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Wack-Job pushes the leader off the course. He manages to finish the race in third place.
At the 22-mile mark of the 26.2 mile race, Brazilian marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima looked like he was cruising toward the gold medal, when a deranged, defrocked priest from Ireland, adorned in a red kilt and green knee socks, ran out onto the course and pushed de Lima off to the sideline. It took de Lima 15 seconds to get back into the race, and it probably cost him the gold medal.
Miraculously, the Brazilian was able to finish the race and win the bronze medal. De Lima also was awarded the 2004 Pierre de Coubertin (founder of the International Olympic Committee) Award for Sportsmanship.
Appeal Denied
Notwithstanding having won the sportsmanship award, De Lima appealed to the Court of Arbitration of Sport and asked them to award a gold medal to him. (He asked them to award a second gold medal rather than take away the medals that were given to the first and second place finishers.) His appeal was denied.