Caster Semenya might have beaten them to the finish line but at least two of her competitors don’t recognise her victory.
As the dust settled after the 800m women’s final at the Rio Olympics on Sunday, losers Joanna Jozowik from Poland and Lynsey Sharp from Great Britain have both criticised Caster and her perceived advantage over them.
Jozwik now claims that she “feels like a silver medallist” even though she finished fifth.
She’s also proud to have finished the race as the “first European” and the “second white”.
The 25-year-old runner failed to earn a place on the podium, finishing behind Caster, Burundi’s second-placed Francine Niyonsaba and Kenya’s bronze medallist Margaret Wambui.
Caster’s win has reignited debate around hyperandrogenism, a condition which leads to the excessive production of testosterone in women.
Caster is the best-known athlete to live with the condition but neither Niyonsaba or Wambui identify as hyperandrogenic.
After the race, Sharp said in an interview with BBC that Caster had an unfair advantage and hinted that her feelings were shared by her fellow athletes Melissa Bishop of Canada and Jozwik.
The three hugged together after the finish in what Sharp said was a show of unity.
Last year the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that athletes with hyperandrogenism need not limit their testosterone levels.