At the Athletics World Championships Tim Van de Velde goes back to support the opponent (and reminds us that sport goes beyond victory)

At the 2025 Athletics World Cup in Tokyo, Tim Van de Velde has shown that in sport the size is not measured only with medals or times. During the 3000 hedges battery, the Belgian suffered a fall that completely compromised his race. A few meters from the finish line, with the compromised participation, Van de Velde made a decision that many would have made: doing what is right.

Behind the Belgian, the Colombian Carlos San Martin struggled to complete the race, also marked by a fall and physical effort. So Van de Velde turned and without hesitation he went back to offer him support. Together, arm arm, the two athletes crossed the latest but united finish line, arousing applause from the public of the stadium and admiration on social media.

A “natural” gesture

Van de Velde, 25 years old, explained how a natural gesture was. The fall would still prevent him from qualifying and when he saw another person in difficulty he decided to go back to help him. But, he wanted to reiterate, it was only a nice gesture and nothing more. However, such a powerful gesture has shown to the whole world the true meaning of sport, capable of uniting more than victory itself.

In the end Van de Velde and San Martin concluded in tenth position, only detached from a penny, but of the time trial it does not matter when there are values ​​such as solidarity, fair play and respect. They reminded us of all of us and those who overlook the world of sport for the first time that each competition can also be an opportunity for personal and moral growth.

A universal message: this is the real sport

Van de Velde’s gesture remains one of the most significant images of the Tokyo World Cup. Accompanying a colleague in difficulty, even at the cost of giving up the personal result, represents the purest essence of sport: that ability to see beyond one’s success and to choose what is right.

In this race, between falls and fatigue, the most authentic meaning of Atletics emerged: do not win, not participate, but share, support and walk side by side, even in the hardest moments. Van de Velde and San Martin remind us that sport can be poetry: running does not always mean first to arrive, but choosing to tend to hand to those who need.

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