Good Samaritan sacrifices his podium spot for GB Triathlete James Teagle

British athlete James Teagle was on course to win third place in the 2020 Santander Triathlon, Spain last weekend when he made a mistake metres from the finish.

Spanish triathlete Diego Méntrida was able to overtake Teagle upon his wrong turn but having noticed James Teagle’s error, stopped at the finish line to allow Teagle to cross the finish line before him. Now the Spanish athlete is being applauded on social media after he sacrificed a top tier win in the Santander Triathlon

James Teagle posted this on his Instagram account:

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So this happened a week ago… I missed the finish chute in a triathlon in Spain. After around 50m I realised and sprinted back. By that point @diegomentrida was 50m from the finish chute and we ended up sprinting for the line. I crashed into the barrier and thought it was over. @diegomentrida then did the unexpected… Having seen what happened he stopped and allowed me to pass showing incredible sportsmanship and integrity! A video of this has now gone worldwide and been picked up by loads of media outlets. Moral of the story is that sportsmanship is a highly regarded trait 😁… And British kids pay attention in language class.. or you may end up looking like a fool worldwide 😂 #Triathlon #sport #sportsmanship

A post shared by James Teagle (@james_teagle) on Sep 20, 2020 at 2:35am PDT

Diego Méntrida actions have truly made him Spain’s Good Samaritan of Triathlon

The race winner Javier Gomez Noya described his gesture as “the best in history”.

The race took place on 13 September but footage from the race has gone viral on social media in the past day, as many congratulate 21-year-old Méntrida for his show of sportsmanship.

Watch the video clip below

When Spanish triathlete Diego Méntriga noticed that British triathlete James Teagle went the wrong way before finish line of Santander Triathlon,Mentriga waited for him so he could take what he says is his deserved 3rd place.“He was in front of me the whole time.He deserved it.” pic.twitter.com/5Mo52QZ3rJ

— GoodNewsCorrespondent (@GoodNewsCorres1) September 19, 2020

A-list celebrity Will Smith’s reaction:

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WOW!! Integrity on full display!! When Spanish triathlete @diegomentrida noticed that British triathlete @james_teagle went the wrong way right before the finish line of a race in Spain, Diego waited for him so he could take what he says is his deserved place. “He was in front of me the whole time. He deserved it.” 📹: @elmundo_es

A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith) on Sep 20, 2020 at 10:39am PDT