Athlete hailed for giving up chance at award after rival makes wrong turn in race

A Santander Triathlon (Image: Facebook/@triathlonseries)

One athlete has been praised for letting a competitor overtake him after the latter made a wrong turn during a triathlon in Spain.

Diego Mentrida was just a few meters away from the finish line at the 2020 Santander Triathlon last Sept. 13 when he noticed that British athlete James Teagle, who had been ahead of him, was running toward a fence.

The 21-year-old Spanish athlete decided to slow down and let Teagle go past him, BBC reported on Sunday, Sept. 20. This meant that Teagle would go home as a third-placer in the race.

Following Mentrida’s gesture, Teagle could be seen exchanging a handshake and embrace with him. A video of Mentrida’s show of sportsmanship was widely shared on social media last Sept. 18.

El triatleta madrileño Diego Méntrida dejó pasar a su rival cuando éste se equivocó de camino antes de la meta. Peleaban por el tercer puesto en el Triatlón de Santander, que ganó Gómez Noya https://t.co/ZCgxlZQIeL pic.twitter.com/b83zwDTAVX

— EL MUNDO Deportes (@ElMundoDeportes) September 17, 2020

Mentrida was awarded as an honorary third placer and received the same prize money as Teagle, which is worth €300 (almost P17,000), according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

“This is something my parents and my club taught me since I was a child,” Mentrida said on Instagram after gaining global attention. “In my view it should be a normal thing to do.” Niña V. Guno /ra

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