Thibault Camus/AP
Marathoner Elena Congost is “devastated” after she was stripped of her medal at the 2024 Paralympics.
The Spanish athlete, 36, — who is visually impaired — violated the Games rules when she momentarily let go of the rope tethered to her guide, Mia Carol, just before the finish line during the race on Sunday, Sept. 8 in Paris.
According to multiple reports, including the New York Times and the Independent, Carol suffered a cramp at the end of the race, which led Congost to let go of the rope in an attempt to help her guide.
Congost, who has a degenerative hereditary eye disease, finished the race in third place, but was disqualified by officials because runners in the T12 event — for athletes with visual impairments — must be tethered to their guide for the entirety of the race.
After she learned of her disqualification, Congost was in tears, and the medal was awarded to Misato Michishita of Japan.
Congost spoke to Marca after the race, telling the outlet she is “devastated.”
“I’m devastated, to be honest, because I had the medal,” said Congost, adding, “It was a reflex act of any human, to hold on to a person who is falling next to you.”
Andy Lyons/Getty
Congost told Marca, “But they say that I have let go of the rope for a second and since I have let it go, that’s it, there is no turning back. I don’t understand that.”
The marathoner said she is “super proud of everything” she’s done leading up to the Games, “and in the end they disqualified me because 10 meters from the finish line because I let the rope go for a second.”
“It’s not for cheating, it’s not for dragging down an athlete. I am left with nothing. I can’t find any explanation for it and it seems so unfair and so surreal, really,” Congost concluded.
Fatima El Idrissi of Morocco won gold in the race and set a world record in the process, while Meryem En-Nourhi, also of Morocco, took silver.
News
VIDEO: Swifties Noticed Taylor Swift Was Holding A Very Interesting Item In Her Private Suite At Arrowhead Stadium During Chiefs-Bengals Game (nuna)
Pop star Taylor Swift was back in Kansas City again this weekend as the 14-time Grammy singer went to Arrowhead Stadium to see the Chiefs take on…
VIDEO: New camera angle captures player calling Caitlin Clark a very offensive name before wrestling her to the floor (nuna)
Chennedy Carter and Caitlin Clark (Photo via @CHGO_Sports/Twitter) Caitlin Clark had insult added to possible injury during Saturday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. Indiana went into…
Footage is circulating on social media showing a Las Vegas Aces player grabbing Caitlin Clark by the neck and dragging her to the floor in a flagrant foul. (nuna)
Caitlin Clark (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) The spotlight on Caitlin Clark during her rookie season may be brighter than ever on a WNBA player. The former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar…
PHOTO: Social Media Reels From Shocking Image of WNBA Star Caitlin Clark Covered in Bruises (nuna)
Caitlin Clark (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Basketball fans are awfully concerned after a new image showed a disturbing amount of bruises on Indiana Fever rookie star Caitlin Clark. One…
VIDEO: WNBA star knocked out in crazy on-court brawl (nuna)
Former Los Angeles Sparks star Liz Cambage was hoping to play for Nigeria but a video which had remained under wraps has surfaced in the wake of her…
WNBA Fans Troll Sheryl Swoopes After Her Poor Take On Caitlin Clark Resurfaces Amid Historic Rookie Year (nuna)
Caitlin Clark and Sheryl Swoopes (Images Credit: Getty Images) Former WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes received backlash from WNBA fans after making a wrong prediction about Caitlin Clark, the…
End of content
No more pages to load