He Spanish Paralympic Committee (CPE) confirmed this Thursday that World Para Athletics, the International Paralympic Athletics Federationinformed you that it did not accept your request that a bronze medal be awarded, exceptionally, to the visually impaired athlete. Elena Congost.
The Catalan finished third in the T12 category marathon at the Paris Paralympic Games, but was disqualified for having let go of the rope which connected her to her guide, Mia Carol, trying to help him when he suffered from cramps and was about to fall a few meters from the finish line and when he had a large gap with the fourth ranked, the Japanese Misato Michisita.
The judges remove the bronze medal from Congost under the regulations of World Para Athletics (WPA), which refers to non-compliance with the obligation to be connected at all times to the athlete and his guide with the attached (rope), from the start of the event to the finish line.
The Spanish delegation immediately presented a complaint which was not accepted. An appeal was filed before the appeal jury. alleging that this disqualification was “part of the so-called measures or decisions” playgroundwhich are not revisable, except in a very limited type of hypotheses which did not apply in the present case”, declared the CPE.
He stressed that the application of the rules of the game during sports competitions belongs to the judges and that re-arbitration is not possible when the aforementioned sports authorities have proceeded to apply the rule to the event. “As indicated, and consistent with the doctrine of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), It was decided not to appeal the judges’ decision“, he stressed.
However, “taking into account the unfair situation generated, and beyond the application of sporting regulations carried out”, the EPC petitioned the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Para Athletics (WPA) to request that, based on what happened, a bronze medal be awarded to the Spanish athlete “in an exceptional way”.
The commission considered that Sports regulations should not establish that disqualification occurs in these cases in which, without obtaining the slightest competitive advantage, the athlete is forced to momentarily let go of the attached to assist or assist your guide in a justified assistance situation.
But World Para Athletics responded to the CPE to report that the request made is not granted, “although the said international organization declares that it positively values the values of solidarity and sportsmanship demonstrated by Elena Congost”.
It must be remembered that the spanish athleteParalympic gold medal in 2016 in the marathon, He had previously entrusted his case to the famous Belgian lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont.the great supporter of the “Bosman law” which changed the world of football and whose law firm will be responsible for defending his case in court.
“By learning that the athlete herself, Elena Congost plans to file a complaint for its requalification for the event and/or the awarding of the bronze medal, the CPE declares that it respects the right of the athlete to carry out them, while making itself available for any collaboration required in this matter and that “it is within the scope of its competences”, underlined the organization chaired by Alberto Durán.
