paulo
The 2014 Aberto de São Paulo was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 14th edition of the tournament which was part of the 2014 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in São Paulo, Brazil between 30 December 2013 and 5 January 2014.


2014 Aberto de São Paulo, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Aberto de São Paulo, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players used protected ranking to gain entry into the event:


2014 Aberto de São Paulo – Doubles
James Cerretani and Adil Shamasdin were the defending champions but lost in the first round to Henrique Cunha and F Romboli.


2014 Aberto de São Paulo – Doubles
Kretschmer and Satschko won the title, defeating Nicolás Barrientos and Víctor Estrella Burgos in the final, 4–6, 7–5, [10–6].


2014 Aberto de São Paulo – Singles
Horacio Zeballos was the defending champion, but lost in the first round to Agustín Velotti.


2014 Aberto de São Paulo – Singles
Souza won the title, defeating Alejandro González in the final, 6–4, 6–4.


2014 Aberto de Tênis do Rio Grande do Sul
The 2014 Aberto de Tênis do Rio Grande do Sul was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the third edition of the tournament which was part of the 2014 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Porto Alegre, Brazil between 22 and 28 September 2014.


2014 Aberto de Tênis do Rio Grande do Sul, Singles main draw entrants, Other Entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Aberto de Tênis do Rio Grande do Sul – Doubles
Guillermo Durán and Máximo González were the defending champions, but González chose to participate at Shenzhen instead. Durán partnered with Guido Andreozzi and won the title by defeating Facundo Bagnis and Diego Schwartzman 6–3, 6–3 in the final.


2014 Aberto de Tênis do Rio Grande do Sul – Singles
Facundo Argüello was the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals to Guido Andreozzi.


2014 Aberto de Tênis do Rio Grande do Sul – Singles
Carlos Berlocq won the title by defeating Diego Schwartzman 6–4, 4–6, 6–0 in the final.


2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel
The 2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 21st edition of the men's tournament (14th for the women), and part of the 2014 ATP World Tour and the 2014 WTA Tour. It took place in Acapulco, Mexico between 24 February and 1 March 2014.


2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Points and prize money, Prize money
1 Qualifiers prize money is also the Round of 32 prize money* per team


2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel – Men's Doubles
Łukasz Kubot and David Marrero were the defending champions, but chose not to compete together. Kubot played alongside Robert Lindstedt, but lost to Feliciano López and Max Mirnyi in the quarterfinals. Marrero teamed up with Ivo Karlović, but lost to López and Mirnyi in the first round. Kevin Anderson and Matthew Ebden won the title, defeating López and Mirnyi in the final, 6-3, 6-3.


2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel – Men's Singles
Rafael Nadal was the defending champion but chose not to compete this year.


2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel – Men's Singles
Grigor Dimitrov won the title in the first hard-court edition of the tournament, defeating Kevin Anderson in the final, 7–6(7–1), 3–6, 7–6(7–5).


2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel – Women's Doubles
Lourdes Domínguez Lino and Arantxa Parra Santonja were the defending champions, but chose not to participate. Kristina Mladenovic and Galina Voskoboeva won the title, defeating Petra Cetkovská and Iveta Melzer in the final, 6–3, 2–6, [10–5].


2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel – Women's Singles
Sara Errani was the two-time defending champion, but chose not to participate. Dominika Cibulková won the title, defeating Christina McHale in the final, 7–6(7–3), 4–6, 6–4


2014 Abierto Tampico
The 2014 Abierto Tampico was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the second edition of the tournament which was part of the 2014 ITF Women's Circuit, offering a total of $50,000 in prize money. It took place in Tampico, Mexico, on 13–19 October 2014.


2014 Abierto Tampico, Singles entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Abierto Tampico – Doubles
María Fernanda Álvarez Terán and María Irigoyen were the defending champions, having won the event in 2013, however Álvarez Terán chose not to participate. Irigoyen partnered Irina Falconi as the second seeds, but lost in the semifinals to Kateryna Bondarenko and Valeria Savinykh.


2014 Abierto Tampico – Doubles
The top seeds Petra Martić and Maria Sanchez won the title, defeating Bondarenko and Savinykh in the final, 3–6, 6–3, [10–2].


2014 Abierto Tampico – Singles
Indy de Vroome was the defending champion, having won the event in 2013, however she chose to participate in Makinohara instead.


2014 Abierto Tampico – Singles
Mariana Duque won the title, defeating An-Sophie Mestach in the final, 3–6, 6–1, 7–6(7–4).


2014 Abilene Christian Wildcats baseball team
The 2014 Abilene Christian baseball team represents Abilene Christian University in the 2014 intercollegiate baseball season. Abilene Christian competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a charter member of the Southland Conference. The Wildcats play home games at Crutcher Scott Field on the university's campus in Abilene, Texas. Eighteenth year head coach Ty Harrington leads the Wildcats.


2014 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team
The 2014 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team represented Abilene Christian University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Wildcats played their second transition season of at the FCS level. They were led by third-year head coach Ken Collums. Home games were played at Shotwell Stadium. This was the Wildcats first season in the Southland Conference. They finished the season 6–6, 4–4 in Southland play to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place.


2014 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team, TV and radio
All Abilene Christian games will be broadcast on KTLT, also known as , and in Dallas on  as part of the Abilene Christian Wildcats Cumulus radio network.


2014 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team, TV and radio
Video of all home games (except those broadcast via the Southland Conference Television Network or ESPN3) is being offered live through Stretch Internet via , a paid subscription service. Audio of all road games is also available through ACU TV at no charge. Locally, Wildcats home games will be shown on KTES-LP This TV tape delayed Tuesday nights.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the Republic of Abkhazia on 24 August 2014. The sixth such elections since the post of President of Abkhazia was created in 1994, they were held early due to the resignation of President Alexander Ankvab on 1 June 2014 following the 2014 Abkhazian political crisis. Four candidates contested the elections, which were won by Raul Khadjimba, who received just over 50% of the vote.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Background
On 27 May, opposition protesters stormed the Presidential administration, prompting Ankvab to flee to Gudauta. The resulting crisis culminated in his resignation on 1 June. As Vice President Mikhail Logua had already resigned in December 2013 due to ill health, Speaker of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia Valeri Bganba has become acting president.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Background
On 3 June 2014, chairman of the Central Election Committee Batal Tabagua announced that the committee had begun preparations for the Presidential election and that the date had been set for 24 August.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates
Candidates could be nominated between 25 June and 14 July. Parties registered less than five months before the election date were not be eligible to nominate candidates. On 14 July, the Central Election Commission announced that all candidates except Beslan Eshba had passed the Abkhaz language fluency test. On 15 July, the Central Election Commission officially registered Khajimba, Kishmaria, Bazhania and Dzapshba as candidates. Of these, the first three received their registration certificates that same day, and Dzapshba on 16 July.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates, Mirab Kishmaria
Kishmaria campaigned on 23 July in the villages of Sanarda, Agubedia and Pervaya Bedia (Tkvarcheli District), on 24 July in Lykhny and Duripsh (Gudauta District), on 25 July in Tsandrypsh and Makhadyr (Gagra District), on 29 July again in Lykhny, on 7 August among diaspora voters in Moscow, on 14 August with voters in Cherkessk, on 15 August in Primorskoe, Abgarkhuk and Achandara (Gudauta District), on 18 August in Sukhumi's New District and on 21 August in Tkvarcheli.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates, Leonid Dzapshba
Dzapshba's campaign manager was former chairman of the State Committee for Youth Affairs and Sports Rafael Ampar. His candidate for the post of prime minister was former Foreign Affairs Minister Maxim Gvinjia.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates, Leonid Dzapshba
Dzapshba campaigned on 11 August in the villages of Babushara (Gulripshi District) and Kutol and Jgyarda (Ochamchire District),


