10 memorable comebacks

Cycling Lance Armstrong

The seven-time Tour de France champion could not resist another tilt at the greatest cycling race in the world and duly announced his return to the sport last year at the age of 37. He finished a respectable third this week.

Formula One Alain Prost

After Prost was left without a drive following Ferrari's decision to release the Frenchman for the 1992 season, he returned to the circuit one year later at the wheel of a Williams-Renault. He then went on to lift a fourth drivers' championship before leaving the track for good.

Basketball Michael Jordan

After a brief spell in baseball's minor leagues, "Air Jordan" came back to the basketball court following a 17-month break between 1993 and 1995. MJ led his former club, the Chicago Bulls to three more NBA titles.

Boxing Muhammad Ali

"The Greatest" retired from the ring after regaining his world title from Leon Spinks in 1978. After three years on the sidelines, he returned aged 39, but was beaten by champion Larry Holmes in the 11th round.

George Foreman

Olympic champion in 1968, aged 19, Foreman went on to become world champion five years later. Having lost to Ali a year later, he retired before, in 1994, stunning the world by flooring Michael Moorer at the age of 45. He remains the oldest world boxing champ ever.

Football Pele

The Brazilian quit football in 1974 after a glorious career at Santos and the rare achievement of lifting three World Cups. Six months later, he was returned to play for New York Cosmos and won the North American title.

Swimming Dara Torres

The champion of coming out of retirement, Torres quit twice only to return to the pool for the Beijing Games in 2008 at the age of 41. The American proved she was still a force to be reckoned with by winning three silvers in the 50m free, 4x100m free and 4x100m medley to take her Olympic tally to 12.

Horse racing Lester Piggot

Greatest jockey of his generation, Piggot won nine Epsom Derbys and was champion jockey 11 times. Retired in 1985 to take up training, but returned to the saddle in 1990 and showed his talent by winning the Breeders Cup Mile.

Tennis Bjorn Borg

Stunned the sporting world when he retired at 25 after hitting the peaks of tennis. Won six French Open titles and five Wimbledon crowns before hanging up his racquet for the first time. Made a doomed comeback in the early 1990s when he tried the absurd idea of continuing with a wooden racquet. Never won another match in 10 miserable tournaments.

Martina Hingis

Cursed by injuries, the "Swiss Miss" was forced into retirement at just 23 in 2003. Three years later the former world No1 was back and played two seasons winning three individual tournaments and the Australian Open mixed title, alongside India's Mahesh Bhupathi.

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