Molto poco è stato detto di quest'episodio accaduto nel dicembre del 2012. L'atleta basco Ivàn Fernandez Anaya stava partecipando ad gara di cross-country a Burlada (Navarra). Era in seconda posizione, a qualche distanza dal leader della gara Abel Mutai, medaglia di bronzo nei 3000 siepi alle Olimpiadi di Londra, 2012. Entrati nella dirittura d'arrivo, il corridore kenyano si incamminava nella direzione sbagliata: l'atleta basco anzichè approfittare dell'errore del diretto avversario e tagliare il traguardo per primo, a gesti ha certo di attirare la sua attenzione per indurlo a riprendere a correrenella corretta direzione.
Davvero un raro esempio di fair play sportivo che ha tanto da insegnare: una grande lezione di vita per i più giovani che cominciano ad affacciarsi sul mondo dello sport.
Di seguito l'articolo originale.
Very little has been said about this. On December 2, Basque athlete Iván Fernández Anaya was competing in a cross-country race in Burlada, Navarre. He was running second, some distance behind race leader Abel Mutai - bronze medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the London Olympics. As they entered the finishing straight, he saw the Kenyan runner - the certain winner of the race - mistakenly pull up about 10 meters before the finish, thinking he had already crossed the line.
Fernández Anaya quickly caught up with him, but instead of exploiting Mutai’s mistake to speed past and claim an unlikely victory, he stayed behind and, using gestures, guided the Kenyan to the line and let him cross first.
Ivan Fernandez Anaya, a Basque runner of 24 years who is considered an athlete with a big future (champion of Spain of 5,000 meters in promise category two years ago) said after the test:
“But even if they had told me that winning would have earned me a place in the Spanish team for the European championships, I wouldn’t have done it either. I also think that I have earned more of a name having done what I did than if I had won. And that is very important, because today, with the way things are in all circles, in soccer, in society, in politics, where it seems anything goes, a gesture of honesty goes down well”.
He said at the beginning: “...unfortunately, very little has been said of the gesture. And it’s a shame. In my opinion, it would be nice to explain to children, so they do not think that sport is only what they see on TV: violent kicks in abundance, posh statements, fingers in the eyes of the enemy …”
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