The Agony of Defeat Quiz | Wide World of Sports

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The first FIFA World Cup was won by host nation Uruguay in 1930. What unlucky national team was the first to finish as runners-up three times?

Answer: Netherlands

Netherlands led by the brilliant Johan Cruyff lost to host nation West Germany 1-2, although they scored first from a penalty in only the 2nd minute. In 1978, they lost 1-3 to the host nation Argentina after extra time. Cruyff did not travel to Argentina for fear of his own personal safety.

They nearly won if Rob Resenbrink's shot had not hit the upright during the last few minutes of normal time. In 2010 at South Africa, they lost 0-1 to Spain in extra time.

2. This badminton player was probably the best and most consistent of all time in Malaysia. What is the name of the player who lost three consecutive final matches in the Olympics to Chinese players in Men's singles in 2008, 2012 and 2016?

Answer: Lee Chong Wei

Lee Chong Wei (born 1982) lost to Lin Dan in 2008 and 2012. In 2016, he finally defeated Lin Dan in an exciting semi-final in three sets, but lost to Chen Long. For his contribution to sports, he was awarded many national honours. The highest award of Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN), which carries the title Datuk, was given to him in 2017.

3. What team was the first to lose four Super Bowls in succession, from 1991 to 1994?

Answer: Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills lost to NY Giants in 1991, Washington Redskins in 1992, Dallas Cowboys in 1993 and 1994.

4. In the final round of 1996 Masters at Augusta, which player was leading by six shots but eventually lost to Nick Faldo?

Answer: Greg Norman

At round 3, Norman was 13 under leading Faldo by six strokes. The disaster started at the ninth hole, when Norman's wedge shot not only fell short of the hole but rolled back 30 yards. Things got from bad to worse, when he made three bogeys in a row, followed by a double bogey.

He ended with a final score of 78 against Faldo's 67. 20-year Tiger Woods entered the tournament as an amateur but failed to make the cut. Tiger returned as a pro in 1997 and won the tournaments by 12 strokes.

5. UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid won the first five tournaments. What elite club was the first to lose seven finals?

Answer: Juventus

The seven finals they lost were:

1973 Ajax
1983 Hamburg
1997 Borussia Dortmund
1998 Real Madrid
2003 AC Milan
2015 Barcelona
2017 Real Madrid

Juventus made won the title twice during those years: in 1985 against Liverpool and in 1996 against Ajax.

6. In the 1993 Wimbledon Women's Singles final, which player surrendered a 4-1 lead in the final set to lose to Steffi Graff?

Answer: Jana Novotna

Steffi Graf won the first set at 7-6, Novotna took the second set at 6-1 to level the match. In the deciding set, leading at 4-1 with just five points of winning, she faltered the serve, double faulting with a chance to win the game. Her game felt apart and she lost five games in a row at 4-6 to Steffi. However she came back to win the title in 1998.

7. Which NHL team lost six Stanley Cup finals from 1933 to 1940?

Answer: Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the following teams from 1933 to 1940:
1933 NY Rangers
1935 Montreal Maroons
1936 Detroit Red Wings
1938 Chicago Black Hawks
1939 Boston Bruins
1940 NY Rangers

However, they won the Cup thirteen times as at 2019.

8. English players dominated the World Snooker Championships which started in 1927. Joe Davis won the tournament a record fifteen consecutive titles from 1927 to 1940 and 1946. What English player lost all of his six final appearances, between 1984 to 1994?

Answer: Jimmy White

Jimmy White lost the first final to Steve Davis in 1984. He was defeated by Stephen Hendry in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994 and in 1991 by John Parrot ... and became the first to lose five consecutive finals (the previous record was three straight losses, by a number of players).

9. Rugby World Cup was first held in 1987. What national team was the first to lose in three finals?

Answer: France

France lost the first tournament in 1987 to host New Zealand, in 1999 to Australia, and New Zealand again in 2011. England was the second national team to lose three finals in 1991, 2007 and 2019.

10. The Copa America was held two years in succession in 2015 and 2016. The 2016 tournament was held to commemorate 100th anniversary of the Cup first held in 1916. Which nation lost to Chile twice in row to finish runners-up?

Answer: Argentina

Chile won their first Copa America title in 2015 beating Argentina on penalty kicks. They successfully defended their title in 2016, again defeating Argentina on penalty kicks. Argentina lost all the last four finals they contested from 2004 to 2016. In 2004 and 2007, they were defeated by their arch-rival Brazil. Uruguay was the champion in 2011. Brazil won the title in 2019.

Source: Author sw11

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Agony of Defeat Trivia Quiz

The joy of victory and the agony of defeat in the world of sports. This quiz is to examine the teams and individuals which fell short at the final stages.

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