Imagine being less than 100 metres away from finishing a triathlon, which are gruelling tests of the limits of human endurance, in third place.

Then, on the final corner, you take a wrong turn and hope of a bronze medal evaporates.

For 21-year-old British triathlete James Teagle, that’s exactly what happened at the Santander Triathlon in Spain on September 13.

His blunder allowed Diego Mentrida to pass him into third place, and the Spaniard looked set to win a medal.

Just short of the finish line, though, Mentrida stopped, and allowed Teagle to pass him after a handshake between the pair:

The video has been widely shared these past few days, and Teagle took to Instagram to show his appreciation:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

So this happened a week ago… I missed the finish chute in a triathlon in Spain. After around 50m I realised and sprinted back. By that point @diegomentrida was 50m from the finish chute and we ended up sprinting for the line. I crashed into the barrier and thought it was over. @diegomentrida then did the unexpected… Having seen what happened he stopped and allowed me to pass showing incredible sportsmanship and integrity! A video of this has now gone worldwide and been picked up by loads of media outlets. Moral of the story is that sportsmanship is a highly regarded trait 😁… And British kids pay attention in language class.. or you may end up looking like a fool worldwide 😂 #Triathlon #sport #sportsmanship

A post shared by James Teagle (@james_teagle) on Sep 20, 2020 at 2:35am PDT

Following the race, reports BT, Mentrida said that Teagle “deserved” his place on the podium:

 “When I saw that he had missed the route, I just stopped. James deserved this medal.”

In response, race organisers later awarded Méntrida an honorary third-place finish and the same €300 prize money as Teagle.

[source:bt]