On March 5, 2005, German long jumper Bianca Kappler created a stir in the world of indoor track and field. Plaudits abounded for Kappler on that day, not for her gold-medal jump, but because she refused the award.

Kappler’s final jump was measured at 22 feet, 10 inches. The next best contender was Naide Gomes of Portugal. Gomes’ jump of 21 feet, 11¾ inches made her a distant second. However, when Kappler was handed the gold, she promptly handed it back, saying, “I know I can’t jump that far.”

When officials asked her to reconsider or take a final jump the next day, Kappler declined. She insisted that her best jumps were nearly a foot shorter than that “medal-winning” effort. Judges concluded her jump must have been measured incorrectly.

Kappler ended up with a share of the bronze medal, prompting several newspapers to dub her “the world’s most honest athlete.”