TV Sport 10: The Finish Line
This is the very last post in this whole strand. I could have polished it off in one evening but it's ended up taking six months and many thousands of words. I started with the simple notion of my favourite moments watching sport in the last 30 years, and have ended up with something far more expansive and confusing.
On the other themes, there were times when I admit I struggled for varied and interesting topics. But this is the easiest one. This is the one that could go on and on. This is just me rifling through the sport I've loved watched on TV ... and I've watched (and loved) a lot of sport on TV.
I've had time to think about the way I watch different sports, what is the most thrilling and involving, what serves as mere relaxation, what I've little interest in, what consistently delivers and what relies on outstanding performance or unusual incident to thrill.
My favourite sports to watch, consistently, are, I suppose, cricket, boxing, football and athletics. But there are innumerable others that have given me great pleasure down the years. So, if I start running through the last 30 years, here are a few moments and occasions that I could easily have written entries about, that have lasted long in the memory.
Davis-Taylor at the 1985 World Snooker Championship
David Gower's double century in the 1985 Ashes
Maradona's handball in 86
France's try in the 1991 Grand slam decider
Linford Christie winning the 1992 Olympics
Rowing golds at the 1992 Olympics
Gascoigne's goal vs Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup
Slightly bizarrely, England winning the inaugural 1993 World Sevens Cup
Jimmy White missing the black to lose the 1994 World Snooker 18-17
Jonah Lomu at the 1995 World Cup
England's 2000 cricket series win against West Indies
Henman losing to Ivanisevic in 2001
Ronnie O'Sullivan's first World Championship in 2001, plus various other examples of Ronnie O'Sullivan playing his sport perfectly
Liverpool winning 2005 Champions League
Man Utd winning 2008 Champions League
Christine Ohuruogu winning at the 2007, 8 and 2012 Games
Spurs beating Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final
Dementieva- S Williams semi-final at Wimbledon 2009
Amir Khan holding on to beat Marcos Maidana in late 2010
2010-11 Ashes ...
Any number of Ryder Cups, but particularly 2012
See what I mean ... this could go on and on. But I've realised that, just about, my favourite, most satisfying sport watching experience isn't a Messi finish or a Lara cover drive, nor a clean knockout punch or a Federer forehand, it's watching someone you want to win get to the line first in a running race, generally a running race of 400m or more. Quite often, the longer the better, and the closer I better.
I think I personally invest in and identify with nothing as much these men and women (in recent years, if British, mainly women) filling up with lactic acid as they put years of pain and dedication into one last painful burst to the line.
So, you've got Coe and Cram and Ovett, going back, then people like Liz McColgan and Roger Black, Radcliffe, Martyn Rooney, Joe Pavey, Jenny Meadows, Mo Farah of course, and, perhaps the apotheosis of this tale, and my last sporting occasion of all, Kelly Holmes's two golds at the 2004 Olympics.
In what way did that fulfil my criteria for a pure sporting feelgood story? She was past 30, had had a long injury-hit career of near-glory, it was unexpected, it was damn close. It was the 800m I remember choking me up. Four years earlier, in the same race at the Sydney Olympics, she'd run almost exactly the same race, coming round the bend leading her friend and training partner Maria Mutola. But in that case, almost with deference, she set the race almost perfectly for Mutola to come past her, and ended up with bronze.
In 2004, after the perfect tactical race, it was her against the great Mutola stride for stride down the home straight, and anyone watching would have assumed Mutola would triumph, but Holmes just held on, kept striding, and her rival was the first to crack - but then suddenly, there were two other athletes flying up from behind - the thing about the 800m is that, if your legs have gone, it can really look like you're going backwards while those who still have a sprint come past. and if the race had been 802m, she'd have come 2nd or 3rd, but she judged the 800m perfectly, winning by a tiny few hundredths of a second. Then, she looked utterly shocked and unsure, before finally realising that she had actually won. It was beautiful.
And the story had a perfect second chapter, the fulfilment a few days later, where she ran the 1500m in a very similar fashion. but this time, she ran it like an entirely confident champion, looking around, checking on her opposition, before assuming her rightful place at the front and easing away.
I think she barely ever ran again in a serious track race, and it just exemplified a career perfectly timed, through all the trial and difficulty - to finally find one's true level just when there'll be no more chances and just when it matters the most.
That's the real sporting story. It comes good like that not all that often. Though you have to remember that every time it's the opposite of a feelgood story for you, it's a feelgood story for someone else. Chelsea winning the Champions League must have been a tearjerker for some, Justin Gatlin winning the Olympics likewise, South Africa winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup etc. All the time I'm thinking "Oh sport, why do the bad guys always win ..." someone else is experiencing a a thing of transcendent serendipity.
