Very
little has been said about this…..On December 2, Basque athlete Iván
Fernández Anaya was competing in a cross-country race in Burlada,
Navarre. He was running second, some distance behind race leader Abel
Mutai - bronze medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the London
Olympics. As they entered the finishing straight, he saw the Kenyan
runner - the certain winner of the race - mistakenly pull up about 10 meters before the finish, thinking he had already crossed the line.
Fernández Anaya quickly caught up with him, but instead of exploiting Mutai’s mistake to speed past and claim an unlikely victory, he stayed behind and, using gestures, guided the Kenyan to the line and let him cross first.
Ivan Fernandez Anaya, a Basque runner of 24 years who is considered an athlete with a big future (champion of Spain of 5,000 meters in promise category two years ago) said after the test:
“But even if they had told me that winning would have earned me a place in the Spanish team for the European championships, I wouldn’t have done it either. I also think that I have earned more of a name having done what I did than if I had won. And that is very important, because today, with the way things are in all circles, in soccer, in society, in politics, where it seems anything goes, a gesture of honesty goes down well.”
He said at the beginning: “unfortunately, very little has been said of the gesture. And it’s a shame. In my opinion, it would be nice to explain to children, so they do not think that sport is only what they see on TV: violent kicks in abundance, posh statements, fingers in the eyes of the enemy …”
Fernández Anaya quickly caught up with him, but instead of exploiting Mutai’s mistake to speed past and claim an unlikely victory, he stayed behind and, using gestures, guided the Kenyan to the line and let him cross first.
Ivan Fernandez Anaya, a Basque runner of 24 years who is considered an athlete with a big future (champion of Spain of 5,000 meters in promise category two years ago) said after the test:
“But even if they had told me that winning would have earned me a place in the Spanish team for the European championships, I wouldn’t have done it either. I also think that I have earned more of a name having done what I did than if I had won. And that is very important, because today, with the way things are in all circles, in soccer, in society, in politics, where it seems anything goes, a gesture of honesty goes down well.”
He said at the beginning: “unfortunately, very little has been said of the gesture. And it’s a shame. In my opinion, it would be nice to explain to children, so they do not think that sport is only what they see on TV: violent kicks in abundance, posh statements, fingers in the eyes of the enemy …”
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A long time ago I know Mike Palmer
but I love the story from the '36 Olympics. Jesse Owens had 'no jumped'
twice in the first round and was in danger of being eliminated before
the final. His biggest rival, a German named, quite ironically, Lutz
Long went
up to Owens and pointed out that Jesse was so good that even if he only
made an 'average' jump it would be easily long enough to qualify. He
suggested that Jesse should therefore start his 'run up' six inches
behind where he normally started from, thus ensuring a 'clean' jump and
certain qualification. Owens took his advice, qualified and won the Gold
the following day. Lutz Long came second and stated that he had no
regrets as winning Gold without Owens in the competition would have been
a hollow victory. Lutz Long died fighting for his country during W.W.2.
(c) Thomas Balls
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I'm
reminded of the great John Landy, the second man to break the
"four-minute mile, who stopped to assist a fallen athlete to his feet
then returned to the race ( the Australian mile championship) AND WIN!!!
What a shame it is that young Australians see so little of this
behaviour from today's sporting "heroes".
(c) Brian English
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A
great athlete is one who knows the better runner and pushes him to
break a record. The true winner are not so much those who win, but those
who make a race worth winning and worthwhile for all who compete.
(c) Cliff Bradshaw
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Reviewed and updated from comments
First posted on March 30, 2013 on https://www.facebook.com/graduate.fasttrack/Graduate Fasttrack
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