Laura Garcia-Caro missed out on a bronze medal in the most embarrassing fashion during the women’s 29-kilometer race walk at the European Athletics Championship. She got passed after celebrating early.
Her reaction is both heartbreaking and hilarious!
Race walking, for those who don’t know, is more complicated than it might sound. Competitors must maintain contact with the ground at all times. Unlike running, one foot must always be on the ground.
In addition, the leading leg must be straightened when the foot makes contact with the ground. That leading leg must remain fully straight until that leg passes under the body.
Garcia-Caro was on pace for the bronze medal as she walked her way down the final 100-meter straightaway at the Euro Championships. All she had to do was keep her pace and finish across the line.
That is not what happened.
The 29-year-old Spanish race walker decided to celebrate the third-place finish before the race was complete. Her arm was up and her tongue was out.
Little did she know, Ukrainian race walker Lyudmyla Olyanovska was right on her tail. As Garcia-Caro slowed her pace in celebration, Olyanovska pushed forward in the last five meters and caught even.
Jubilation turned to panic.
And then it became horror.
And then it was devestation.
Olyanovska made a pass to steal the bronze medal at the line.
It doesn’t get any more brutal or embarrassing than that. Garcia-Caro was devastated. Understandably so.
I am quite disappointed. The first part of the race I suffered, but [I did] recover and in the last 10 meters I thought I had it but I didn’t.
Now I have to assimilate [what happened] and heal my heart.
— Laura Garcia-Caro
Although there is some room for empathy, the Spaniard brought this upon herself. All she had to do was finish through the line. She chose to celebrate early and will have to deal with the consequences. Lesson learned!
Olyanovska finished about 40 seconds behind the first-place finisher. Garcia-Caro finished less than one full second after her. It was a matter of milliseconds that separated the third and fourth-place finishers!