Ivan Fernandez loses intentionally to Abel Mutai

Is winning all that counts? Are you absolutely sure about that?

Two weeks ago, on December 2, Spanish athlete Iván Fernández Anaya was competing in a
cross-country race in Burlada, Navarre. He was running second, some distance behind race
leader Abel Mutai – bronze medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the London Olympics. As
they entered the finishing straight, he saw the Kenyan runner – the certain winner of the race –
mistakenly pull up about 10 meters before the finish, thinking he had already crossed the line.
Fernández Anaya quickly caught up with him, but instead of exploiting Mutai’s mistake to speed
past and claim an unlikely victory, he stayed behind and, using gestures, guided the Kenyan to
the line and let him cross first.