A Spanish race-walker encapsulated the meaning of the word hubris after a premature celebration cost her the bronze medal at the European Athletics Championship yesterday.
Laura García-Caro, 29, was so confident she had a bronze medal in the bag for the 20km race-walk event in Rome that she accepted a Spanish flag on the home straight, sticking out her tongue and punching the air in anticipation of athletics glory.
All looked set for a podium finish as the Spaniard entered the stadium after 90 minutes of racing, but she did not notice Ukraine's Lyudmyla Olyanovkska making a play on her right flank.
With two or three metres to the line, Olyanovska surged past her rival, leaving a look of horror on García-Caro’s face.
"Two metres from the line Garcia-Caro had her hands up in the air expecting to be on the podium. She only realised with one stride to the line that Lyudmyla Olyanovska was coming and she overhauled her," said BBC commentator Tim Hutchings.
Olynovska had previously served a four-year ban for doping and had won bronze at the world championships in 2015.
Italian Olympic medallist Antonella Palmisano won the race.
SHARE ME