For any sports fan the debate over the great chokers can be an emotive one but it is also inherently hypocritical. In general terms the label we place on the loser is countered by the fact that the receiver is, well, otherwise pretty bloody good at what they do, especially compared to us
for example, did New Zealand lose the America's Cup this week, or did Oracle Team USA win it
? But we're really not that rational about sport, are we? When you add in a dash of patriotism as well that's just a recipe for misery or schadenfreude, depending on the way the result falls. So who are the hall of fame chokers in international competition?
It would be unfair to start this appraisal without making mention of my own homeland. Despite the self-sustained myth of being underdogs and boasting a well-stuffed trophy cabinet in cricket, rugby and Olympic sports,
Australia
has also managed some epic chokes. After heartbreaking losses at the final qualification hurdle for the football World Cups of 1998 and 2002, Australia had to effectively get the rules changed in order avoid similar defeats in the future. So they did, jumping from the Oceania qualification path to the Asian Football Confederation in the wake of qualification for the 2006 finals. It's hardly been smooth-sailing since, mind you.
Across the ditch in New Zealand , no amount of All Blacks dominance nor World Cup wins in the '87 and 2011 will ever completely erase the heartache of falling short as favourites in '95 and not even figuring in the final of '99 and 2003.