Spanish race walker Laura García-Caro loses bronze medal in European Championships after celebrating too early

A Spaniard athlete has learned the hard way that the race isn’t over until it’s over.

Going into the start of the 20km race walk at the European Championships in Rome on Saturday (AEST), Laura Garcia-Caro thought she had sealed third place on the podium.

WATCH ABOVE: Spanish runner loses medal after celebrating too soon.

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Even wearing a Spanish flag hanging around her neck, the 29-year-old appeared to become emotional in celebration as she approached the finish line in bronze medal position.

But her 10m lead over Ukraine’s Lyudmila Olyanovska was quickly whittled down to nothing in the final meters of the race as she remained unaware of her surroundings, still believing she was in the clear.

At one stage in the race, Garcia-Caro had a chance to break into the top two before being overtaken by future silver medalist Valentina Trapletti, but ultimately came up short when Oljanovska passed her in the final five meters of the race.

Garcia-Caro’s reaction was captured in real time as she quickly realized she had counted her chickens well before they hatched, and by the time she realized they were passing her by, it was too late.

With no more time to call – and no time to call – Garcia-Caro looked distraught as she was condemned to cross the line in fourth place.

Trapletti finished just behind Italian compatriot Antonella Palmisano to complete Italy’s one-two punch for the race on the streets of Rome.

Oljanovska said she never lost hope that she could pull out the result.

“I was tired in the last kilometer and the last meters, but I wanted so much to win this medal for my country,” Oljanovska said.

“Nowadays there is a war in Ukraine. We train under very difficult conditions.

“I don’t even know if my five-year-old son saw me compete today, because in Ukraine the infrastructure is damaged.

“They have no electricity, no internet, no light, so I don’t know if he saw me on TV.”