Top 10 Athletes Who Celebrated Too Soon
You’ve done all the hard work, you soak in a bit of the crowd’s adulation, showboat a little, then out of the corner of your eye you spot them: the opponent you thought you’d left in the dust! Instead of a Usain Bolt like show of strength and dominance you’ve created a viral moment that will light up social media for decades. But fear not elite athletes you’re in good company. Join the schadenfreude as Mark Payne ranks the top 10 most cringeworthy early celebrations in sport.
10 Julian Alaphilippe throws Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Julian Alaphilippe was just seven days removed from the greatest moment in his professional career when he lined up on the start line for Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2020, one of cycling’s prestigious monuments. His gurning, aggressive attack in Imola had forced him clear of an elite bunch and on the way to a dominant solo win at the World Championships. Now wearing the legendary rainbow stripes, the famously flamboyant Frenchman was set to write another chapter in cycling lore, this time for all the wrong reasons. Having made the final selection Alaphilippe found himself in elite company once more the top two from the Tour de France Pogacar and Roglic as well as the man who’d won Fleche Wallone earlier in the week and a stage at the Tour de France Marc Hirschi. Alaphilippe identified Hirschi as the biggest threat to him on the flat finish and ensured he used the tiring legs of Matej Mohoric - who’d been in the earlier breakaway to lead him out. Exploding clear of the field he looked over his left shoulder and swerved from right to left to slow Hirschi’s progress and threw his arms up in celebration as he approached the line. The only problem was Alaphilippe hadn’t looked over his right shoulder where a slower acceleration from the Slovenian Primoz Roglic had finally reached terminal velocity, sliding under Alaphilippe’s arms and stealing the victory. Alaphilippe’s deviation from his line caused him to be relegated to 5th. It was agonising for him but redemption for Primoz Roglic who’d lost the Tour de France at the last a few weeks ago. Julian Alaphilippe apologised for his mistake and claimed he’d learned a painful lesson - only for him to repeat the feat a few days later at Brabantse Pijl - this time he was lucky to beat Mathieu Van Der Pool by a tyre’s width…
9 Joe Harding gets KO’d
“Listen to my instructions and protect yourself at all times” these are instructions are embedded on the brains of fighters and fight fans alike. They are the final words of guidance a referee gives before any MMA or boxing match. Their purpose is obvious, you’re both trying to do each other damage, don’t make it too easy for the other guy to do that. Unfortunately for young MMA fighter Joe Harding that all went out of his mind at BCMMA 18 after he’d dominated the early exchanges with his opponent Johan Segas. Inexplicably, he stopped punching, dropped his hands and preceded to attempt an “arm wave” only too end up with a chin full of his opponent’s leg. Joe was out before he hit the mat, the contest was over. The PE teacher did his homework for his next bout - winning in under 20 seconds - I doubt he’ll make that mistake again.
8. Leon Lett’s Super Bowl blunder
Leon Lett is a two time pro-bowler and three time Super Bowl Champion with the all conquering Dallas Cowboys - but is arguably best remembered for two cataclysmic errors of judgement in his playing career failing to secure a ball in snowy conditions against the Miami Dolphins and ultimately giving up a chance to win the game.. and years later, fumbling a potential touchdown out the back of the endzone during the Cowboys blow out win against the Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII. He’s not the only NFL player to do this - in fact another Dallas Cowboy is also on this list - but he is the only man to do so in a Super Bowl - which earns luckless Leon a spot on our infamy countdown.
7. Nick Young celebrates a 3 point miss
The only reason this isn’t significantly higher is because the Lakers won, and in the grand scheme of a basketball game, celebrating one basket that doesn’t sink in a game that might include 100 successful shots is fairly insignificant. What wasn’t insignificant was the reaction to Nick’s miss. You see, he didn’t wait to see if he’d drained it, he simply turned back down the court and raised his arms smugly satisfied with his efforts. In the background of the shot however, the ball pinged off the rim and a free-for-all was taking place over the rebound.
6. Bjorn Wirdheim throws away Monaco win
Back in 2003, the route to F1 typically traced a path through Formula 3000. The second tier class had been a key step in the careers of F1 winners Nick Heidfeld, Jean Alesi, Juan Pablo Montoya and more so for championship leader Sweden’s Bjorn Wirdheim knew that the eyes of the F1 paddock were on him. Driving for a young Christian Horner’s Arden team Bjorn had dominated the race, and was eight seconds clear as he approached the chequered flag. Bjorn slowed under the Arden berth on the pitwall only for second place Nickolas Kiesa to whip by and steal the most prestigious win on the season’s calendar (and yes that is Christian Horner sliding down the pitwall as the moment sinks in). Bjorn won the title, but didn’t earn a seat in F1 and, sadly for Bjorn his dominant title season is best remembered for this cringe inducing error of judgement.
5. Meghan Rutledge blows her X-Games shot
Meghan Rutledge was a few bike lengths clear of the field in the 2003 X-Games Women’s Moto X event as she approached the final jump. Feeling that she had it all sewn up she pumped her fist into the air in celebration, tipped the bike forward and crashed to the deck. Scrambling to pick her bike up, Meghan was overtaken by eventual champion - the appropriately named Vicki Golden.
4. DeSean Jackson does it twice!
DeSean Jackson built a reputation as one of the NFL’s elite downfield threats. A reputation he honed in college playing for the Cal Golden Bears. He also built a reputation of inexplicably giving up touchdowns through celebration. Firstly he attempted to frontflip in the endzone but neglected to bring the ball with him before turning pro and dropping the ball short of the endzone while playing for the Dallas Cowboys against their fierce rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. Oops!
3. Pep and the City fan experience Champions League heartbreak
Manchester City are on the verge of a Champions League semi-final when Raheem Sterling lashes in an injury time goal against Spurs. The game is now 5-3 with seconds to spare - and having lost the first leg 1-0 City have overcome the away goal and are set for a matchup with Ajax. Pep Guardiola is going mad on the sideline, outside the stadium a fan is heading to an interview that will live in infamy for years, and the VAR team are checking the goal. Sterling is ruled offside, just. Pep falls to his knees heartbroken and a celebrating City fan has the news broken to him that his side are out of the Champions League….
Oh wow pic.twitter.com/HTs8tiWvL4
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) April 18, 2019
2. Andrea Pirtea celebrates too soon at the 2007 Chicago Marathon
A marathon is exactly 26.2 miles. Back in 2007’s Chicago Marathon the first 26 miles for first time marathon runner Andrea Pirtea were fantastic- the final .2 would prove to be the bit that haunted her. As she approaches the finishing straight the commentators marvel at her confidence and her unwillingness to look back as she slaps hands with fans in the crowd. If she had she’d have seen the fast finishing Berhane Adere picking up the pace and closing the gap. Just as Pirtea took her foot of the proverbial gas Adere accelerated and left Pirtea no time to react. With less than 50m to go the win was assured, and the pain would have extended beyond the physical realm for Pirtea.
1. Jacobellis blows her shot at Olympic gold
Snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis’s Turin Olympics is the sporting definition of hubris. Olympic finals happen once every four years, so to find yourself in a seemingly unlosable position and, through a brief moment of cockiness, to throw it all away must have been devastating. Lindsey had seen off the threat of the rapid Canadians Maëlle Ricker and Dominique Maltais who’d both fallen earlier in the event and was out of sight of the other finalist, Tanja Frieden, when she inexplicably tried to grab her board and crashed. Frieden recovered quickest, the only finalist not to crash leaving a sheepish Jacobellis to pick up the silver medal, and a place at the top of our list.
