Not again! After so much promise, the FIBA Basketball World Cup ended with yet another 4th place finish for Australia. After four Olympic 4th place results, starting in 1988 in Seoul, the wait for a major medal continues.

The Boomers aren’t alone in sports teams and athletes who have found it hard clinch victory at crunch time though.

Netherlands, Football

Total football. Cruyff turn. Those distinctive orange kits. A 90s superteam, it is one of footballs mysteries how the Dutch still don’t have a world cup trophy. And then in 2010 it all seemed to finally come together, Arjen Robben in on goal, just the keeper to beat with the scores locked…and he fluffed it. Not once but twice. And we still wait…

South Africa, Cricket

Since their post-apartheid readmission in 1991, South Africa have appeared in no less than 4 world cup semi finals, and lost them all. It’s not just the losing, it’s the freakish bad luck storylines that have surrounded them. 1992- a ridiculous rain rule turns a gettable 22 of 13 balls into 22 off 1 ball. 1999- just one run to win after Klusener’s heroics, but poor Allan Donald didn’t hear the call and dropped his bat (see photo).

2003- no semi final but another fatal tie when the score required wasn’t communicated with rain looming. 2015- possibly South Africa’s greatest fast bowler seizes up and bowls a hit-me length ball to get blasted for the game winning six. Will it ever stop?

Asafa Powell, Athletics

On the face of it, Powell was a successful sprinter. Fastest man in the world at one point, Commonwealth Games champion in 2006. But what could’ve been? When we think of Jamaican sprinters, we think Bolt and to a lesser extent Blake. Powell’s prime was overshadowed, not just by Bolt, but his inability to bring his best to an Olympic final. 2004 and 2008 both saw disappointing 5th places, and 2012 a last placed finish after pulling up lame. For a man who broke the world record twice to end up without an Olympic individual medal or a gold World Championship one is a travesty.

David Nalbandian, Tennis

Another with a respectable career, but one which could’ve been glossed with a lot more glory. The semi final curse also struck the feisty Argentinian who lost 4 major semi finals, along with a straight sets defeat in his only slam final at Wimbeldon. A classic tennis story of a player always on the cusp but never quite achieving immortality. Three Davis Cup final losses for Argentina too, but these were often not his fault. 11 million in prizemoney will soften the blow though…

And a bonus- Pete Best, the Beatles

I know, not sport…but the man left with the greatest ‘what if’ regret in history? Only McCartney lives to potentially tell the tale of why exactly Pete was dumped so abruptly for Ringo Starr as the Beatles were on the cusp of stardom. Was it his play? Ringo by all accounts was far from a drumming maestro so that seems unlikely. Rumours abound of Bests’ meddling mother, or his good looks drawing the attention of fangirls and resulting jealously from Lennon and McCartney. Whatever the reason, Best missed out on being a part of the greatest rock band of all time and having his name etched into folklore. Instead he founded the low key ‘Pete Best band’ and lives quietly as a civil servant in Liverpool. Blessing in disguise?