Decision Announced! Serkan Yıldırım’s Gold Medal Revoked

The Turkish National Paralympic Committee (TMPK) has announced that the gold medal won by national athlete Serkan Yıldırım at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games has been revoked following an appeal by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and a ruling by the higher court.

Serkan Yıldırım, a world champion para-athlete in the 100 meters and 400 meters in athletics, has been involved in an ongoing classification dispute with the IPC since June. In May 2024, Yıldırım set a championship record in the 100 meters and a world record in the 400 meters at the World Para Athletics Championships held in Kobe, Japan, earning gold medals in both events. However, the IPC challenged the Turkish Paralympic Committee’s court-obtained ruling that allowed Yıldırım to compete, bringing the matter to a higher court. It was ultimately determined that the world champion athlete was ineligible to compete in the 400 meters event. In June, the World Para Athletics (WPA), under the IPC, initiated a process to re-examine Yıldırım’s confirmed classification, leading to his status being changed to “under review” and the announcement that he would not be able to compete in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The Turkish National Paralympic Committee had previously secured a court ruling in a German court, against the IPC, which is governed by German law, allowing Serkan Yıldırım to compete in the Paris 2024 Games. Yıldırım went on to win the 100 meters event. However, the IPC appealed this decision to a higher court, which ruled that Yıldırım was “not eligible to compete.” As a result, Yıldırım was removed from the 400 meters event roster, and as part of the legal process, his 100 meters gold medal was also revoked.

In a statement regarding the matter, the Turkish National Paralympic Committee said, “We will continue to support our athlete in the legal battle he has been fighting since June, and we will stand by Serkan Yıldırım to ensure that victories won on the track are not lost in the courtroom. We are pursuing all legal avenues to reclaim the 100 meters medal and will fight for our athlete’s rights to the fullest extent.”