‘RULES ARE RULES’

Paralympian’s Gold Medal Yanked Because He Showed Up Three Minutes Late

The Malaysian shot-putter said he didn’t understand the announcement of his event.

A Malaysian shot-putter who wiped the floor with his competition at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo on Tuesday has had his gold medal stripped from him—because he showed up three minutes late to the event. A spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee said organizers allowed Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli to compete despite his late arrival because they thought there might be a good reason behind it. However, after he won, they decided that there was no reasonable explanation, so they revoked his gold medal. IPC spokesman Craig Spence tried to deflect the outrage that greeted the decision, saying: “I’m sorry. Rules are rules... Others get there five minutes early.” Spence said the Malaysian team explained the three minute delay by saying that the announcement was given in a language they didn’t understand. Zolkfeli hasn’t commented on the decision. He competes under the Games’ F20 category for athletes with intellectual disabilities.