Paralympic Marathon Runner Misses Out on Medal after Being Disqualified TEN METRES from the Line
PARALYMPIC marathon runner Elena Congost was disqualified and denied a bronze medal after being disqualified just two meters from the finish line.
Congost, 36, is a Spanish T12/B2 track and field athlete who was born with a degenerative vision impairment and thus ran with guide Mia Carol Bruguera in Paris.
The athlete finished third in the T12 marathon event with a personal best of 3:00:48, but it counted for nothing.
That’s because Congost let go of the rope, which is not allowed within Paralympic rules, to help Bruguera who was dealing with a cramp just before snatching third place.
All runners in the T12 marathon must be connected to their guide via a tether at all times.
The runner was thus disqualified and the bronze medal went to Japanese star Misato Michishita.
Morocco's Fatima El Idrissi set a world record of 2:48.36 to win the gold medal and compatriot Meryem En-Nourhi finished second.
Congost expressed her displeasure shortly after learning about the decision.
The popular athlete doesn't regret her actions as she insists she did the right thing by looking after a fellow human being.
Congost told Marca: "I would like everyone to know that I have not been disqualified for cheating, but rather I have been disqualified for being a person and for an instinct that comes to you when someone is falling and is to help or support them.
"I'm devastated, to be honest, because I had the medal.
"I'm super proud of everything I've done and in the end, they disqualified me because 10 meters from the finish line I let go of the rope for a second because a person next to me fell face first to the ground and I grabbed the rope again and we crossed the finish line.
"The next athlete is three minutes away from me, so it was a reflex action of any human being to hold on to a person who is falling next to you.
"When there is no help, no benefit, and when it is clear that I stop dead in my tracks because of that situation.
"But they only say that I let go of the rope for a second and since I let go, that's it, there's no going back.
"I don't understand how anyone can reason or understand the situation, that it's not about cheating, that it's not about dragging an athlete."
Congost, 36, is a Spanish T12/B2 track and field athlete who was born with a degenerative vision impairment and thus ran with guide Mia Carol Bruguera in Paris.
The athlete finished third in the T12 marathon event with a personal best of 3:00:48, but it counted for nothing.
That’s because Congost let go of the rope, which is not allowed within Paralympic rules, to help Bruguera who was dealing with a cramp just before snatching third place.
All runners in the T12 marathon must be connected to their guide via a tether at all times.
The runner was thus disqualified and the bronze medal went to Japanese star Misato Michishita.
Morocco's Fatima El Idrissi set a world record of 2:48.36 to win the gold medal and compatriot Meryem En-Nourhi finished second.
Congost expressed her displeasure shortly after learning about the decision.
The popular athlete doesn't regret her actions as she insists she did the right thing by looking after a fellow human being.
Congost told Marca: "I would like everyone to know that I have not been disqualified for cheating, but rather I have been disqualified for being a person and for an instinct that comes to you when someone is falling and is to help or support them.
"I'm devastated, to be honest, because I had the medal.
"I'm super proud of everything I've done and in the end, they disqualified me because 10 meters from the finish line I let go of the rope for a second because a person next to me fell face first to the ground and I grabbed the rope again and we crossed the finish line.
"The next athlete is three minutes away from me, so it was a reflex action of any human being to hold on to a person who is falling next to you.
"When there is no help, no benefit, and when it is clear that I stop dead in my tracks because of that situation.
"But they only say that I let go of the rope for a second and since I let go, that's it, there's no going back.
"I don't understand how anyone can reason or understand the situation, that it's not about cheating, that it's not about dragging an athlete."
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SportsTranscript
00:00Paralympic marathon runner Elena Kongost was disqualified and denied a bronze medal after
00:12being disqualified just two meters from the finish line.
00:16Kongost, 36, is a Spanish T12B2 track and field athlete who was born with a degenerative
00:22vision impairment and thus ran with guide Mia Carol Bruguera in Paris.
00:28The athlete finished third in the T12 marathon event with a personal best of .348, but it
00:34counted for nothing.
00:35That's because Kongost let go of the rope, which is not allowed within Paralympic rules,
00:40to help Bruguera, who was dealing with a cramp, just before snatching third place.
00:46Kongost expressed her displeasure shortly after learning about the decision.
00:50The popular athlete doesn't regret her actions as she insists she did the right thing by
00:55looking after a fellow human being.
00:58Kongost told Marca,
00:59I would like everyone to know that I have not been disqualified for cheating, like
01:03but rather I have been disqualified for being a person and for an instinct that comes to
01:07you when someone is falling and is to help or support them.
01:11I'm devastated, to be honest, because I had the medal.
01:15I'm super proud of everything I've done, and in the end, they disqualified me because
01:2010 meters from the finish line, I let go of the rope for a second because a person
01:25next to me fell face first to the ground and I grabbed the rope again and we crossed the
01:30finish line.
01:32The next athlete is three minutes away from me, so it was a reflex action of any human
01:37being to hold on to a person who is falling next to you.
01:42When there is no help, no benefit, and when it is clear that I stopped dead in my tracks
01:47because of that situation.
01:50They only say that I let go of the rope for a second, and since I let go, that's it, there's
01:55no going back.
01:57I don't understand how anyone can reason or understand the situation.
02:00That it's not about cheating, that it's not about dragging an athlete.