Top 10 Most Dramatic Moments in Sporting History

Following the dramatic final stage of the 2020 Tour de France Mark Payne lists the top 10 Most Dramatic Moments in Sporting History.

10. Wales overturn Scotland at the death, 6Nations 2010

Scotland were on track to beat Wales in Cardiff for the first time in eight years until late drama saw them on the losing end of a 31-24 result. Wales were ten points behind when they began battering the Scottish line in the 76th minute. Eventually the Scottish resilience broke when Leigh Halfpenny slipped through under the posts. Scotland’s ill discipline had already seen Scott Lawson sin binned and were set to play out the dramatic final few minutes with 14 men. With one minute to go Scotland’s situation would become more dire. Wales burst through the lines and chipped the ball towards the posts when Phil Godman (who’d been on the field for barely a minute) was sent to the bin for tripping. 40 seconds remained. Stephen Jones chose to kick at the posts to level the scores… and was successful. By the time the clock was at 80, the game resumed there was only one play to go - somehow the ball didn’t go out of bounds. So many times on the final drive Wales got close to the line, and close to going out of bounds until Shane Williams slid in under the posts to seal the victory. 

9. Diego Corrales vs. José Luis Castillo, 7th May 2005.

I was so close to putting Fury and Wilder on the list here but it lacked the sheer drama of this matchup between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo. Fighting for the WBO and WBC lightweight titles the fight was absolutely brutal. Both men had thrown caution to the wind from the outset laying heavy punches on each other repeatedly. By the time we’d reached the 10th round Castillo was starting to get the upper hand. Corrales’s left eye had begun to swell shut and his pace was slowing. Castillo pressed his advantage and sent Corrales to the mat for the first time Castillo spat his mouthguard to the canvas rising at the count of 8. Warned by the referee his mouthguard was returned to his mouth and the fight resumed. But Castillo was quickly downed again, his mouthguard spat out again. He rose at the count of nine, but this time referee Tony Weeks enforced a point deduction. Castillo’s challenge looked to be ending in disgrace. After the second knockdown Castillo went on the attack and caught Corrales with a perfect right hand knocking the American to deck in a clean knockout. A stunning comeback when defeat seemed inevitable. 

8. The Minneapolis Miracle

The New Orleans Saints come into their 2018 Divisional Round playoffs as favourites against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings had lost their starting quarterback to a horrific injury in  pre-season and although they’d been one of the strongest teams during the regular season most expected them to fall to the experienced Saints led by former league MVP and Super Bowl winner Drew Brees. The Vikings raced to an early 17 point lead but were pegged back by the Saints who took the lead with 25 seconds remaining following a Will Lutz field goal. With 10 seconds left in the game the Vikings needed to throw the ball around thirty yards downfield and get out of bounds to attempt a game winning field goal. The chances were slim - but Keenan’s long throw downfield to Diggs was caught in bounds… a simple tackle missed allowing Diggs to trot into the endzone for an unbelievable end...

7. The Kick 6 

In college football there are few rivalries that can compete with the Iron Bowl. Alabama and Auburn are nearly always ranked and often have a shot at the National Championship when they meet. That was certainly the case back in 2013 when #4 Auburn hosted #1 Alabama, the two time defending national champions. Alabama were 10 point favourites but the game was tied up when Auburn scored a late touchdown with Sammy Coates. Just 32 seconds remained. Alabama drove the ball down the field and attempted a 57 yard field goal as time expired. Alabama knew if they missed the game would go to overtime, the play was very low risk. Kicker Cade Foster’s kick was on target… but fell just short. Chris Davis caught the kick at the back of the endzone before running the whole 109 length of the field with the ball in hand to win the game and end a 14 game winning run for Alabama. 

6. Ryder Cup 2012, The miracle of Medinah.

The 2012 Ryder Cup was supposed to be one where the European team won the cup for Seve Ballesteros who’d died the previous May. But heading into the final day the USA were well on top. Leading 10-6 and requiring just 4.5 points to win it seemed certain that the Ryder Cup would be returning to America. However, in the early going it was clear the European’s were fighting back. Europe one the first four matches of the day with Donald, Lawrie, Mcllroy and Poulter levelling the scores at 10-10. Then the matches ping-ponged between the two teams. Dustin Johnson put the US back in front, Justin Rose levelled for Europe, then Zach Johnson got the upper hand on Graeme McDowell to put the US 11-12 up. Lee Westwood levelled for Europe. Three matches were in play. The US led two and tied the other. This would be enough for them to win the trophy. At the 16th, the US’s Jim Furyk threw his hands in the air in celebration of a guaranteed half point as his ball rolled towards the hole for a two point lead… but then the ball stopped short. Sergio Garcia drew the hole. Garcia won the next hole to bring the scores level. The best was still to come as Garcia won the final hole and secured Europe’s 13th point. One more point and the Ryder Cup would be coming home with the Europeans. On the eighteenth Europe’s Martin Kaymer slapped a six footer to snatch victory from Steve Stricker.  A dejected Tiger Woods conceded the hole to Francesco Molinari as the pair split the spoils in the final match up 14.5-13.5. 

