August 29, 2004 Brazilian runner Wanderlei from Lima was attacked by a spectator during the marathon, the final stage of the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. At the time of the incident, De Lima led the race by 30 seconds. with four miles to go.
From Lima, which few people chose as a contender, surprised the crowd taking the lead at the 13 mile mark.
Extending my lead for the next nine miles, a passer-by from Ireland named Cornelius Horan suddenly approached him from the left sidein an orange plaid skirt, green stockings and a green beret, Horan pushed De Lima out of the middle of the race and into the crowd.stopping the progress of the runner.
Further investigation revealed that the mentally unstable Horan, an exiled Irish priest, was simply seeking publicity.
An attacker spent two months in jail in 2003 for standing in the middle of the race track at the British Grand Prix for a full 20 seconds as the race cars swerved to avoid him when Horan was subdued by guards. De Lima resumed running, still in the leadhowever, with just over two miles left before the race, he was beaten by Stefano Baldini of Italy who took home the gold.. Meb Keflezighi of the USA also outpaced de Lima to win the silver medal; De Lima finished third.
A shocked Lima told the assembled press after the race, “I didn’t expect this at all. I couldn’t defend myself. I was completely focused on my career. I had to get back into the competitive rhythm, and I really lost a lot. It’s very difficult to find that rhythm again.”
De Lima received the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship at the closing ceremony of the International Olympic Committee.
Source: La Opinion
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