A Russian walker who collapsed while chasing a medal at the Olympics is a true example of heroism, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee told R-Sport on Sunday.
Valery Borchin, who won gold in the men’s 20 kilometer walk in Beijing four years ago, was chasing leader Chen Ding in the same event Saturday when he collapsed one kilometer from the finish, prompting medical staff to rush to his aid.
“Typical athletes leave the race when they run out of strength, but Valera’s not one of them,” Alexander Zhukov said.
“It’s a case of sporting heroism, I think, when a person won’t stop, even when their strength has already run out.”
Borchin had recovered and felt "not bad" when Zhukov spoke to him late Saturday, the official said.
Chen went on to win the event, ahead of Guatemala’s Erick Barrondo and China’s Wang Zhen.
Russia’s other medal contender, world record holder Vladimir Kanaykin, was disqualified for running, while the third member of the team, Andrei Krivov, finished 38th.
