This was supposed to be the image of the end of these Games. This Sunday, September 8, marks the closing of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with the flagship event of the marathon. In the T12 category, reserved for visually impaired athletes, an incident at the end of the race upset the podium before causing general astonishment. A few meters from the finish, Elena Congost’s guide, Mia Carol Bruguera, suffered from cramps. The Spaniard, in a show of solidarity, briefly let go of the rope to support her partner to the finish line. An image that was very quickly shared on social networks: many Internet users then shared their strong emotion about this initiative of the Iberian para-athlete. However, this gesture, although marked by humanity, violated the strict rules of the competition…
The judges’ decision to disqualify Elena Congost for failure to comply with rule 7.9.5, which requires the constant maintenance of the link between the athlete and her guide, has indeed sparked a lively controversy. The emotion of the para-athlete, who has been deprived not only of her medal but also of the associated scholarships in Spain, has found a powerful echo on social networks. “I would like everyone to know that I was not disqualified for cheating but for acting like a person and for the instinct that pushes you to help or hold on when someone falls,” the para-athlete confided to Marca in comments reported by Le Parisien, “devastated” by the announcement of her disqualification. On X, Internet users have massively expressed their incomprehension and anger at what they perceive as a flagrant injustice.
“All my support to Elena Congost and her guide!”
“What is morality?” asks Julie Battesti on the social network. “The athlete and the guide are a duo, why is she disqualified for helping him? What is morality?” she continues. Another user, Nowlimira, expresses her dismay: “The decision taken regarding the bronze in the women’s marathon drives me crazy… The guide should not cross the line first because he should not pull the competitor. Here it’s the opposite, she is the one pulling and pushing…”
The call for clemency and especially for the review of the decision was quickly heard. “Give Elena Congost the medal back,” demanded one Internet user. More broadly, the disqualification was described as “scandalous” by some, who praised the “magnificent athlete” and her “sporting and human performance.”
