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After a heartbreaking disqualification at the Paris 2024 Marathon, Spanish runner Elena Congost received a special scholarship, recognizing her achievement and sportsmanship as she continues to fight for her bronze medal.
Spanish marathon runner Elena Congost has been awarded a special scholarship by the Spanish Paralympic Committee after an agonizing disqualification cost her the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Marathon.
The disqualification, which came after Congost instinctively let go of the guide tether in an attempt to support her guide Mia Carol, has ignited widespread debate in the athletics world about the rules governing guide-runner connections in visually impaired races.
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At the marathon's finish line, the joy of clinching a bronze medal turned into heartbreak as Congost, anticipating the disqualification, dissolved into tears.
Her guide, Carol, began to suffer severe muscle cramps within sight of the finish, nearly falling as they crossed.
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Congost’s instinct to support Carol resulted in a brief separation from the guide strap, a move technically disqualifying her from the race despite no competitive advantage gained.
At the time, there were no other runners within reach of challenging her bronze-medal position.
"Elena Congost was moments away from fulfilling a dream," shared a representative from the Spanish Paralympic Committee, which quickly expressed disappointment in World Para Athletics’ application of the rule.
"The rules must always respect the spirit of sportsmanship, and in this case, Elena was only trying to help her guide finish safely."
Following her disqualification, the Spanish Paralympic Committee took action to soften the blow by awarding Congost an exceptional ADOP scholarship.
Normally reserved for medal winners, this scholarship recognizes the athlete’s exceptional performance and the challenging circumstances surrounding her disqualification.
During the Paris Games closing ceremony, the scholarship was officially announced: Congost will receive €2,050 monthly, with an equivalent amount granted to her guide, and €900 provided to her coach.
This exceptional support will continue until the 2025 ADOP plan’s finalization, anticipated in the first quarter of the coming year.
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The decision to award this scholarship reflects the Committee's belief that Congost earned her place on the podium, regardless of the disqualification.
“Elena and Mia were on track for bronze,” stated an official at the announcement.
“The Committee recognizes that her actions demonstrated the values of solidarity, respect, and sportsmanship.”
Though grateful for the scholarship, Congost has vowed to continue her fight to reclaim the bronze medal, convinced that her disqualification contradicts the spirit of the rules.
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With support from her legal team, including renowned sports lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont, famous for the influential Bosman ruling, Congost is preparing to defend her case in court.
She and her coach argue that the temporary release of the tether was solely in response to Carol's physical distress and didn’t provide any competitive advantage.
"We’re not challenging the rules; we’re asking for a more human interpretation," Congost’s lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont explained.
“Elena didn’t release the tether to gain any advantage. In a true display of sportsmanship, she helped her guide, and we believe this should not lead to disqualification.”
The Spanish Paralympic Committee’s request to World Para Athletics to reinstate Congost’s medal was ultimately denied, though the International Federation acknowledged the “positive values of solidarity and sportsmanship” demonstrated by Congost.
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