Features

Greatest sporting comebacks

Author: John Harris
Date: 23/08/2009
Formula One betting

Now that the fairytale return of Michael Schumacher has finally gone up in smoke, there will be no soap opera ending to the German maestro's protracted resurrection in Formula One.

The 40-year-old, who has failed to overcome a neck problem to fill in for Ferrari's injured Felipe Massa, decided it wasn't worth the risk.

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However, sport has witnessed some magical comebacks in living memory and we will look at a few that have made the hairs of our necks stand on end.

Sir Steve Redgrave at the 2000 Sydney Olympics

Our finest modern day Olympian told the world to shoot him if he went anywhere near a rowing boat again after winning his fourth consecutive gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Luckily for us as a nation, we opted not to shoot him as he jumped in a boat once more and magically won a fifth gold medal in Sydney despite being diagnosed with diabetes. A true champion.

Michael Jordan's return to the Chicago Bulls in 1995

Legend Michael Jordan opted for the ball park ahead of the court as he turned his hand to baseball in 1993 after leaving the Chicago Bulls.

But in 1995 he returned for the new NBA season and produced some his finest displays as he led the team to their first of three titles.

Lance Armstrong's return from cancer

Winning the world's most difficult endurance event must take some doing. Winning it seven times consecutively between 1999-2005 is nothing short of mesmeric.

But winning seven times on the spin after beating testicular cancer that had spread to the brain and lungs is a story you wouldn't dare dream up.

This story came true for Lance Armstrong after being diagnosed in 1996 and overcoming the disease he didn't give up and fulfilled his dream. Now, he continues to 'livestrong'.

Manchester United versus Bayern Munich in 1999

After an energy sapping evening in Barcelona on May 26 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson's sportsbook favourite Red Devils, minus Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, looked dead and buried in the Champions League Final.

After Bayern's Mario Basler scored an early free-kick, the trophy looked Germany-bound.

But Fergie threw Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on late in the day to turn the game on its head.

Sheringham prodded home after a corner in the 90th minute before a David Beckham in swinging flag-kick was flicked on by Sheringham and stabbed into the roof of the net by Solskjaer, grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat.

Delirious celebrations followed as did Samuel Kuffour's hilarious tantrum. An inspiring sporting comeback at its best.

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