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates, Raul Khajimba
Khajimba's campaign manager was MP Artur Mikvabia. His candidate for the post of prime minister was Beslan Butba, who had been appointed acting Vice Premier following President Ankvab's resignation.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates, Raul Khajimba
Khajimba campaigned on 19 July in Ochamchire and Shaumyanovka (Gulripshi District), on 22 July in the villages of Alakhadzy, Kolkhida and Bzypta (Gagra District), on 23 July in Uarcha and Pshap (Gulripshi District), on 30 July in Kutol (Ochamchire District), on 11 August in Chlou and Tkhina (Ochamchire District), on 12 August in Salme, Mekhadyr and Bagrypsh (Gagra District), on 14 August in Myrkul (Ochamchire District), on 21 August in Achandara and Duripsh (Gudauta District) and Lower Eshera (Sukhumi District) and on 22 August in Lykhny (Gudauta District).


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates, Aslan Bzhania
On 16 July and for the duration of the election, Bzhania's tasks as head of the State Security Service were transferred to First Deputy Head Zurab Margania.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates, Aslan Bzhania
Bzhania's campaign manager was Leonid Lakerbaia, who resigned as prime minister along with Alexander Ankvab, and his deputy campaign managers Mikhail Logua, vice president under Ankvab until December 2013, and Agriculture Minister Beslan Jopua. Bzhania's candidate for the post of prime minister was State Customs Committee Head Said Tarkil.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Candidates, Aslan Bzhania
Bzhania campaigned on 20 July in Tkvarcheli and the villages of Bedia and Agubedia (Tkvarcheli District), on 21 July in Agudzera and Markhiaul (Gulripshi District), on 23 July in Sukhumi's New District, on 24 July in the villages of Gumista and Iastkhua (Sukhumi District), on 28 July again in Sukhumi, on 29 July again in Gulripshi District, on 1 August among diaspora voters in Moscow, on 7 August in Ochamchire, on 14 August in Sukhumi's Sinop District, on 16 August in Gagra, on 17 August with Russian-speaking voters, on 19 August in Pitsunda, on 20 August in Gudauta, and on 21 August in Sukhumi's Kinoprokat District.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Campaign
On 24 July, a prayer service was held in Sukhumi Cathedral in which all four candidates participated. On 25 July all four candidates signed an election covenant promising to conduct fair election campaigns.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Campaign, Participation of Georgian voters
One of the key complaints of the opposition during the 2014 Abkhazian political crisis was that thousands of Georgian residents of the Gali, Tkvarcheli and Ochamchira Districts had received Abkhazian passports in violation of citizenship law. Accordingly, on 1 July, 22787 Georgians were stricken from the voters list.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Campaign, Re-opening of railway-connection with Armenia through Georgia
On 7 July, four Armenian former and current members of the People's Assembly launched an appeal that Abkhazia should actively push for the restoration of the Russian-Armenian railway link through Abkhazia, as it would strengthen both Abkhazia's economy and sovereignty. The proposal received sharp criticism in Parliament, in part due to the use in the appeal of the phrase 'the Abkhazian-Georgian section of the railway'. On 16 July, Aslan Bzhania expressed his support for the proposal.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Incidents
Around 4:05 in the morning of 20 August, a grenade was thrown into courtyard of CEC head Batal Tabagua. No one was injured, Tabagua's and neighbouring houses were damaged.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Incidents
On 22 August, at about 18:00, the parked car of Nuzhnaya journalist Isida Chania was shot at from a white Lexus SUV. At the crime scene, 29 empty cartridges and 2 bullets were found.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Conduct
As in previous elections, there will be polling stations outside Abkhazia, in Moscow and Cherkessk. For the first time, there will also be a polling station in Istanbul. All three polling stations are assigned to District no. 5 in Sukhumi, where the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is located.


2014 Abkhazian presidential election, Results
According to the official results released by the Central Election Commission on 26 August, Raul Khajimba was elected in the first round.


