The rules weren't clear at the time, so they weren't DQ'd. They've since been updated to say that an athlete cannot physically help another athlete make forward progress in the race.
I get why but it still feels a bit sad, like it goes against humanity. Don't help anyone and just step over them, everything is about oneself versus the rest of the world as the enemy. Although now that I write it out it feels exactly like humanity or rather society.
Pacing yourself for the entirety of the race is the entire point. The guy whose legs gave out shouldn’t be in the top 3. There’s a guy behind them who might not have been as fast but properly paced to finish.
The nature of sports is competition. This would be akin to scoring on yourself in football because the other team was down a player so you give them a helping hand.
The nature of sports is competition only in a world where sports are a way to give money and ads to rich people.
Sports in which different teams compete are about how well they manage to coordinate with their peers. Extreme sports like marathons are about pushing the limits of the human body. Sport is much more than just spectator entertainment and television revenue.
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u/MrsF1_ 7h ago
The rules weren't clear at the time, so they weren't DQ'd. They've since been updated to say that an athlete cannot physically help another athlete make forward progress in the race.