Meeke's Walk in the (Car) Park

Northern Irishman survives a huge late scare to win

Two words said it all: thank you. He followed them with a brief look to the skies. Kris Meeke knew he’d teetered on the brink of disaster. Heck, he hadn’t teetered on the brink of it, he’d dived headlong through a hedge into the middle of it. But somewhere, somehow he’d weaved his way through parked cars, found the right road and got back on it.

Thank you indeed.

Two years ago, on the same stretch of road the Rally Mexico press office was stopped in its tracks when Meeke retired live on telly after whacking the front-right wheel of his DS 3. That powerstage moment was nothing compared to this one.

But the picture was confused. Heading into the hedge the camera on the side of the Citroen was dislodged, it began rolling and rolling and spinning and rolling. Oh. My. God.

This is a huge accident. Hang on, there’s a perfect C3 WRC racing around the car park. How’s that? It was the camera, just the camera. Thirty-seven seconds ahead before the start of the stage, he could be still in this. He is. Joy. Despair. Hope. Victory.

At the stage end, Meeke stepped from the car and walked away. Walked anywhere. Heart pounding, his head was desperately trying to compute what on earth had just happened. Eventually, he composed himself. “I’m a lucky, lucky boy,” he said.

“Thank you.”

Now, let’s rewind. Let’s consider the wider implications rather than the latest insane moment of an already unbelievable season.

The fightback

Most recently, think America’s Cup, San Francisco 2013. Oracle Team USA down and out. They won. Or that night in Istanbul when Liverpool were dead, buried and on their way home. Only to come back from 3-0 down and win club football’s biggest prize in 2005. Further back, Botham’s Ashes in 1981. Astonishing, breathtaking sporting comebacks written forever into history.