2014 Abruzzo regional election
The Abruzzo regional election of 2014 took place on 25 May 2014.


2014 Abruzzo regional election
The Democratic candidate Luciano D'Alfonso, a former Christian Democrat who had been mayor of Pescara in 2003–2009, defeated incumbent President Giovanni Chiodi of Forza Italia by a wide margin.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (formally known as the 2014 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held at the Yas Marina Circuit on 23 November 2014. The race was the nineteenth and final round of the 2014 season, the 916th World Championship race, and marked the sixth running of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Double points were awarded for the first time at this race. This change to the points system was not well received in the months leading up to the race, and the implementation of this system turned out to be a one-off. The series would revert to the 25–18–15–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 system in use since 2010 for all races, beginning with the 2015 Australian Grand Prix.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The race determined the World Drivers' Championship between Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, with the latter winning both the race and the title. This would prove to be the final Grand Prix for Jean-Éric Vergne, Adrian Sutil and Kamui Kobayashi as well as the last Grand Prix for the Caterham team, which collapsed before the start of the 2015 season.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Background, Changes to points structure
For the first time in the history of Formula One, teams and drivers scored double the number of points awarded for race finish positions. The FIA implemented this in order to maximise focus on the championship until the end of the season. Originally Bernie Ecclestone wanted double points for the last three races of the season, but the teams ultimately decided to have double points for only the last race of the season. The rule change was negatively received by teams and drivers.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Background, Changes to points structure
As a result of the double points offered for the race, Lewis Hamilton needed to finish in the top two to guarantee the championship. Under the regular points structure he would have only needed to finish sixth to guarantee the title.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Background, Team changes
Marussia did not contest the Grand Prix as a bid to save the team from collapsing failed in the week before the Brazilian Grand Prix, forcing the team to close down. They had made a last-minute attempt to race in Abu Dhabi, with rumours that they were being sought after by a potential investor. However, those negotiations fell through, ending their chances of making a return to the grid.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Background, Team changes
Facing a similar financial situation, Caterham launched a crowdsourcing campaign to attend the race, which ultimately proved successful and the team returned for the season-ending race, bringing the grid up to 20 cars. Although Caterham retained Kamui Kobayashi for the race, Marcus Ericsson had terminated his contract with Caterham a week and a half before the race, forcing Caterham to hire another driver. 24 Hours of Le Mans winner André Lotterer, who also drove for Caterham in the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, was originally linked towards the role, but he turned down the offer. Will Stevens, a former Marussia test driver, took the drive instead and made his Formula One debut. This was also the last race for Caterham as the team collapsed before the start of 2015.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Background, Tyres
For the first time since Pirelli became the sole tyre provider, they supplied the yellow-banded soft tyre as the prime compound, while the red-banded supersoft was the option selection for the event. The previous three seasons saw the medium and soft selections used.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Background, Virtual Safety Car (VSC)
The FIA again tested its Virtual Safety Car system, proposed for the 2015 season, to better deal with race track emergencies following the incident suffered by Jules Bianchi during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. The version tested in Abu Dhabi, however, was not preferred to that tested at the preceding United States and Brazilian Grands Prix.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Practice
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton topped the first and second practice sessions, while teammate and championship contender Nico Rosberg topped the third and final practice session.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in Q1. He set the fastest time again in Q2, posting a time 0.539 seconds faster than championship rival Nico Rosberg after his teammate had scruffy laps. The situation was reversed in Q3, with Hamilton having two scruffy laps, and Rosberg took pole position with a time of 1:40.480, with Hamilton 0.386 seconds behind in second.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying, Post-qualifying
Red Bull Racing drivers Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo were excluded from qualifying after their cars were found to have front wings that flexed under an aerodynamic load in contravention of the sporting regulations which prohibit movable aerodynamic devices. With their times disallowed, both drivers were relegated to the back of the grid. The team was then forced to change their front wings so as to make their cars legal for the race – a parc fermé violation – and were further penalised, having to start the race from pit lane.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying, Post-qualifying
Romain Grosjean received a cumulative series of penalties for exceeding his quota of power unit components, totalling a twenty-place grid penalty. With Grosjean qualifying sixteenth—before Red Bull were excluded—he was unable to serve the full penalty. However, as the race marked the final Grand Prix of the 2014 season, the stewards were unable to carry the penalty over to the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, and so Grosjean was given a pit lane drive-through penalty in lieu of the remaining grid penalty.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Race
Lewis Hamilton got a good start from second on the grid and got ahead of polesitter and championship rival Nico Rosberg by the first corner. At the end of lap 1 Hamilton had a 1.2 second lead over his teammate, which grew to 2.6 seconds by lap 22. On lap 23 Rosberg's troubles began, as he locked up and ran off the track at turn 17 - rejoining 3.9 seconds behind Hamilton - and the following lap he reported he was losing engine power.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Race
On lap 25 Rosberg had dropped to 7.1 seconds behind Hamilton, and he was told over the radio that his ERS had failed. Over the following laps Rosberg dropped down the field. Hamilton began to lower his pace - avoiding kerbs and asking his team to keep the engine turned down - in an effort to avoid suffering the same fate as his teammate. This allowed Felipe Massa to make gains on the race leader over the following laps.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Race
As Massa emerged from his final stop - putting on the super-soft tyre - he was 11 seconds behind Hamilton, and with fresh tyres he started to close the gap. However it was ultimately not enough, as Hamilton increased his pace by just enough to keep Massa in check. Hamilton crossed the line 2.5 seconds ahead of second-placed Massa to win the race, and with it his second world championship. Valtteri Bottas took the final podium position, giving Williams their first double podium since the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Race
Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel, who had both started the race from the pit lane, finished in 4th and 8th respectively, after Ricciardo managed to pass Kevin Magnussen early on in the race while Vettel got stuck behind him, which had the knock-on effect of causing him to be stuck behind the Force India cars later in the race.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Race
Rosberg ultimately finished down in 14th, as his car situation got even worse in the closing laps. On lap 53 he was advised over the radio to retire the car, as his chances of scoring any points were effectively over and his car had developed too many problems. However, Rosberg responded by saying he would like to go to the end and finish the race, which he ultimately did.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Race, Post-race
Ahead of the podium ceremony, Nico Rosberg entered into the cooldown room to congratulate championship rival Lewis Hamilton on winning the title. Hamilton later paid tribute to Rosberg for his graciousness in defeat.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Race, Post-race
Although Rosberg suffered an energy recovery system (ERS) failure and dropped out of the points during the race, he acknowledged that his problem did not make a difference to the championship outcome in the end, as Hamilton would have had to finish 3rd or lower for him to have a chance of winning the title anyway.


2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Report, Race, Post-race
Mercedes set two new records, the first being 701 total points, the second being the margin of 296 points to second-placed Red Bull-Renault.


2014 Acceleration at Navarra
Acceleration at Navarra was the second weekend of Acceleration 2014, a multi-day festival combining top class car and bike racing with live music and other entertainment. The festival was organised by the International Sport Racing Association (ISRA), based in the Netherlands, to be held six times in 2014, starting 25–27 April in Portimao, Portugal and ending 17–19 October in Assen, Netherlands. The various racing competitions wereFormula Acceleration 1 (FA1), the MW-V6 Pickup Series, the Legend SuperCup (LSC), the European Stock 1000 Series (ACC 1000) and the European Stock 600 Series (ACC 600).


2014 Acceleration at Navarra
Every driver entering Acceleration 2014 was eligible for points in the drivers' championship as well as the nations' championship. As for music and entertainment, David Hasselhoff was the host of "Celebrate the 80's and the 90's with The Hoff", a dance party featuring 2 Unlimited, Haddaway, and others. Saturday evenings were filled with performances of international DJs.


2014 Acceleration at Navarra, FA1 results, Driver changes
Nathanaël Berthon replaced Sergio Campana at Acceleration Team France. Campana replaced Armando Parente and drove for Portugal, while Parente joined the Chinese team. Oliver Campos-Hull therefore moved to Team Spain, replacing Victor Garcia. Finally, the Danish-born Dennis Lind took Felix Rosenqvist's seat at the Swedish team.


2014 Acceleration at Nürburgring
Acceleration at Nürburgring was the third weekend of Acceleration 2014, a multi-day festival combining top class car and bike racing with live music and other entertainment. The festival was organised by the International Sport Racing Association (ISRA), based in the Netherlands, to be held six times in 2014, starting 25–27 April in Portimao, Portugal and ending 17–19 October in Assen, Netherlands. The various racing competitions wereFormula Acceleration 1 (FA1), the MW-V6 Pickup Series, the Legend SuperCup (LSC), the European Stock 1000 Series (ACC 1000) and the European Stock 600 Series (ACC 600).


2014 Acceleration at Nürburgring
Every driver entering Acceleration 2014 was eligible for points in the drivers' championship as well as the nations' championship. As for music and entertainment, David Hasselhoff was the host of "Celebrate the 80's and the 90's with The Hoff", a dance party featuring 2 Unlimited, Haddaway, and others. Saturday evenings were filled with performances of international DJs.


2014 Acceleration at Nürburgring, FA1 results, Driver changes
Acceleration Team France driver Nathanaël Berthon was replaced by Alessio Picariello. The Dane Dennis Lind was replaced at Team Sweden by Jimmy Eriksson. Lind took over from Rodolfo González at Venezuela.


