SEE IT: Triathlete lets rival who took wrong turn finish ahead
Spectators witnessed a stunning display of sportsmanship last week when a runner allowed his rival to finish ahead of him after he took a wrong turn during the last leg of a triathlon.
British triathlete James Teagle was on his way to cruising to a third place finish at the Santander Triathlon in Madrid on Sept. 13 when he turned into a fenced area filled with spectators when he was fewer than 100 meters from the finish line.
Spanish athlete Diego Méntrida overtook Teagle but, before crossing the finish line himself, allowed the British runner to catch up and finish ahead of him, securing third place.
“When I saw that he had missed the route, I just stopped. James deserved this medal,” Méntrida told Eurosport.
“He deserved it,” Méntrida said later adding that Teagle must have misread the signs at the last turn or the signs were not placed properly.
According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Mentrida was rewarded for his sportsmanship with an honorary third-place finish and an identical prize of 300 euros.
“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 wrote on Instagram in reaction to receiving so much praise.
Teagle explained the dramatic scene in an Instagram post on Sunday.
“I missed the finish chute in a triathlon in Spain,” Teagle wrote. “After around 50m I realized and sprinted back. By that point Diego Mentrida was 50m from the finish chute and we ended up sprinting for the line. I crashed into the barrier and thought it was over.”
“Diego Mentrida then did the unexpected... Having seen what happened he stopped and allowed me to pass showing incredible sportsmanship and integrity!”
Teagle ended the post with two lesson for all to apply in their lives.
“Moral of the story is that sportsmanship is a highly regarded trait. And British kids pay attention in language class.. or you may end up looking like a fool worldwide.”
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