A Spanish racewalker has been left red-faced, as premature celebrations cost her a medal at the European Athletics Championships.
Laura Garcia-Caro, 29, appeared certain to take the bronze in the women’s 20km race in Rome, and quickly produced a Spanish flag, which she draped around her neck.
But as she closed in on the finish line, and began punching the air in delight, Garcia-Caro was overtaken by Lyudmyla Olyanovska of Ukraine and pipped for the final podium place.
“I am quite disappointed,” she told media post-race.
“The first part of the race I suffered, but [I did] recover and in the last 10 metres I thought I had it, but I didn’t.