A Spanish triathlete Diego Méntrida was praised on social media after he sacrificed his position in the top three in the Santander Triathlon 2020 to give it to his rival who took a wrong turn on the course.
British athlete James Teagle was on his way to winning third place in a match in Spain last weekend when he made a small mistake a few meters from the finish line.
Mentrida defeats him but realizes the offense and stops to allow Teagle to cross first.
“He deserved it,” Diego Méntrida said. The British triathlete was then shaking hands with Méntrida in gratitude and stepped over the finishing line.
Last Friday, the 21 years old athlete was awarded honorary third place by the organizers and the same prize money as Teagle.
“This is something my parents and my club taught me since I was a child. In my view it should be a normal thing to do,” Méntrida said on his Instagram account.
Teagle mistakenly took a wrong turn and ran towards spectators in a fenced area less than 100m from the finish line.
“He didn’t notice the signs or they were misaligned,” added Méntrida.
“When I saw that he had missed the route, I just stopped. James deserved this medal,” he continued.
Source: BBC, Diego Méntrida, EL MUNDO Deportes