2014 Acceleration at Portimão
Acceleration at Portimão was the first weekend of Acceleration 2014, a multi-day festival combining top class car and bike racing with live music and other entertainment. The festival was organised by the International Sport Racing Association (ISRA), based in the Netherlands, to be held six times in 2014, starting 25–27 April in Portimão, Portugal and ending 17–19 October in Assen, Netherlands. The various racing competitions were Formula Acceleration 1 (FA1), the MW-V6 Pickup Series, the Legend SuperCup (LSC), the European Stock 1000 Series (ACC 1000) and the European Stock 600 Series (ACC 600). However, both European Stock series did not compete during this round of the championship.


2014 Acceleration at Portimão
Every driver entering Acceleration 2014 was eligible for points in the drivers' championship as well as the nations' championship. As for music and entertainment, David Hasselhoff was the host of "Celebrate the 80's and the 90's with The Hoff", a dance party featuring 2 Unlimited, Haddaway, and others. Saturday evenings were filled with performances of international DJs.


2014 Acceleration at Slovakia Ring
Acceleration at Slovakia Ring was the fifth weekend of Acceleration 2014, a multi-day festival combining top class car and bike racing with live music and other entertainment. The festival was organised by the International Sport Racing Association (ISRA), based in the Netherlands, to be held six times in 2014, starting 25–27 April in Portimao, Portugal and ending 17–19 October in Assen, Netherlands. The various racing competitions wereFormula Acceleration 1 (FA1), the MW-V6 Pickup Series, the Legend SuperCup (LSC), the European Stock 1000 Series (ACC 1000) and the European Stock 600 Series (ACC 600). However, the FA1 did not compete during this round of the championship.


2014 Acceleration at Slovakia Ring
Every driver entering Acceleration 2014 was eligible for points in the drivers' championship as well as the nations' championship. As for music and entertainment, David Hasselhoff was the host of "Celebrate the 80's and the 90's with The Hoff", a dance party featuring 2 Unlimited, Haddaway, and others. Saturday evenings were filled with performances of international DJs.


2014 Acceleration in Assen
Acceleration in Assen is the sixth and last weekend of Acceleration 2014, a multi-day festival combining top class car and bike racing with live music and other entertainment. The festival is organised by the International Sport Racing Association (ISRA), based in the Netherlands, and will be held six times in 2014, starting 25–27 April in Portimao, Portugal and ending 17–19 October in Assen, Netherlands. The various racing competitions areFormula Acceleration 1 (FA1),the MW-V6 Pickup Series,the Legend SuperCup (LSC),the European Stock 1000 Series (ACC 1000)and the European Stock 600 Series (ACC 600).


2014 Acceleration in Assen
However, for this round the ACC 600 and 1000 classes were replaced by the , whose drivers were not eligible to score points for the Acceleration championship. As for the other classes, every driver entering Acceleration 2014 is eligible for points in the drivers' championship as well as the nations' championship. As for music and entertainment, David Hasselhoff is the host of "Celebrate the 80's and the 90's with The Hoff", a dance party featuring 2 Unlimited, Haddaway, and others. Saturday evenings are filled with performances of international DJs.


2014 Acceleration in Assen, FA1 Results, Driver Changes
Nathanaël Berthon drove for China. Italy entered two cars, for Gian Maria Gabbiani and Sergio Campana, who was replaced by Dutchman Jeroen Mul at Team Portugal. The Swede Kevin Kleveros took over from Picho Toledano and Craig Dolby drove for Sweden instead of Felix Rosenqvist. The Netherlands also entered a second car, for Bas Schouten, who previously entered MW-V6. Finally, United Kingdom entered this race with Dani Clos at the wheel.


2014 Acceleration in Monza
Acceleration in Monza was the fourth weekend of Acceleration 2014, a multi-day festival combining top class car and bike racing with live music and other entertainment. The festival was organised by the International Sport Racing Association (ISRA), based in the Netherlands, to be held six times in 2014, starting 25–27 April in Portimao, Portugal and ending 17–19 October in Assen, Netherlands. The various racing competitions wereFormula Acceleration 1 (FA1), the MW-V6 Pickup Series, the Legend SuperCup (LSC), the European Stock 1000 Series (ACC 1000) and the European Stock 600 Series (ACC 600).


2014 Acceleration in Monza
Every driver entering Acceleration 2014 was eligible for points in the drivers' championship as well as the nations' championship. As for music and entertainment, David Hasselhoff was the host of "Celebrate the 80's and the 90's with The Hoff", a dance party featuring 2 Unlimited, Haddaway, and others. Saturday evenings were filled with performances of international DJs.


2014 Acceleration in Monza, FA1 results, Driver changes
Marco Barba replaced Oliver Campos-Hull at Acceleration Team Spain. Felix Rosenqvist came back to the Swedish team, taking over from Jimmy Eriksson. Steijn Schothorst made his debut in the series, in a car run by the Venezuelan Team Lazarus, which also employed Dennis Lind. With Armando Parente missing in Monza, Schothorst raced for China.


2014 Acre gubernatorial election
The first round of the Acre gubernatorial election was held on 5 October 2014 to elect the next Governor of the state of Acre. No candidate won 50% of the vote and thus a second-round runoff election was held on 26 October. Governor Tião Viana was re-elected for a second term.


2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
The 24th World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships were held in Levallois-Perret, France at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan from July 10 to July 12, 2014. 21 countries took part in the competition.


2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships – Men's group qualification
The 24th World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships were held in Levallois-Perret, France at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan. The men's groups qualifications were held on 10, 11 and 12 July 2014.


2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships – Men's pairs qualification
The 24th World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships were held in Levallois-Perret, France at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan. The men's pairs qualifications were held on 10 and 11 July 2014.


2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships – Mixed pairs qualification
The 24th World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships were held in Levallois-Perret, France at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan. The mixed pairs qualifications were held on 10, 11 and 12 July 2014.


2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships – Women's group qualification
The 24th World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships were held in Levallois-Perret, France at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan. The women's groups qualifications were held on 10, 11 and 12 July 2014.


2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships – Women's pairs qualification
The 24th World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships were held in Levallois-Perret, France at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan. The women's pairs qualifications were held on 10 and 11 July 2014.


2014 Acropolis Rally
The 2014 Acropolis Rally was the third round of the 2014 European Rally Championship season, held in Greece between 28–30 March 2014.


2014 Acropolis Rally
The rally was won by Craig Breen and co-driver Scott Martin, on the competitive début of Peugeot's 208 T16 R5 rally car.


2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan
The 2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan was a controversial plan to expand the boundaries of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, by 1.1 million hectares into  the Oromia special zone in April 2014.


2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan, Background
The Ethiopian government, at the time the TPLF, planned to expand the capital to accommodate the demand of residential and commercial properties for middle-class income. The plan faced violent constitutionally enshrined territorial dispute within the Oromia region.


2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan, Background
In 2011, Addis Ababa and the Oromia Special Zone established a joint project on common urban development issues led by Kuma Demeksa. In 2013, the government and other stake holders held a meeting in Adama and voiced their support for the project, claiming it was in Ethiopia's interest. The integration of Addis Ababa and the Oromia Special Zone would violate the 1995 constitution (which demarcated the capital from Oromia), and so it needed to be bypassed. By April 2014, the government was prepared to implement the Master Plan (which would seize surrounding town without consulting affected communities). This triggered protests from university students in Oromia, which were repressed by the government.


