September 8th 2024.
Elena Congost, a talented Paralympic marathon runner from Spain, unfortunately faced a setback in her race for the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 event. With an impressive personal best time of 3:00:48, Congost crossed the finish line in third place. However, her hopes of standing on the podium were dashed due to a technicality.
Just two meters from the finish line, Congost made a crucial mistake by letting go of the rope that connected her to her guide, Mia Carol. This is not allowed according to the Paralympic rules, specifically Rule 9.7.5 which states that all runners in the T12 marathon event must remain connected to their guide at all times. As a result, Congost was disqualified from the race and the bronze medal went to Japanese athlete Misato Michishita.
The gold medal in the T12 marathon event was won by Moroccan runner Fatima El Idrissi, who also set a new world record with a time of 2:48.36. Her teammate, Meryem En-Nourhi, took home the silver medal in a one-two finish for Morocco. In the men's T12 marathon, Wajdi Boukhili emerged as the victor, while Switzerland's Marcel Hug claimed his first gold medal of the Games in the men's T54 marathon.
For Great Britain's David Weir, this race marked the end of his Paralympic career as he announced his retirement. Despite finishing in fifth place in the men's T54 marathon, Weir expressed mixed emotions about his final race. "I'm quite emotional as I know it's my last race for GB, this will be my last international," he shared in an interview with the BBC. He plans to continue participating in major marathons, including the upcoming Berlin marathon in two weeks.
At 42 years old, Weir admits that his body was struggling to keep up with the demands of the race. "It's an age thing as well. I was the oldest in that field today but still highly competitive," he said. He also mentioned his friendly rivalry with fourth-place finisher, 22-year-old American Daniel Romanchuk. "I could be his dad, so I'm doing alright. I gave it my all today and that's all I can give," Weir added.
Although Weir had known about his retirement decision before the Paris 2024 event, it was still a bittersweet realization for him. "It's the decision I want to do. It's the right decision," he explained. While he will no longer compete in track events, Weir hopes to continue running in marathons as it is his preferred race. "We don't have marathons at Worlds anymore. That's the event I want to do. I don't want to race on the track anymore," he said.
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