OK – I am trying to accumulate examples of (probably) sportspeople who have failed at the very last. If they failed whilst winning comfortably even better (for me, not them!)

The only example that really comes to mind for me is Nigel Mansell at the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix who retired on the last lap while waving to the crowd.

Surely the STW collective can come up with a few more examples for me?

Thanks in advance for any ideas…

There was a bloke in the walking in the olympics a few years ago who started running in the last few laps and was disqualified

Dick Francis on Devon Loch

Cor, two great examples. Don't spose anyone knows how long the walking event was out of interest??

[edit]Found it, I think – Jane Saville at the 2000 20k event 150m from home, ouch!![/edit]

Dorando Pietri
Olympic marathon [1908 or 1912]

he was way in the lead but a couple of fellas helped him up when he fell so was disqualified

Djamolidine Abdoujaparov on the Champs Elysees. Ouch.

It was 1908 for Pietri

Lindsey Jacobellis at the Turin Winter Olympics. Miles out in the lead of the Boardercross final, styles the last jump only to crash the landing and loses her sure-fire gold medal having to settle for silver. Whoops

These are great, thanks a million guys! Any more gratefully received but these will work well for what I need them for. 😈

Whatsisname sending a penalty into the stands at what whas it, the European Cup? Southgate was it?

There was that woman boardercrosser at the last winter olympics who was way out in front, tried to style some big air off the last jump and fell.

Liverpool against Arsenal circa 90/91 shaking hands in the centre circle just before Michael Thomas scored to steal the title.

POOR SAM HILL MAN

probably not known by most pub quizzers but worth it for the commentary alone!

All losing tennis players. And boxers. And darters.

They're within a shot of winning right up to the very last moment.

Liverpool against Arsenal circa 90/91 shaking hands in the centre circle just before Michael Thomas scored to steal the title.

Good call, cheers!

Could have the year wrong there munkster. Didn't google it.

They shook hands before the game was over?

Caroline Alexander at the Worlds(?) a few years ago, way ahead and basically riding far faster than she needed to and she blew her tubeless tyre up, ripped it to pieces and had to retire.

Giuseepe Guerini got knocked off his bike by a bloke taking a photo while leading the Alpe D'Huez stage of the Tour de France, got back on and won.

what about those guys in the news today who rowed all the way across the atlantic except for sinking 1 mile from the finish

They shook hands before the game was over?

No, sorry, I didn't make that clear. Not the Arsenal & Liverpool players, but a few Liverpool players were shaking hands and/or patting one another on the back just before the goal.

Arsenal / Liverpool was 1989 because the whole nation wanted Liverpool to win for Hillsborough. Apparently.

Caroline Alexander was the Commonwealth games at Rivington. 2002?

Well, I did say I didn't google it!

Scotland/Wales at the recent 6 nations

I seem to remember a story about a guy running a marathon, in the lead at the official distance but they had moved the line to give a VIP a better view of the finish, He collapsed before reaching the tape,

cant find anything on google about it tho so must have been all a dream.

how about the ice skating guy at the winter olympics just now? his opponent had slid out or disappeared or something so all he had to do was cruise to the finish line, and as he skated and waved to the crowd, he skated over the line between the lanes and was disqualified.

or something.

Actually it was the guy uplink mentioned that i was thinking of, but i couldnt understand the audio in the clip.

Didn't Lewis Hamilton snatch defeat from the jaws of victory a few years ago ?

Man United 'v' Bayern Munich in the 1999 European Cup Final.

Lindsey Jacobellis 2006

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPCOin3l8OY