Athlete overtaken as she celebrates medal early

It was a moment of pure elation quickly shattered by bitter disappointment for Spanish race walker Laura Garcia-Caro. In a dramatic turn of events at the European Athletics Championship held in Rome's Stadio Olimpico, Garcia-Caro believed she had clinched the bronze medal in the women's 20km race walk. As she crossed the finish line, she jubilantly stuck her tongue out and raised a triumphant fist in the air, convinced of her victory.

The 29-year-old athlete's joy, however, was short-lived. In the final moments of the race, her celebration turned to disbelief as she realized she had been overtaken. With just five meters to go, Garcia-Caro was certain of her success, only to have her hopes dashed when she glanced to her right and saw Lyudmila Olyanovska of Ukraine closing in on her.

In a heartbreaking twist, Olyanovska surged ahead in the last two meters, snatching the bronze medal from Garcia-Caro's grasp. Reflecting on the race, Garcia-Caro expressed her disappointment to local media, recounting the rollercoaster of emotions she experienced.

"I am quite disappointed. The first part of the race I suffered, but [I did] recover and in the last 10 meters I thought I had it but I didn't," Garcia-Caro shared. "Now I have to assimilate [what happened] and heal my heart," she added, acknowledging the emotional toll of the unexpected outcome.