Sentence:  The older boy won, even though his opponent had been granted a <WSD>handicap</WSD> of five meters. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting, granted in a race (or other contest of skill) to the competitor possessing disadvantages; or an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of success.