Mark Williams wins first snooker world title since 2003, but what are the longest waits between titles in sport?

It took Mark Williams 15 years to win a third World Snooker Championship title after the Welshman's second victory at the Crucible in Sheffield back in 2003.

Here, we look at some of the other longest title droughts in sporting history.

Irvine ends Ireland's 117-year wait for track gold

Despite having a long and rich history of successful road cyclists, it is unlikely that many in Ireland will have been able to name a single track rider until Martyn Irvine made a name for himself in Belarus back in February 2013.

After Belfast and Dublin had earlier in the day been handed the opening stages for the 2014 Giro d’Italia, Irish cycling was on a high. Irvine then sent it into the stratosphere on what turned out to be one of the greatest days in Irish cycling history when he ended their 117-year wait for a medal at the Track Cycling World Championships.

The only other Irishman to win a track medal was Harry Reynolds, who triumphed in the 1896 World Mile Championships in Copenhagen. That ended, though, when Irvine finished runner-up to Australia’s Michael Hepburn to win silver medal in the individual pursuit.

A short while later Irvine did the improbable and upgraded to gold after beating Andreas Müller in the 15km scratch to become Ireland's first track world champion since 1896.

Chicago Cubs break 108-year curse of the Billy Goat

After Billy Sianis was kicked out of a Chicago Cubs game in 1945 because the odour of his pet goat Murphy was upsetting fans, the owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, a bar in the Windy City, responded in the only way any right-minded supporter would do: by placing a curse on his club.

Whether Sianis actually 'cursed' his beloved Chicago Cubs remains a moot point, but his family claimed he sent a telegram to the owners telling them: “You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again. You are never going to win a World Series again because you insulted my goat.”

The club finally shed themselves of the "Curse of the Billy Goat" in 2016 when they ended a 108-year wait for a World Series title after beating the Cleveland Indians 8-7.

Boston kills 'Curse of the Bambino'

Despite being the fifth most successful American baseball team of all time having won five editions of the World Series, the Boston Red Sox endured a drought so long that towards the end of the 20th century large sections of their fans believed the club was cursed.

Not since the club had sold the legendary Babe Ruth to rivals New York Yankees had the Red Sox won the World Series, leading to the myth of the 'Curse of the Bambino'. Throughout the latter part of the century the club went close, but always missed out much to the delight of fans of the Yankees.

However, in 2004 the club finally killed off the curse when they beat St Louis Cardinals to seal their first World Series title for 86 years. The club has subsequently won a further two titles.

Blackburn end 81-year wait for the league title

When businessman Jack Walker bought Blackburn Rovers in 1991 they were languishing in the Second Division having just missed out in the play-off final. However, after investing millions in players and convincing Kenny Dalglish to return to management, the club were promoted to the top flight.

After finishing second to Manchester United in the 1993/94 season, Walker invested further funds in his squad when he broke a British transfer record through the £5 million acquisition of Chris Sutton from Norwich City.

Sutton immediately forged a dynamic striking partnership with Alan Shearer as the pair – who became known as the 'SAS' such was their deadliness in front of goal – between them scored 49 league goals in the 1994/95 season.

On May 14, 1995, Dalglish took his side to Anfield where Blackburn lost to his former club Liverpool 2-1 while Manchester United, who started the day in second spot two points adrift of Rovers, were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham. Despite losing, Blackburn secured their first league title since 1914 while ending the longest wait between successful championship-winning campaigns in the English top flight.

Murray leads Britain to first Davis Cup title for 79 years

For years, decades even, British tennis had become bywords for mediocrity; and then came Andy Murray. Just three years after ending Britain's 77-year wait for a Wimbledon title, Murray almost single-handedly won the 2015 Davis Cup after sealing a straight-sets win over Belgium's David Goffin in Ghent.

While the Davis Cup is obviously a team effort, Murray's figures were astonishing. His was officially the best individual run in the 115-year history of the Davis Cup. Until Murray, only one man had ever previously won 11 live rubbers in a single campaign – Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic in 2005. 

“I’d say that’s probably the most emotional I’ve been after a win,” Murray said after leading the team to Davis Cup glory. “It’s incredible that we managed to win this competition. I didn’t know that would ever be possible.”

O'Driscoll finally leads Ireland to grand slam glory

With captain Brian O'Driscoll at his brilliant best, Ireland went into their final game of the Six Nations Championship campaign in 2009 needing to beat Wales at the Millennium Stadium to end their 61-year wait for a grand slam.

As the final whistle blew the Irish players were overcome by emotion as the enormity of their achievement sunk in. Declan Kidney's side had just beat Wales 17-15 to complete a clean sweep in the Six Nations. 

O'Driscoll, who scored the most tries in the competition, was unsurprisingly named player of the tournament.

Bartali returns after World War II to win second Tour

After becoming only the second Italian to win Tour de France in 1938, Gino Bartali was unable to defend his title as the Second World War threatened to end his career. With Italian teams refusing to send riders to the Tour de France, Bartali focused on races back in his homeland before they, too, were disrupted by the outbreak of war.

Throughout the war Bartali, a devout Catholic and vehemently anti-fascist, used his fame and popularity to help Jewish Italians escape persecution by smuggling documents to the Italian Resistance while out on what the police and German army assumed to be training rides.

Bartali's greatest moment, from a sporting perspective at least, though, came in 1948 when he became the first, and to this day only, rider to win the Tour de France with a 10-year gap between his triumphs.

"Gino, thank you from Italy," the commentator says in the above footage after the rider helped restore national pride.

Williams bounces back after 15 years with 'best ever' world title win

Mark Williams won his first World Snooker Championship in 2000 before following that up with a second title three years later. However, the Welshman had to wait a further 15 years for another crowning in the Crucible.

Williams beat John Higgins of Scotland 18-16 in a what Steve Davis later described as "one of the greatest finals we've ever seen" at the age of 43 and become the tournament's oldest winner for 40 years.

Fellow Welshman Ray Reardon won his sixth world title in 1978 at the age of 45 to become the oldest winner of the event, though Williams became the snooker player with the longest gap between world titles in May 2018.

Lauda remains most patient F1 champion of all time

After winning two Formula One drivers' championship titles in quick succession  – 1975 and 1977 – Niki Lauda had to wait another seven years for a third.

The Austrian won his third and final world title in 1984 by just half a point ahead of Alain Prost despite failing to register a single pole position during the entire campaign. 

Jack Brabham (1960-66) and Lewis Hamilton (2008-14) had to wait six years between titles.