10 athletes who made comebacks after career-threatening setbacks
Injuries are a part of an athlete’s life. But sometimes, an athlete suffers a career-threatening injury, and coming back from something like that requires a great deal of courage and determination. Although most players end their career with a rough patch, some athletes are born fighters and they etch their names into the history books with their gumption. By making tremendous comebacks from potentially career-ending injuries, these athletes gain higher status than the others. Here are 10 remarkable comeback stories from the sports world:
#1 Niki Lauda (Motorsports)
Niki Lauda was one of the best drivers in Formula One history. A week prior to the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Lauda asked his fellow drivers to boycott the race, largely because of the poor safety standards on the track.
Most of the other drivers decided to go ahead with the race. On August 1 1976, during the second lap, Lauda was involved in an accident where his Ferrari swerved off the track and burst into flames as it touched the Ford car.
The Ford was safe, but Lauda was trapped in the fire. As he was wearing a modified helmet, his face was exposed to the fire and he soon fell into a coma.
Surprisingly, Lauda returned to racing just six weeks later. He recorded a fourth placed finish in the Italian GP to complete a memorable comeback.