Disqualification – Elena Congost lost her bronze medal after the finish of the T12 marathon
Yes, we know, the rules are the rules… But frankly, the spirit of sport was flouted this Sunday, after the arrival of the T12 women’s marathon of the Paralympic Games, reserved for athletes with visual impairments. While she had fought hard to secure third place, behind the untouchable Moroccan Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi and her compatriot Meryem En-Nourhi, Elena Congost was deprived of her bronze medal.
The 36-year-old Catalan came to the aid of her guide, Mia Carol Bruguera, who was in distress and suffering from cramps, in the final metres of the race. To do this, she appears to have let go of the rope that was connecting her to her 57-year-old partner for a few seconds. Congost would therefore have broken the Paralympic regulations, which define precisely how the athlete and their guide must be connected (points 7.9.1 to 7.9.5)…
The Chinese He Shanshan, 5th in the race, was also demoted, which allowed the French Rosario Murcia-Gangloff, initially 6th, to finish just off the podium.
Already titled in Rio in 2016, but without a guide
The Pé(…) - 20minutes
Also read:
Paris 2024 Olympics: A minute’s applause for Rebecca Cheptegei, the Ugandan marathon runner burned alive
“Slam”: Théo Curin, “an example of courage and determination”, at the head of the France 3 game
2024 Paralympic Games: “I may have won a first name”… in the Didier family, we ask for little brother Lucas
