Winning is great and all, but it isn’t the only reason we celebrate sports. Every once in a while there are rare moments in which athletes will set aside their competitive goals in order to create a more meaningful and human experience. Spanish triathlete Diego Méntriga delivered such a moment that soon went viral on social media.
It happened when fellow racer James Teagle was leading for the majority of their race until a brief moment of confusion caused him to make a wrong turn. Having processed Teagle’s error, Diego made a quick judgement call just meters before the finish line and gave us perhaps the most endearing sports moment of 2020.
When Spanish triathlete Diego Méntriga noticed that British triathlete James Teagle went the wrong way before finish line of Santander Triathlon,Mentriga waited for him so he could take what he says is his deserved 3rd place.“He was in front of me the whole time.He deserved it.” pic.twitter.com/5Mo52QZ3rJ
— GoodNewsCorrespondent (@GoodNewsCorres1) September 19, 2020
An act of selflessness such as this is as career defining as receiving a medal. Diego’s act of generosity will be remembered arguably longer than the results of the race itself, showing that there’s much more to be gained from sports than just winning.
When it comes to other Latino’s inspiring us check out the amazing Shayla Rivera