Ser-Od Bat-Ochir is an Olympic athlete.
He is from Mongolia and participated in the Paris 2024 marathon on Saturday.
His not particularly exciting performance, however, is not the reason why he will remain in history: in fact, Ser-Od Bat-Ochir finished last, 71st to be exact.
Even though there were 81 total runners, as many as 10 withdrew, including Eliud Kipchoge, who gave up at the 30 km mark.
However, this is not the only remarkable thing about the Mongolian’s performance.
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir is in fact an old acquaintance of the Olympics, as the one in Paris was the 6th one he ran, having started competing carrying his country’s flag for the 2004 Atlanta Olympics.
Her final time was 2:42:33, which is 36 minutes behind the winner, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola.
Also among the women there is, of course, a runner-up: she is Kinzang Lhamo from Bhutan.
She started together with the other 90 (the women’s marathon had in fact 91 participants), and arrived at the finish line after 3:52:59, that is 90 minutes after the winner, Ethiopian-Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, who finished in 2:22:55.
Kinzang Lhamo’s race was particularly difficult to the extent that she was contemplating retirement, partly because of her delay.
Her fortitude, however, must have enlivened the marathon crowd who, two kilometers from the finish line, began cheering her on, running with her.
Resuscitated by so much participation, she was able to make the final effort and cross the finish line, visibly exhausted.
https://x.com/Eurosport_DE/status/1822588966605865156 It is said that the last finishers actually win the prize for endurance, and these Olympics confirmed it as well: some win it for sporting longevity and some for the tenacity with which they still decide to make it to the end, to cut that damn ribbon.