2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan, Protests
The proposed expansion of the boundaries of Addis Ababa ignited the 2016 Oromo protests that first sparked on April 25, 2014; to which the government responded by shooting at and beating peaceful protesters. More widespread strikes and street protests resumed on November 12, 2015; largely led by students in Ginchi (located 80 km southwest of Addis Ababa and encircled by the Oromia region). Protests spread throughout 400 different locales across 17 zones of the Oromia region, and according to Amnesty International 800 of these protestors were killed.


2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan, Master Plan U-turn
On 12 January 2016, after deadly Oromo protests over several months, the Oromo Democratic Party said that the plan was “fully terminated” after extensive meetings with government officials who rejected it.


2014 Adelaide Football Club season
The 2014 AFL season was the 23rd season in the Australian Football League contested by the Adelaide Crows.


2014 Adelaide Football Club season, Playing list changes
The following summarises all player changes between the conclusion of the 2013 season and the conclusion of the 2014 season.


2014 Adelaide Football Club season, Individual awards and records
The following Adelaide players were nominated for the 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star award:


2014 Adelaide United W-League season
The 2014 Adelaide United FC W-League season was the club's seventh participation in the W-League, since the league's formation in 2008.


2014 Adelaide United W-League season, Players, Squad information
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2014 Adelaide United W-League season, Players, Transfers in
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2014 Adelaide United W-League season, Players, Transfers out
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2014 Adelaide heatwave
The 2014 Adelaide heatwave was a heat wave that occurred in Adelaide, South Australia in both January and February 2014. The heatwaves were so strong that it broke records, becoming the hottest summer ever recorded in Adelaide. Although there were no deaths directly linked to the heatwave as of 2015, there were at least 136 heat-related hospital admissions recorded.


2014 Adelaide heatwave
14 January was the 4th hottest day recorded in Adelaide, at 45.1 °C (113.2 °F).


2014 Adidas International Gimcheon
The 2014 Adidas International Gimcheon was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the first edition of the tournament which was part of the 2014 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Gimcheon, Korea between 5 and 11 May 2014.


2014 Adidas International Gimcheon, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Adidas International Gimcheon, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received special exempt into the singles main draw:


2014 Adidas International Gimcheon, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players used protected ranking to gain entry into the singles main draw:


2014 Adidas International Gimcheon, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Adidas International Gimcheon – Doubles
Samuel Groth and Chris Guccione won the title, defeating Austin Krajicek and John-Patrick Smith in the final, 6–7(5–7), 7–5, [10–4].


2014 Adidas International Gimcheon – Singles
Gilles Müller won the title, defeating Tatsuma Ito in the final, 7–6(7–5), 5–7, 6–4.


2014 Adur District Council election
The 2014 Adur District Council elections took place on 22 May 2014 to elect members of Adur District Council in West Sussex, England. Half of the council was up for election.


2014 Advantage Cars Prague Open
The 2014 Advantage Cars Prague Open was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the 1st edition of the tournament which was part of the 2014 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Prague, Czech Republic between 4 and 10 August 2014.


2014 Advantage Cars Prague Open, ATP entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Advantage Cars Prague Open, ATP entrants, Other entrants
The following player received a special exemption into the singles main draw:


2014 Advantage Cars Prague Open, ATP entrants, Other entrants
The following player entered into the singles main draw as an alternate:


2014 Advantage Cars Prague Open – Doubles
Toni Androić and Andrey Kuznetsov were crowned champions, after defeating Roberto Maytín and Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela 7–5, 7–5


2014 Advantage Cars Prague Open – Singles
Diego Schwartzman won the inaugural tournament, defeating André Ghem 6–4, 7–5


2014 Aegean Sea earthquake
An earthquake occurred in the northern Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey on May 24, 2014. It had a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). Serious damage was reported on the Turkish island of Imbros and the cities of Edirne and Çanakkale, as well as on the Greek island of Lemnos. The earthquake was felt in Bulgaria and southern Romania. Several aftershocks followed the main shock, the strongest measuring 5.3 ML. This aftershock struck the Gulf of Saros at 12:31 local time.


2014 Aegean Sea earthquake, Tectonic setting
The northern part of the Aegean Sea shows a transition from the strike-slip tectonics associated with the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) to the extensional tectonics that characterise the area north of the Hellenic arc. The location of this earthquake is on the westward continuation of the NAF on the boundary between the Anatolian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Other earthquakes on this part of the NAF include an M6.6 event in 1975 and an M5.7 event in 2003.


2014 Aegean Sea earthquake, Earthquake
The distribution of aftershocks, combined with the observed focal mechanism, indicate dextral (right lateral) strike-slip on a WSW-ENE striking fault, assumed to be a continuation of the NAF. Analysis by backprojection of strong motion waveforms has been used to understand the detailed propagation history of the earthquake rupture. Two separate fault segments have been identified using this method. The shorter segment to the west of the hypocenter ruptured first followed by rupture to the east along the 65 km segment. Propagation of the longer eastern segment occurred at speeds well in excess of the S-wave velocity, making this an example of a supershear earthquake.


2014 Aegean Sea earthquake, Damage and casualties
A British tourist was injured in Lemnos, Greece. A shelter at the Lemnos International Airport collapsed. Many abandoned houses and a church were also damaged. Almost three hundred houses were damaged in Turkey and 11 houses collapsed in Greece.


2014 Aegean Sea earthquake, Damage and casualties
Doğan News Agency said the tremor caused damage to some old houses on the island of Imbros, off Turkey's northern Aegean coast, and 30 people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Early reports talked about a heart attack in the greater earthquake area, but the death has not been confirmed. The Governor of Çanakkale reported a total number of 324 injuries. Two churches and 13 mosques were damaged to various extents. Minor damage was also inflicted in Bulgaria.


2014 Aegean Sea yacht and dinghy capsizing
On 5 May 2014, a yacht and a dinghy, both overcrowded and carrying migrants destined for Greece, capsized about four nautical miles off the coast of the Greek island of Samos, in the Aegean Sea. The vessels had been trying to enter Greece illegally at the time they overturned. The cause of the capsizing remains unclear, since weather conditions at the time and place where it occurred were said to have been relatively good.


2014 Aegean Sea yacht and dinghy capsizing, Details and casualties
The two boats were carrying an estimated 68 people. Officials stated that 36 of the rescued were from Somalia, Eritrea, and Syria, and that the 22 lost---including a family trapped in a flooded cabin---were probably from the same countries.


2014 Aegean Sea yacht and dinghy capsizing, Details and casualties
At the time, Nicholas Paphitis of the Associated Press said that Samos is "a favorite destination for migrant-smuggling gangs because it's close to the Turkish coast." Paphitis also reported that "up to seven" people were missing, but quoted Hellenic Coast Guard spokesman Nikos Lagadianos as saying, "We can't give a precise number of missing people with any certainty."