5. Fignon and LeMond

The closest tour of all time. Separated by eight seconds and a monumental shift in cycling technique, the battle between Fignon and LeMond is legendary. By the time they arrived in Paris for the final time trial, Laurent Fignon was wearing yellow having been the best rider through 20 days of the tour with a 50 second lead over LeMond. On the tour’s only other time trial, stage 5’s scoot from Dinard to Rennes, LeMond had been 56 seconds faster but that time trial was over 73kms. LeMond would need to pull a similar gap over just 24.5kms. The task seemed impossible. In the start gate the difference between the riders was stark. LeMond, the penultimate rider to leave rode with an aerodynamic helmet and triathlon bars in a skin tight jersey. Fignon wore loose fitting clothing, on an ordinary road bike with his blonde ponytail trailing behind him. LeMond set the fastest time 26mins 57s. When Laurent Fignon crossed the line his time was 27mins 55s - 58 seconds slower, giving LeMond the tour by the smallest margin. It’s been suggested that if Fignon had trimmed his flowing hair he would have saved the eight seconds he lost to Greg LeMond. 

4. 2005 Ashes, 2nd Test, Edgbaston

The 2005 Ashes was a landmark series for England. Winning their first series against Australia for 19 years marked a sea-change in the power balance of world cricket. Coming into the series Australia were the dominant test cricket side, England were ranked first 5th of the ten test playing nations. Australia were predicting a 5-0 victory - and had comfortably won the first test match at Lords. The second test therefore was crucial to England’s hopes. Win and the series was level, lose and they’d be two games back with three to play. By the time they’d reached day 4 of the test England were on the brink of victory. England needed two more wickets, Australia would require 107 runs with their tail enders. Incredibly Brett Lee and Shane Warne, used to leading the Aussie bowling attack were slapping the ball about for fun with the willow. Shane Warne reached 90 before stepping on his stumps. Number 11 Kasprowicz came into the line up. England needed one more wicket- they had 62 runs to eliminate either of the two men at the crease. This should have been easy.. But the pair surpassed their test averages. Kasprowicz was dropped by Simon Jones with 15 still to score. Australia looked to have it won as they tickled singles around the field and lowered their target. They needed three to win when Steve Harmison ripped a bouncer into Kasprowicz which was awkwardly fended away...into the diving arms of Geraint Jones. England would win the game and ultimately the series...

3. Toyota suffer Le Mans heartbreak

Winning the Le Mans 24 hours is never easy. For 24 hours drivers and mechanics of leading cars stare nervously at their monitors hoping that they aren’t removed from the competition by an accident or a mechanical problem. Every top team knows the agony of missing out when the stars seemed to be aligned in your favour - just ask Peugeot who lost four cars from podium positions in 2010. But no team has been more cursed at Le Mans than Toyota. In 1994 they appeared to have the race sewn up until a problem in the final hour slowed their pace and left them second. In 1998, they were closing in on the leading Porsche until a transmission failure put them out of the race. In 2014, Toyota had qualified on pole and led for most of the race before one of their cars lost time in the pits and the other was hit by a GT car and flipped out of the race. In 2016, everything was sorted - they’d got through the dangerous night, they’d avoided all the accidents. They’d started the final lap - when as the clock expired their lead horse slowed on the pit straight before stopping, cruelly, in front of the Toyota garage. The Porsche overtook them and stole victory at the finale. The Toyota that cost hundreds of millions to develop was let down by a faulty air connector that cost less than £5.

2. Hamilton wins his first title on the last corner

In his first season in F1 Lewis Hamilton lost out on the chance to become the youngest ever champion after a clash with his teammate Fernando Alonso and then an electrical drama relegated him to the back of the field in the season finale at Brazil. Ultimately Lewis recovered to sixth - agonisingly one place behind the position he needed to deny Kimi Raikkonen. In 2008, Hamilton was forced to battle again. This time against home favourite Felipe Massa. Hamilton came to Brazil needing fifth or better to secure the title, Massa needed to win and hope Hamilton was sixth or lower. 

On the grid, Massa was on pole, Hamilton started fourth… torrential rain delayed the start and it was the weather that had more than a hand in the drama. Hamilton was running comfortably until the track dried out. McLaren brought Hamilton in a lap later than his rivals dropping him to 7th… he battled back to fifth.. When once again the rain came again. The majority pitted, but crucially Robert Kubica and the two Toyota’s didn’t. It wasn’t wet enough for the full wets.. Kubica unlapped himself from Hamilton, forcing the Brit wide and opening up a door for Sebastian Vettel to pass him.. Knocking Hamilton down to sixth - with Massa leading his championship seemed doomed. The heavy rain on the final lap was not bringing Vettel close enough to pass… until at the final corner James Allen yelled “Is that Glock!?” It was, the Toyota drivers gamble on slick tyres hadn’t paid off - unable to gain traction out of the final corner Vettel and Hamilton flew past giving Hamilton fifth. his first world title - and an angry Ferrari mechanic, who punched the pit wall, a very sore hand.

1. Manchester City win the league in 2012

The title was Manchester City’s to lose, on the final day all they had to match the result of their Cross city rivals Manchester United. City played host to relegation-threatened QPR while Manchester United travelled to Sunderland. Manchester UNited struck first - 20 minutes in Rooney had put them on top of the table. 19 nervous minutes later City struck back through Pablo Zabaleta. Out of half time Djibril Cisse scores for QPR and City are back to second place. The drama is all at the Etihad, former City player, part time poet and occasional Francophile Joey Barton gets sent off for elbowing Tevez. QPR are down to ten men… but ten minutes later are in the lead. Jamie Mackie puts City three points behind their rivals with 30 mins to go.  It’s party time in Sunderland as the games head into injury time. United will win the league unless City can score two. Dzecko nods in an equaliser (2-2). Bolton’s draw with Stoke means that QPR are safe from relegation, but for City the lack of a late equaliser from Sunderland means they are moments from heartbreak again. Before.. With 1 minute of injury time remaining Sergio Aguero swivels in the box and drills the ball home. Euphoria at the Etihad is met with dejection in Sunderland. City win with time disappearing on the clock.