Ivan Fernandez Was a Good Sport and a True Gentleman
He helped someone else win
True greatness exemplified
There has been a story trending on Facebook recently about Ivan Fernandez and Abel Mutai. I don’t recall hearing the story when it happened at a cross country race in 2012, but it is a story well worth repeating. It is about Ivan Fernandez being a true gentleman and an example of good sportsmanship in its best form.
The race was taking place in Navarra, Spain. Ivan Fernandez Anaya was a long distance runner from Spain. He competed in cross country races and marathons.
Abel Mutai was a Kenyan athlete who had been in the lead. Ivan was just behind him. The race was just about finished when Ivan noticed that Abel began to slow down as he neared the finish line. Since Abel did not speak Spanish, it seems he got confused by the signs and thought he had already passed the finish line. Ivan saw what was happening and could have run past his opponent to win the race.
Instead of going on to win the race, Ivan guided Abel ahead to the finish line. Ivan came in second.
In that split second, Ivan showed what a true gentleman he was. He exemplified good sportsmanship and human kindness.
