RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - The Olympic marathon runner who lost out on a likely gold medal when he was attacked by a former priest says he has no wish to meet his assailant.
Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima was in the lead in the closing stages of the Athens marathon and heading for gold when he was pushed into a group of spectators by Cornelius Horan.
The former Irish priest, who had already made a name for himself when running onto the track at silverstone during last year's British Grand Prix, wrote to his victim this week suggesting they meet.
But on Wednesday de Lima dismissed the idea.
"I don't think it would be very useful," he said.
"The meeting would give him publicity and that would encourage him to do the same thing again," Lima explained.
"And I'm not enamoured with the idea of the same thing happening again. There'd be a snowball effect. And anyway if I ever were to meet him it would be without the press knowing about it."
In his letter Horan, who has already appeared in court to face two charges of indecent assault on a child, wrote: "Dear Vanderlei, I intervened in the marathon for two reasons: to bring the world's attention to the Bible and to help prepare for the world's most important event - the second coming of Jesus Christ.
"I would like to go to Brazil, to his city (Sao Paulo), and to speak with him in his own language. I think he deserves to have an apology in his own language, because it's an important message."
The 57-year-old prankster was handed a 12 month suspended sentence at the end of August, and was handed a 3000 euro fine and barred from all sports events for the attack.
De Lima went on to take bronze behind Stefano Baldini of Italy and at the closing ceremony was awarded a medal by the International Olympic Committee named after the founder of the modern Games, Pierre De Coubertin, in recognition of his "exceptional demonstration of fair play and Olympic values".
But de Lima has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to be given a gold medal alongside Baldini.
CAS will deliver its decision within four months.
11/10/2004 - 18:00 GMT - AFP