So, that's the finish line, the final whistle, stumps etc. I've used up all my cliches and spent all my powers of sporting description. Thank goodness.
On the other themes, there were times when I admit I struggled for varied and interesting topics. But this is the easiest one. This is the one that could go on and on. This is just me rifling through the sport I've loved watched on TV ... and I've watched (and loved) a lot of sport on TV.
I've had time to think about the way I watch different sports, what is the most thrilling and involving, what serves as mere relaxation, what I've little interest in, what consistently delivers and what relies on outstanding performance or unusual incident to thrill.
My favourite sports to watch, consistently, are, I suppose, cricket, boxing, football and athletics. But there are innumerable others that have given me great pleasure down the years. So, if I start running through the last 30 years, here are a few moments and occasions that I could easily have written entries about, that have lasted long in the memory.
Davis-Taylor at the 1985 World Snooker Championship
David Gower's double century in the 1985 Ashes
Maradona's handball in 86
France's try in the 1991 Grand slam decider
Linford Christie winning the 1992 Olympics
Rowing golds at the 1992 Olympics
Gascoigne's goal vs Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup
Slightly bizarrely, England winning the inaugural 1993 World Sevens Cup
Jimmy White missing the black to lose the 1994 World Snooker 18-17
Jonah Lomu at the 1995 World Cup
England's 2000 cricket series win against West Indies
Henman losing to Ivanisevic in 2001
Ronnie O'Sullivan's first World Championship in 2001, plus various other examples of Ronnie O'Sullivan playing his sport perfectly
Liverpool winning 2005 Champions League
Man Utd winning 2008 Champions League
Christine Ohuruogu winning at the 2007, 8 and 2012 Games
Spurs beating Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final
Dementieva- S Williams semi-final at Wimbledon 2009
Amir Khan holding on to beat Marcos Maidana in late 2010
2010-11 Ashes ...
Any number of Ryder Cups, but particularly 2012
See what I mean ... this could go on and on. But I've realised that, just about, my favourite, most satisfying sport watching experience isn't a Messi finish or a Lara cover drive, nor a clean knockout punch or a Federer forehand, it's watching someone you want to win get to the line first in a running race, generally a running race of 400m or more. Quite often, the longer the better, and the closer I better.
I think I personally invest in and identify with nothing as much these men and women (in recent years, if British, mainly women) filling up with lactic acid as they put years of pain and dedication into one last painful burst to the line.
So, you've got Coe and Cram and Ovett, going back, then people like Liz McColgan and Roger Black, Radcliffe, Martyn Rooney, Joe Pavey, Jenny Meadows, Mo Farah of course, and, perhaps the apotheosis of this tale, and my last sporting occasion of all, Kelly Holmes's two golds at the 2004 Olympics.
In what way did that fulfil my criteria for a pure sporting feelgood story? She was past 30, had had a long injury-hit career of near-glory, it was unexpected, it was damn close. It was the 800m I remember choking me up. Four years earlier, in the same race at the Sydney Olympics, she'd run almost exactly the same race, coming round the bend leading her friend and training partner Maria Mutola. But in that case, almost with deference, she set the race almost perfectly for Mutola to come past her, and ended up with bronze.
In 2004, after the perfect tactical race, it was her against the great Mutola stride for stride down the home straight, and anyone watching would have assumed Mutola would triumph, but Holmes just held on, kept striding, and her rival was the first to crack - but then suddenly, there were two other athletes flying up from behind - the thing about the 800m is that, if your legs have gone, it can really look like you're going backwards while those who still have a sprint come past. and if the race had been 802m, she'd have come 2nd or 3rd, but she judged the 800m perfectly, winning by a tiny few hundredths of a second. Then, she looked utterly shocked and unsure, before finally realising that she had actually won. It was beautiful.
And the story had a perfect second chapter, the fulfilment a few days later, where she ran the 1500m in a very similar fashion. but this time, she ran it like an entirely confident champion, looking around, checking on her opposition, before assuming her rightful place at the front and easing away.
I think she barely ever ran again in a serious track race, and it just exemplified a career perfectly timed, through all the trial and difficulty - to finally find one's true level just when there'll be no more chances and just when it matters the most.
That's the real sporting story. It comes good like that not all that often. Though you have to remember that every time it's the opposite of a feelgood story for you, it's a feelgood story for someone else. Chelsea winning the Champions League must have been a tearjerker for some, Justin Gatlin winning the Olympics likewise, South Africa winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup etc. All the time I'm thinking "Oh sport, why do the bad guys always win ..." someone else is experiencing a a thing of transcendent serendipity.
So, that's the finish line, the final whistle, stumps etc. I've used up all my cliches and spent all my powers of sporting description. Thank goodness.
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