The video showed Mutai, who was in the first position, stopping a few metres short of the finish line as he thought he had already won the race! Realising what was happening, Fernández, who was in the second position, screamed out to Mutai to continue running, but when Mutai did not understand what Fernández was saying, Fernández pushed Mutai across the finish line.
This is a great story of sportsmanship. Though Mutai won the gold medal, it is Fernández who has gone down as the winner in people’s minds and hearts. When Fernández was asked by a reporter why he didn’t continue running to claim the first position, he said, “But what would be the merit of my victory? What would be the honour of this medal?”
Winning medals and claiming top positions do not make you the best or the happiest person. These are merely physical gains. Having done the right thing is what makes one a better human being; it is what makes a person a role model.
There are a lot of lessons to be learnt from this real-life story. The most important ones are:
- Always respect your opponents
- Be committed to fair-play
- Understand and follow ethical behaviour
- Treat others like you would want to be treated
- Lose with respect
