Sport’s great runners-up: Jimmy White, Elfyn Evans even Johann Cruyff suffered multiple near misses

For each champion and every winner there are those who narrowly missed out.

The athletes who were on the verge of achieving greatness only to have the rug pulled from beneath their feet at the final stage.

Some never get the chance at greatness again but for a few, those unfortunate, unlucky few, it appears that finishing second is to be their lot.

Elfyn Evans is the latest to join those ranks.

The quiet, softly spoken Welshman was leading the World Rally Championship after 13 rounds, each one four days of intensive racing across a range of testing terrain.

But come the decisive final round in Saudi Arabia last week, normal service resumed.

His narrow lead was whittled away and then left in the dust of Sebastien Ogier’s tyres as the Frenchman took a record equalling ninth title and the Welshman was left to rue finishing second for an agonising fifth time.

There is a long list of those who never quite got it over the line – BBC Sport looks at some of sports other great runners-up.