Iván Fernández Anaya’s Virtuous Victory

As Lance Armstrong prepares his confessional and public relations rehab tour (after getting caught, of course), the story of Basque runner Iván Fernández Anaya feels like a breath of fresh air. Anaya was running in second place, with no chance for victory, when he realized that the first-place athlete had accidentally stopped before the finish line. He caught up to leader Abel Mutai and guided him to the end, maintaining their respective positions before the incident occurred.

As journalist Carlos Arribas reports:

“I didn’t deserve to win it,” says 24-year-old Fernández Anaya. “I did what I had to do. He was the rightful winner. He created a gap that I couldn’t have closed if he hadn’t made a mistake. As soon as I saw he was stopping, I knew I wasn’t going to pass him.”

I have to admit, I’d much rather see these men, with their demonstration of true sportsmanship and outstanding character, on Oprah than a cheater with a canned confession.