Mia Carol, guide of the Paralympic athlete Elena Congost, “when they took the bronze medal from us I felt anger, helplessness, the desire to burn everything”

The image went viral around the world and minutes later, angry comments followed the judges’ decision. The athlete Elena Congost, visually impaired, and his guide Mia Carol accepted the bronze medal in the marathon at the Paris Paralympic Games but the judges disqualified them because he let go of the rope connecting them ten meters from the finish line to try to help him after he had some sudden cramps. According to article 7.9.5. of regulations, guides and athletes cannot be released at any time. Mia Carol attends MD while he was recuperating at home from the physical and mental exertion and the anger he had at applying the judges’ regulations.

How did you experience everything that happened?

After the fatal outcome, the moment they told us the news, I felt helpless, angry and angry. I had the urge to burn cars and whatever was needed. It was a combination of emotions, where we also thought we did what we had to do, if they hadn’t disqualified us we would have done it fantastically. The mistake in this case was bureaucratic, by the judges. We did what we had to do, and during the process where everything was happening we received many expressions of unconditional support, from yours truly, from people near, far, and from people you don’t even know.

The race is for a bronze medal.

Our performance was very good. We had a wonderful career. We beat Elena’s record (Paralympic marathon champion at the 2016 Rio Games and silver in the 1,500 meters at London 2012), the Spanish record and the world record – the first three to do it – and it never failed, on the contrary , a success. You consider that we still have to fight so that no one goes through a situation like ours again and if it does it is resolved in a different way, especially because of what the economic issue represents for Elena herself.

A topic that is not talked about much.

Of course, but Elena said that they would leave her without a scholarship, which she also fought for. A scholarship that he hasn’t had in recent years. Because she was a mother, she thought she might not measure up, and for her to be left without a scholarship, being a mother, after what she had fought for, was not fair; because the scholarship is important for him.

At what moment did you see that the bronze medal might be in danger?

We reached the goal and logically we celebrated. They lead us into a hallway where the media is waiting for us. A representative of the Paralympic delegation took Elena and left me waiting. They’re busting Elena for doping and she asks why they’re letting her pass the control if she’s disqualified. At first we thought it would be fixed. They couldn’t disqualify us for anything, because we didn’t cheat, but they disqualified us and the drama began.

The news should not be digested easily.

When they tell us, the world falls on us. First you think it’s an issue to fix and then they tell you there’s nothing to do. The only thing we want is what is ours. We hugged each other and immediately felt anger, anger, anger, desire to burn everything and the screams blossomed. He didn’t assimilate the news either.

The thing is that behind it there is a lot of dedication and a lot of preparation.

Almost a year, but she is at risk of supporting herself for several years (Elena will return to the top competition in Paris after an eight-year absence during which she is the mother of four children) and she shows what he can do and It’s an incredible thing to beat all the records I told you. I remember cell phones exploding. We have received support from many people around the world. It’s chaos, but eventually you assimilate it.

The fact is that the judges followed the regulations, since article 7.9.5. disqualify any athlete who releases the strap before the finish line.

This is an absurd regulation. Rules are good and they should exist, but when applying them you need to understand the regulations. This is a rule designed mainly so that the guide does not favor his partner and does not give him an advantage. The regulations state that if you leave the rope you will be disqualified, but the rope is not left for the purpose of the regulations, but for the sake of helping. what’s going on That there is always interest, in this case from the team behind – three minutes away. What does this rule mean? What happened led you to think that judges are mere bureaucrats.

Do you feel guilty about what happened?

No no. I had cramps and he left the rope as a reflex. I didn’t notice anything. It’s a second. Guilty for having cramps and because Elena left the rope? None of us feel guilty about what happened. He realized that he had left the rope two meters from the finish line. We do not benefit from this action.

How did you start working as a guide with Elena?

We have a common coach, Roger Esteve, from Club Atlètic Vic We don’t know each other. We exchanged a few words and he came and one day he told me that Elena wanted to go to the Paralympic World Cups again and she had to make a minimum score and they were thinking about Seville. My answer is that if we have to help, we will work. We met and he did the minimum with no problems. He told me what I should tell him and it was a good experience. We came back from the Seville Marathon and the two told me about the Paris Paralympic Games. At first, I was surprised. We had to prepare it well. Very good. Roger had already guided him a shorter distance, they didn’t quite understand each other. They explained their problems to me. We watched videos and got to work.

What qualities should a good guide have?

It should make up for the athlete’s shortcomings. What I learned is that he shouldn’t ignore me at any time. If she takes a long step, I do the same, if she turns too, and the arm synchronization has to be total and remember you have to tell her everything because she can’t see (Elena only has 5% vision) .

Now you are still recovering from the effort, what other challenges do you have in mind?

I’m replacing Elena’s challenges with my own and I better get some rest. On a sporting level, I am thinking of going to the World Cups in India (100 kilometers) at the end of November. These are well-measured races, but I won’t be on time. I need to rest for at least a month.

And, in the future, will you continue working with Elena?

When everything happened, at first he said that he would not continue running, but now he saw that he should go to the next Paralympic Games. I told him he had to go. We are 21 years apart. She saw that by working together she could do more and the brands show it, that working with a good guide can only be more, but at the age of 57 (Elena is 36) can only do less I. I will help you with anything you need. He needs to move on and he will get better. Everyone should know their place.