2014 Aegean Sea yacht and dinghy capsizing, Reactions
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reacted to the news by saying that they were "deeply saddened" by the deaths, and appealed to European governments to seek "legal migration alternatives" for people fleeing war zones.


2014 Aegean Sea yacht and dinghy capsizing, Reactions
A pair of Samos residents who watched the boats capsize wrote an article for Greek Reporter in which they stated, "That such highly vulnerable people seeking refuge and safety are compelled to travel in small boats at high cost is entirely due to the inhumanity of the EU policies and practices with respect to migration in general and refugees in particular."


2014 Aegon Championships
The 2014 Aegon Championships (also known traditionally as the Queen's Club Championships) was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 112th edition of those championships and was part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2014 ATP World Tour. It took place at the Queen's Club in London, United Kingdom between 9 June and 15 June 2014. The singles title was one by fourth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.


2014 Aegon Championships, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Aegon Championships, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2014 Aegon Championships – Doubles
Bob and Mike Bryan were the defending champions, but lost in the second round to Jamie Murray and John Peers. Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares won the title, defeating Murray and Peers in the final, 4–6, 7–6(7–4), [10–4].


2014 Aegon Championships – Singles
Andy Murray was the defending champion, but lost in the third round to Radek Štěpánek.


2014 Aegon Championships – Singles
Grigor Dimitrov won his first grass court title, defeating Feliciano López in the final in three sets, despite being a match point down in the second set.


2014 Aegon Championships – Singles, Seeds
The top eight seeds receive a bye into the second round.


2014 Aegon Championships – Singles, Seeds
Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.


2014 Aegon Classic
The 2014 Aegon Classic was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 33rd edition of the event, and the first edition of the event as a Premier tournament on the 2014 WTA Tour. It took place at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham, United Kingdom, on 9–15 June 2014. First-seeded Ana Ivanovic won the singles title.


2014 Aegon Classic, Points and prize money, Prize money
The total commitment prize money for this year's event was $710,000


2014 Aegon Classic, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following player received entry into the main draw as a lucky loser:


2014 Aegon Classic, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pair received a wildcard into the doubles main draw:


2014 Aegon Classic – Doubles
Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua were the defending champions, but lost in the final to Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears, 6–7(1–7), 1–6.


2014 Aegon Classic – Singles
Daniela Hantuchová was the defending champion, but lost in the third round to Kimiko Date-Krumm.


2014 Aegon Classic – Singles
Ana Ivanovic won the title, defeating Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová in the final, 6–3, 6–2. This was the only title Ivanovic won on grass throughout her career.


2014 Aegon Classic – Singles, Seeds
The top eight seeds receive a bye into the second round.


2014 Aegon Classic – Singles, Seeds
Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.


2014 Aegon International
The 2014 Aegon International was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 40th edition of the event for the women and the 6th edition for the men. It was classified as a WTA Premier tournament on the 2014 WTA Tour and as an ATP World Tour 250 series on the 2014 ATP World Tour. The event took place at the Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club in Eastbourne, United Kingdom from 16 June through 21 June 2014.


2014 Aegon International, ATP doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2014 Aegon International, WTA doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2014 Aegon International – Men's Doubles
Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares were the defending champions, but lost in the final to Treat Huey and Dominic Inglot, 5–7, 7–5, [8–10].


2014 Aegon International – Men's Singles
Feliciano López was the defending champion and successfully defended the title, defeating Richard Gasquet in the final, 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 7–5.


2014 Aegon International – Men's Singles, Seeds
The top four seeds receive a bye into the second round.


2014 Aegon International – Men's Singles, Qualifying, Seeds
The top four seeds receive a bye into the second round.


2014 Aegon International – Women's Doubles
Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik were the defending champions, but Petrova chose not to participate. Srebotnik played alongside Květa Peschke, but lost in the semifinals to Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta. Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan won the title, defeating Hingis and Pennetta in the final, 6–3, 5–7, [10–7].


2014 Aegon International – Women's Singles
Elena Vesnina was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Madison Keys.


2014 Aegon International – Women's Singles
Keys went on to win her maiden WTA tour title, defeating Angelique Kerber in the final, 6–3, 3–6, 7–5.


2014 Aegon Trophy
The 2014 Aegon Trophy was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the fifth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2014 ATP Challenger Tour and the 2014 ITF Women's Circuit. It took place in Nottingham, United Kingdom, on 2–8 June 2014.


2014 Aegon Trophy, ATP entrants, Singles, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Aegon Trophy, ATP entrants, Doubles, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2014 Aegon Trophy, WTA entrants, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2014 Aegon Trophy, WTA entrants, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received entry into the singles main draw as lucky losers:


2014 Aegon Trophy, WTA entrants, Doubles, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2014 Aegon Trophy – Men's Doubles
Jamie Murray and John Peers were the defending champions, but decided not to compete.


2014 Aegon Trophy – Men's Doubles
Chris Guccione and Rajeev Ram won the title, defeating Colin Fleming and Andre Sá in the final, 6–7(2–7), 6–2, [11–9].


2014 Aegon Trophy – Men's Singles
Matthew Ebden was the defending champion, but withdrew before the commencement of the tournament.


2014 Aegon Trophy – Men's Singles
Marcos Baghdatis won the title, defeating Marinko Matosevic in the final, 6–4, 6–3.


2014 Aegon Trophy – Women's Doubles
Maria Sanchez and Nicola Slater were the defending champions, having won the event in 2013, but both players chose to participate with different partners this year. Sanchez partnered Sharon Fichman as the fourth seeds, losing in the final whilst Slater partnered with Emily Webley-Smith, having been given a wildcard berth, losing in the quarterfinals.


2014 Aegon Trophy – Women's Doubles
Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith won the title, defeating Fichman and Sanchez in the final, 7–6(7–5), 4–6, [10–5].


2014 Aegon Trophy – Women's Singles
Petra Martić was the defending champion, having won the event in 2013, but chose not to compete in 2014.


2014 Aegon Trophy – Women's Singles
Monica Puig, Christina McHale, Urszula Radwańska and Tadeja Majerič withdrew from the tournament, giving places to all four of the losing players from the final round of qualifying.


2014 Aegon Trophy – Women's Singles
Kristýna Plíšková won the title, defeating Zarina Diyas in the final, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4.


2014 Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships
The 13th Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Cancun, Mexico from June 27 to June 29, 2014.


2014 Aesthetic Group Gymnastics World Cup series
The 2014 IFAGG World Cup series in Aesthetic Group Gymnastics is a series of competitions officially organized and promoted by the International Federation of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics.


2014 Afghan Premier League
The 2014 Afghan Premier League is the third season of Afghan Premier League, the Afghan league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2012. The season started on 28 August 2014 with the group stage. Shaheen Asmayee enters the season as the defending champions, having defeated Simorgh Alborz 3–1 in the 2013 final. It was Shaheen's first title and championship, with Simorgh's second runner up title, after two seasons in a row making it to the final of the country's league football.


2014 Afghan Premier League, Teams
A total of eight teams compete in the league, divided into two groups of four in the 18 game total league. There is no promotion or relegation system for the league.


