How successful are sporting comebacks?

AFTER a five-month absence to deal with his personal tribulations, Tiger Woods announced on March 16th that he would return to playing professional golf at this year’s US Masters tournament in April. Sports stars have had mixed fortunes when returning to competition after a break. This week Michael Schumacher, who raced a Formula One car for the first time after a three-and-a-half year retirement, finished sixth in the Bahrain grand prix. George Foreman spent ten years as a pastor before getting back in the ring to regain the world heavyweight boxing crown at the age of 45. But Bjorn Borg, almost unbeatable in his day, made an ill-advised comeback to the tennis courts, losing every match with his old wooden racquets against competitors armed with more modern equipment.

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