Almost Champions: Stories of athletes and teams who came painfully close to greatness but fell short

Sport is usually written by its champions, but some of its most unforgettable stories belong to those who came painfully close and fell short. Almost Champions tells the fact-based stories of athletes and teams who stood beside greatness without quite reaching the summit. From Dorando Pietri's staggering 1908 Olympic marathon finish to the Buffalo Bills' four straight Super Bowl defeats, from the beautiful Dutch football teams denied the World Cup to Jean Van de Velde at Carnoustie, Greg Norman at Augusta, Paula Radcliffe in Athens, Croatia in 2018, and the Golden State Warriors' 73-win season without a ring, this book explores the fine margins that separate immortality from heartbreak. Written in a flowing narrative style, this is a book about pressure, endurance, timing, injury, tactics, courage, and the unforgiving nature of elite competition. These are not stories of ordinary failure. They are stories of greatness interrupted at the final step.