2014 Afghan presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Afghanistan on 5 April 2014, with a second round held on 14 June. Incumbent President Hamid Karzai was not eligible to run due to term limits. The registration period for presidential nominations was open from 16 September 2013 until 6 October 2013. A total of 27 candidates were confirmed to be running for office. However, on 22 October Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission disqualified 16 of the candidates, leaving only 11 in the race. By April 2014 three candidates gave up the race and decided to support some of the eight remaining candidates.


2014 Afghan presidential election
Opinion polls showed Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani as the front-runners and indeed the results of the first round of the election had Abdullah in the lead and Ghani behind him. The second set of results came after the run-off on 14 June, two months after the first round. Preliminary results were expected on 2 July and the final result on 22 July. However, widespread accusations of fraud delayed these results. As a result, John Kerry, then United States Secretary of State, mediated the negotiations between the two final candidates, Ghani and Abdullah.


2014 Afghan presidential election
After a series of negotiations and talks between Ghani, Abdullah and Kerry, the two candidates agreed to sign an Agreement to form a National Unity Government based on 50–50 power sharing. As a result of that political agreement, a separate position was created for Abdullah as Chief Executive. The National Unity Government's term will run out after the next Afghan presidential election is held in September 2019.


2014 Afghan presidential election
The election was the first time in Afghanistan's history that power was democratically transferred.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Procedure
On 17 July 2013, the Parliament of Afghanistan passed a pair of election laws considered crucial to holding the election on time; President Karzai signed one and was expected to sign the other quickly. The first law to be signed laid out the composition and rules for Afghanistan's election commission and a separate commission to adjudicate complaints about voter fraud and other irregularities. The other one governed how the vote will be held.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Procedure
Pakistan sealed its border with Afghanistan during the electoral period in order to reduce the chances of cross-border attacks.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Procedure
There have been reports of polling sites running out of ballot papers due to a high turnout.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Candidates
A total of 27 candidates were confirmed to have submitted their nominations by Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission on 6 October 2013, the closing day of the nomination period.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Candidates
However, on 22 October Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission disqualified 16 of the candidates, leaving only 11 in the race. The different candidates were disqualified for a number of reasons, among them were education levels, documentation and the number of required signatures. The disqualified candidates had 20 days to appeal the decision and the Independent Election Commission was due to present the final list of confirmed candidates on 19 November 2013.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Candidates
On 25 November 2013, the Independent Election Commission announced the ordering of the candidate names for the election ballot as follows:


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign
On 6 March 2014 Qayum Karzai ended his bid for the presidency, and instead announced his support for Zalmai Rassoul. Due to the lateness of his announcement Karzai's name still appeared on the ballot paper; however, Karzai told supporters to vote for Rassoul instead. Two other candidates – Sardar Mohammad Nadir Naeem and Abdul Rahim Wardak – did the same thing to create a strong Pashtun ticket.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, First debate
The first debate took place on 4 February 2014 and included five candidates: Abdullah Abdullah, Qayoum Karzai, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Zalmai Rassoul, and Abdul Rahmi Wardak. The debate focused on the issues of security, the economy, and corruption.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, Second debate
The second debate took place on 18 February 2014 and included four candidates: Daoud Sultanzoy, Mohammad Nader Naeem, Hedayat Amin Arsala, and Qotbuddin Helal. As with the first debate, the second debate focused on the issues of security, the economy, and corruption.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, Second debate
On the issue of security Arsala emphasised the need for better cooperation between the various Afghan security agencies. Sultanzoy focused on the issue of a lack of motivation and high desertions in the Afghan security forces. Naeem emphasised the need to combat insecurity by providing better services.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, Second debate
On the issue of peace negotiations with the Taliban Naeem argued that certain parts of the Taliban want peace and could be compromised with. Sultanzoy argued that the Taliban was a tool of foreign intelligence agencies, and that in order to marginalize the Taliban the Afghan people needed to unite behind a unifying goal. Hilal argued that the Taliban was a diverse group, with certain members being driven by poverty, whilst others were "agents of intelligence agencies." Hilal argued that the former parts could and should be negotiated with. Arsala argued that if the Taliban embraced politics, instead of violence, that they could be given a "chair in the cabinet."


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, Second debate
Sultanzoy also argued that corruption was resulting in poverty, and that increases in pensions and salaries could be afforded through a reduction in corruption. Arsala also focused on the issue of corruption, arguing that "government administration overall must be reformed." Hilal advocated reducing corruption through a mixture of better policing and the digitizing of government records. Naeem argued that corruption was a major issue for the Afghan bureaucracy, and had increased over the past 12 years. He argued that as an issue it must be dealt with from the top down.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, Second debate
Hilal also argued that whilst women should be educated and involved in society, this should be done "within the limits of Sharia." Naeem argued that Afghan constitution and Afghan democracy had been achieved in a way in line with Islam. Sultanzoy argued that Afghanistan had made great sacrifices for democracy, and that equal rights under the law must be ensured. Arsala advocated an "independent, developed and Muslim Afghanistan."


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, Third debate
The third debate took place on 4 March 2014 and included three candidates: Abdullah Abdullah, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, and Zalmai Rassoul. The debate focused on foreign policy. On the issue of the Durand Line, both Rassoul and Abdullah argued that the Afghan government alone cannot decide on the issue of the Durand Line, but that instead policy must be set according to the will of the people. Ahmadzai however argued that the issue of the Durand Line cannot be discussed if the conditions are not right.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, Third debate
All three candidates expressed their support for the Bilateral Security Agreement. On the subject of the zero-option, whereby the United States would fully pull out of Afghanistan, Rassoul argued that Afghanistan would still be in a position to accept international aid. Ahmadzai argued against the zero-option, stating that Afghan remained dangerous, but that Afghanistan would likely be stable by the end of the decade. Abdullah attacked Karzai's opposition to the zero-option, claiming that the danger of a zero-option had been caused by Karzai's "unbalanced and emotional decisions."


