Oracle Team USA sailed close to the wind in the 2013 America's Cup, turning an 8-1 deficit into a 9-8 victory over New Zealand . The turnaround was helped by technical alterations to the boat and a new race tactician. So what's the secret to a great comeback? CNN explores the ingredients required to defy the sporting odds...
(CNN) -- Oracle Team USA safely negotiated the choppy waters of sporting comebacks to pull off a memorable victory against New Zealand to defend the America's Cup.
The crew, backed by billionaire Larry Ellison, had looked sunk as they trailed 8-1 in the best-of-17-races elite sailing series.
Down but not out, Team USA continued to develop their boat with the help of their land crew and made another key decision when Britain's Olympic champion sailor Ben Ainslie replaced John Kostecki as key tactician at 4-1 down.
But are technical updates and staff changes what true sporting comebacks are made of?
In the gallery above, CNN World Sport examines the ingredients of some of sport's most tantalizing turnarounds -- from teamwork to the indomitable spirit of a single human soul.
Let us know your favorite sporting comeback in the comments box below or join the conversation on World Sport's Facebook page.
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Teamwork helps when conjuring a comeback. Europe's golfers staged a record recovery in the 2012 Ryder Cup, clawing back a four-point deficit on the final day to defeat the U.S. on home soil in Illinois. There were no hard feelings between the defeated Tiger Woods (right) and the victorious Rory McIlroy on the 18th green at Medinah.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard famously slept with the trophy in his bed after his team's sensational win in European football's Champions League in 2005. But all 11 men on the pitch had to keep cool heads as Liverpool came back from 3-0 down at halftime to beat Italy's AC Milan on penalties in the final.
Baseball fans painted Boston red in 2004 after the Red Sox won the World Series in what some say is baseball's greatest comeback. The team launched an unprecedented recovery from 3-0 down in the playoffs against the New York Yankees. The invigorated Red Sox then beat the Cardinals in four straight games to win their first World Series since 1918.
Sometimes it takes just one person to etch a place in the pantheon of great sporting comebacks. In 1952 American boxer Rocky Marciano (center) had been knocked down in the first round and was losing on all the judges' scorecards before he landed his own knockout blow in the 13th round to defeat Jersey Joe Walcott (left) and become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
Lasse Viren literally picked himself up off the floor to complete his famous comeback at the 1972 Olympic Games. The Finnish runner won gold in the 10,000 meters -- and broke the world record too -- after falling over on the 12th lap of the race.
An emotional Goran Ivanisevic hit the floor after becoming the first wildcard entry to win Wimbledon in 2001. The Croatian came into the final after a five-set semifinal against Tim Henman. He had to call on physical and mental reserves to beat Pat Rafter to the trophy in another seesaw five-set epic.
Sometimes sporting comebacks are defined by the indomitable power of the human spirit. After being badly burned in a fiery crash in 1976, Austrian Formula One driver Niki Lauda was back on the racetrack just 42 days later. Another brave decision not to take part in the title-deciding Japanese Grand Prix because of safety concerns cost him the defense of his world title, but he would go on to win two more championships.
American golfer Ben Hogan recovered from horrific injuries sustained in a head-on car crash in 1949 to win the U.S. Open the following year. On instinct, he had moved across the car to protect his wife -- an action that saved his life. Hogan would go on to win five more major titles -- nine in total -- and is considered one of the game's greats.
Oracle Team USA added another key ingredient to their America's Cup comeback brew -- someone who had pulled off a coup before. Ben Ainslie, drafted in as the team's new tactician, won Olympic gold from the brink of defeat in 2012. "After six races I was in trouble," said the Briton, who also had a back injury. "Thankfully I turned it around."
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