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The world of sport often throws up those amazing matches or races where a seemingly unassailable lead gets overhauled. To the victor go the spoils, but what do we recall of the individual or team that suffers the defeat?
Below I have selected my top 10 defeats from the jaws of victory.
With so many sports and events to choose from, I have narrowed the criteria to international tournaments or matches.
No doubt many will disagree but here goes:
10. Apolo Anton Ohno- 2002 Winter Olympics- Salt Lake City
In men’s short track speed skating there is no such thing as a certainty. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Ohno was as close to a certainty as you get.
After dominating the heats for the men’s 1000m event, many thought gold in the final was a mere formality. Leading into the final corner Ohno and three other competitors were involved in crashes paving the way for Australia’s Steven Bradbury to take gold.
Ohno scrambled across the line to finish second.
Ohno went on to controversially take gold in the men’s 1500m final after South Korean Kim Dong-Sung was disqualified for blocking. Today, Ohno is the most decorated American winter Olympic athlete with eight medals in total.
9. Steve Davis- 1985 World Snooker Championship Final
World number one and defending World Snooker Champion Steve Davis took a commanding eight frame to nil lead in the 1985 final. Few would have bet against Davis at this point but Dennis Taylor had other ideas.
Despite being down 17-15, and at no stage on the final day being in front, Taylor took the victory and the Championship when he potted the black in the final frame of the tournament.
Despite loosing the longest ever recorded final in 1985 Davis won three further World Snooker Championships in ‘87’, ‘88’ and ‘89’ taking his total victories to six.
At 52, Davis is still ranked number 41 in the world.
8. Australia- 1981 Third Ashes Test, Headingly
Searching for an Ashes series victory in England, Australia looked to be on their way in the 3rd test at Headingly. Leading the overall series and having compiled 401 runs before dismissing England for 174, they decided to enforce the follow on.
With England at 5-105 a win appeared inevitable, but an inspired Ian Botham changed the match scoring 149. England managed 356 runs and then proceeded to role Australia for 111.
Australia didn’t have to wait long to regain the Ashes winning the 1989 series 4-0. Australia continued its dominance until 2005 before it surrendered the urn back to England losing the series 2-1.
7. Mikael Pernfors- 1987 Wimbledon
In his entire professional career, Mikael Pernfors of Sweden recorded three singles career titles. He is perhaps remembered most for making the French Open final in 1986, where he lost to world number one Ivan Lendl in straight sets.
At Wimbledon in 1987, Penfors faced former world number one Jimmy Connors in the 4th round.
Pernfors dominated the first two sets 6-1, 6-1 and was leading 4-1 in the third set when the wheels literally fell off. Connors rallied to win the third, 7-5 but in the fourth set Pernfors converted an early break and led 3-0. In what can only be described as one of the great capitulations, Pernfors lost 12 of the last 15 games to lose the match.
Sadly, Pernfors fourth round exit in 1987 would be his best ever performance at Wimbledon. Injuries in the later part of his career resulted in his retirement in 1996.
6. AC Milan- 2004/05 Champions League Final
The 2004/05 Champions League final was a game of two contrasting halves. With AC Milan Leading 3-0 at the interval, few could have predicted what would transpire in the second half. In the space of six minutes, Liverpool scored three goals to tie the match 3-3, the score remained deadlocked after extra time.
Milan eventually lost the match on penalties 2-3.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti summed up the game as follows: “We had six minutes of madness in which we threw away the position we had reached.”
Milan didn’t have to wait long to even the ledger when they met Liverpool in the 2006/07 Champions League final triumphing 2-1.
5. Greg Norman- 1996 US Masters
Anything can happen in 18 holes of golf and in the final round of the 1996 US Masters it did. Greg Norman had a commanding five stroke lead at the 54-hole mark but shot a disastrous 78 to lose the tournament by five strokes to Nick Faldo.
Faldo won his third Masters and sixth major in total.
Despite all his success and wealth, Greg Norman will always be considered by many as an underachiever. Remarkably Norman finished second in major tournaments on eight occasions but this one stands out the most.
Unfortunately, as we all know, Norman never got his Masters victory although he again came agonisingly close in 1999 when he finished third.
4. Jane Saville- 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney
A controversial entry as this defeat was by disqualification when Jane Saville incurred her third illegal gait (lifting of the foot) at her home Olympics.
Saville’s disqualification came at the penultimate stage of the 20km women’s race-walk just as she was about to enter the Olympic stadium tunnel.
In tears, concerned officials asked what Saville needed, her reply summed up her raw emotions ‘a gun to shoot myself’.
Saville went on to win gold at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games in the women’s 20km race-walk. She exercised some of her Olympic demons in 2004 winning bronze in Athens, but when asked about her bronze she said: “nothing will ever make up for a gold medal.”
3. South Africa- 1999 Cricket World Cup Semi Final
Technically speaking, this match was a tie but due to Australia’s superior net run rate Australia progressed to the Final against Pakistan.
South Africa dismissed Australia for 213 runs with Sean Pollock taking the impressive figures of 5-32. Despite keeping the Aussies to a relatively low total the South African run chase didn’t take off until Lance Klusener arrived at the wicket.
Smashing 31 runs from 14 balls Klusener took South Africa to the brink of victory requiring one run from the last four balls of the match.
Only Klusener will know what went through his head when he set off for that horror single.
South Africa has never really recovered from this heartbreak loss to Australia. To date they have not won, nor played in a World Cup Final, despite consistently being one of the strongest teams in world cricket.
2. Australia – 2001 Eden Gardens Second Test
The Australian Cricket team of 2001 is perhaps one of the greatest sporting teams of all time. Having won 16 straight Tests and the previous Test against India by 10 wickets they were looking to win an elusive series on the sub-continent.
Australia looked comfortable when they made 445 runs in the first innings and dismissed India for 171. Australia enforced the follow on and India went on to amass 657 declared, with V.V.S Laxman scoring 281 runs. Australia was routed for 212 with Harbhajan Singh taking six wickets adding to the seven he took in the first innings.
Coincidently, the winning margin of victory was 171 runs.
In 2004/05 Australia got their revenge against India winning the series 2-1. In the most recent series in 2010/11, Australia was defeated 2-0.
1. Bayern Munich – 1998/99 Champions League Final
The 1998/99 Champions League final for me represents the ultimate “I can’t believe what just happened? moment.
At the six-minute mark in the final Mario Basler scored for Bayern Munich and despite numerous chances they were unable to double their lead.
Inspired substitutions from Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson saw Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer introduced in the second half.
The final was turned on its head when Sheringham scored in the 91st minute- but more was still to come. Solskjaer completed the fairy tale when he scored the winner in the 92nd minute. Despite being in the losing team Basler was named man of the match.
Bayern went on to make the final in 2000/01 where they defeated Valencia 5-4 on penalties. Bayern were also defeated in last years final by Internatzionale.
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