2014 Afghan presidential election, Campaign, Debates, Third debate
All three candidates accused Pakistan of aiding the Taliban. Abdullah claimed that Pakistan used the Taliban "as a tool for foreign policy." Rassoul argued that when discussing the issue a distinction had to be made between the Pakistani government and the Pakistani people, and that the Pakistani people "have been friends to the people of Afghanistan." Ahmadzai argued that extremism posed a threat to both countries, but that Afghan sovereignty had to be maintained, and that the Afghan government had to prevent Pakistan from destabilizing Afghanistan through proxies.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Opinion polls
The 2014 election was the first election in Afghanistan to make use of opinion polling. A December 2013 poll by Glevum was the first of nine planned polls funded by the United States. The polls were to be conducted by three different companies, with the United States paying for them due to Afghan institutions lacking the ability and funding to conduct the polling themselves. Following the publication of a subsequent Democracy Institute poll some Afghan electoral authorities and candidate supporters alleged the polling had been biased. As response the United States cancelled funding for any further polling in order to avoid any perception of bias.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Conduct, Security concerns
On 7 April 2014, a roadside bomb was detonated in the Maywand District when a van drove over it, killing all 13 people on board. Some suspected the Taliban were responsible, though the group blamed international forces for the attack. The 2014 presidential elections is the first year Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have taken the lead for such an event.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Conduct, Security concerns
On 6 June 2014, candidate Abdullah Abdullah narrowly survived an assassination attempt. In the attack, suicide bombers targeted his armored car, severely damaging the vehicle and killed three of his bodyguards as well as three bystanders. Abdullah escaped largely unscathed, strongly condemning the attack while commenting, "the best response to this conspiracy is to go to vote on election day." No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Taliban has previously threatened to violently disrupt the electoral process.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Conduct, Security concerns
On July 1, 2014, Afghan security forces seized weapons, ammunitions and explosives and killed around 27 Taliban during operations in Kunar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Balkh, Zabul and Helmand provinces. The next day, a suicide bomber riding a bicycle targeted a vehicle of the Afghan National Army (ANA) at around 6.30 a.m. in which 14 people, including civilians were killed.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Conduct, Security concerns
The Afghan Intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) Chief, Rahmatulllah Nabil accused Pakistan's ISI and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of escalating clashes in the Helmand Province. The Taliban is said to have gathered hundreds of fighters in a bid of overtaking this region, amidst the U.S. withdrawal, which will be completed by December 2014.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Conduct, Allegations of fraud
In July, certain allegations regarding fraudulent practices in the voting process emerged. The European Union sent 6 observers in Kabul, Balkh and Herat provinces. Thijs Berman, head of the EU election assessment team, called for an in-depth review of the electoral fraud claims and said that necessary steps would be taken to clean it. Abudullah accused President Hamid Karzai of conspiring in the rigging of the elections.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Results
The preliminary results were announced on 26 April and were finalised on 15 May. About 12 million Afghans were registered to vote in the country and about 8 million members of Afghan diaspora were also eligible to vote. Nearly two-thirds of the Afghan population were under the age of 25.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Results
No candidate secured more than the 50% of the vote, so there was a second round run-off on 14 June. Preliminary results for the second round were due on 2 July, but were delayed to 7 July. When they were announced, Ashraf Ghani had won with 56.4% of the vote.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Results
Due to allegations of widespread fraud, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced on 12 July that all ballots would be audited under UN supervision. Following the recount, the number of valid votes had dropped from 7,972,727 in the preliminary results to 7,120,585 in the final results. The final results also showed that Ghani's vote share had decreased to 55.3%.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Conclusion
On 24 August President Karzai met with the two candidates, and told them they should rapidly conclude the audit process. The inauguration ceremony was set for 2 September 2014, one month after it was scheduled by the UN. He also said that the inability of the candidates to compromise on the results had led to Afghanistan deteriorating. Although Karzai had insisted he would step down on 2 September, he remained in office due to security concerns.


2014 Afghan presidential election, Conclusion
The results of the election remained in dispute, despite a proposal by the United States that the candidates agree to a power-sharing deal, which was initially agreed to. A UN-led audit failed to sway Abdullah as he insisted the audit team could not explain a million extra votes counted in the run-off. Ghani supporters insisted they wanted to do a deal and were leaving the door open to negotiations


2014 Afghan presidential election, Conclusion
On 19 September the Independent Election Commission announced Ghani as the winner. Five hours later, Abdullah and Ghani signed a power-sharing agreement, with Ghani being named president and Abdullah taking on an important position in the government; the deal was signed in front of the presidential palace, with incumbent president Hamid Karzai in attendance. Part of the deal stipulated that the Independent Election Commission would not release the exact vote totals of the second round of voting.


2014 Afghanistan protests
The 2014 Afghanistan protests was a series of pro-government and anti-electoral fraud protests by hundreds, then tens of thousands of demonstrators from 21–27 June, during the 2014 Afghan presidential election campaigns was taking place. Mass protests and Civil disobedience has rocked areas across Afghanistan in June, demanding free elections in support of the Democracy. Protesters rallied against blasphemy laws in October 2014, and a wave of protests also hit Afghanistan in March 2015. Protesters also protested against fraud and electoral suffrage and mistrust, rallying in support of main candidate Abdullah Abdullah and chanted slogans on 27 June. Protests did remain largely bloodless and led to no police intervention however.


2014 Africa Cup
The 2014 Africa Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Africa Cup, an annual international rugby union tournament for African nations organised by the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR). The tournament, as well as the 2012 and 2013 editions of it, served as the qualifiers for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.


2014 Africa Cup, Division 1A
Division 1A was held between 26 June and 6 July 2014, at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The winner qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup as Africa 1, and the runner up qualified for the repechage. The competing teams were:


2014 Africa Cup, Division 1B
Division 1B was held between 9 and 14 June 2014, in Tunis, Tunisia. The competing teams were:


2014 Africa Cup, Division 1C
Division 1C was held between 14 and 21 June 2014, in Gaborone, Botswana.


2014 Africa Cup, Division 1C
Morocco were initially supposed to play in Division 1C, but withdrew; they were replaced by South African club side, the 2014 SARU Community Cup champions Rustenburg Impala.


2014 Africa Cup, Division 2
Like in 2013, Division 2 is divided into North and South Groups. The North tournament was conducted under 7-a-side laws (similar to the 2012 tournament), while the South tournament was conducted under 15-a-side laws.


2014 Africa Cup, Division 2, North
The North Group tournament was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on 17 and 18 May 2014. The competing teams were:


2014 Africa Cup, Division 2, South
The South Group tournament was held in Kigali, Rwanda in between 3–7 June 2014. The competing teams were:


2014 Africa Cup, Division 2, South
Only 11 Democratic Republic of the Congo players arrived for their match against Burundi. A match was played, with DRC winning 20-7. However, Burundi were awarded the match on forfeit, due to DRC only having 11 eligible players available.


2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards
The 2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards was held on March 8, 2014 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Osas Ighodaro, IK and Vimbai were the hosts of the event.


2014 African Badminton Championships
The 2014 African Badminton Championships were held in Gaborone, Botswana between 27-29 April and organised by the Badminton Confederation of Africa.


2014 African Championships in Athletics
The 2014 African Championships in Athletics was held in Marrakech, Morocco from 10 to 14 August 2014. The competition was the 19th edition of Africa senior championships. The competition served as preparation to African athletes for the next continental cup which is planned to hold on 13 and 14 September 2014 in Marrakech. It was the second time that Morocco had hosted the event.


2014 African Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres
The men's 10,000 metres event at the 2014 African Championships in Athletics was held on August 10 on Stade de Marrakech.


2014 African Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres
The men's 100 metres event at the 2014 African Championships in Athletics was held August 10–11 on Stade de Marrakech.


2014 African Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres, Results, Heats
Qualification: First 3 of each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


2014 African Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres, Results, Heats
Wind: Heat 1: -0.3 m/s, Heat 2: -0.6 m/s, Heat 3: -0.7 m/s, Heat 4: -1.1 m/s, Heat 5: -0.4 m/s, Heat 6: -1.3 m/s, Heat 7: +0.6 m/s


2014 African Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres, Results, Semifinals
Qualification: First 2 of each semifinal (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualified for the final.