The Greatest Race You’ve Never Heard Of
By Jonathan Gault
February 1, 2015
(Editor’s note: Sunday, February 1, 2015, marks the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest race finishes in track and field history – the final of the 1990 Commonwealth Games 5000. We became aware of the race while reading this messageboard thread last year: Best come from behind wins ever – and decided to the research necessary to tell the story of the epic race).
As the 14 finalists toed the line on February 1, 1990, for the final of the men’s 5,000 meters at the Commonwealth Games, there was no indication that the fans in Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium were about to witness one of the most exciting races of all time. A Kenyan sweep seemed the most likely outcome: Kenyan
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Stephen Hendry comeback ends in first round Gibraltar Open loss to Matthew Selt
Stephen Hendry was beaten by Matthew Selt on his snooker comeback (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Stephen Hendry announced his return to the professional tour with the 776th century of his career but it was not enough to prevent a 4-1 defeat to Matthew Selt in the first round of the Gibraltar Open in Milton Keynes.
It marked the seven-time champion’s first match since he had announced his retirement after a crushing defeat to Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals of the 2012 World Championships.
But for a foul on his very first shot when he attempted a two-cushion roll-up to the pack of reds, Hendry showed every indication of being equipped for the challenge, culminating in his superb break of 107 to briefly level the match in the second frame.
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Ferguson told the PA news agency: “When we opened our Chinese academy, Yan was one of the first students in there and it is great to see where all his hard work has got him today.
“Yan always looked like he was the one with that little bit extra to give. I’ve seen so few players go frame-for-frame with John Higgins over the years, and his performance in the final was incredible.”
Despite Ding’s achievements, starting with his first of three UK titles in 2005, sparking a surge of unprecedented interest in the sport in his homeland, Chinese players capable of building on his legacy have proved elusive.