Paralympic star David Weir was left to rue his bad luck and a cursed decision after losing the wheelchair marathon to a puncture on Saturday.
The 43-year-old, an eight-time winner of the London Marathon, was cruising to the gold medal with a 90-second lead when his tyre loudly burst just six miles from the line.
What made the scenario all the more galling was his admission that he had debated with his wife whether to bring a spare to a race for the first time in his career. ‘I thought if I take a spare I would jinx myself,’ he said. ‘I told my wife if I have a big lead I will have time to change. I should have trusted my gut.’
After Weir’s setback, which dropped him to seventh, the race was won by his England team-mate Johnboy Smith, 32, who suffered partial paralysis aged 16 when he was shot in the back by a farmer after being mistaken for a poacher.
Smith said: ‘The better man didn’t win, I take my hat off to Dave.
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‘Your majesty the Queen, give David Weir a knighthood, make him Sir David Weir that man deserves it.’
Weir, who also has six Paralympic golds and six world titles, admitted that he never even considered bringing a spare wheel and that he was tempted to just retire after the puncture if he didn’t have friends in support.
‘I have never brought a spare [wheel], in a race, ever, in my life,’ Weir told the BBC.