Tokyo Paralympics: Discus thrower Vinod Kumar loses bronze medal, declared ineligible in classification reassessment

India para-athlete Vinod Kumar has lost the bronze medal at men’s F52 discus throw event after being found ‘ineligible’ in disability classification assessment. The organisers confirmed the development through an official statement on Monday, issued by the technical delegates.

“The event result has been amended following the Classification Assessment in Competition.

“Following classification Observation Assessment in competition and subsequent re-assessment by the classification panel, the panel was unable to allocate the athlete Vinod Kumar from NPC India with a sport class and the athlete was designated as Classification not Completed (CNC),” the statement read.

“The athlete is therefore ineligible for the Men’s F52 Discus medal event and his results in that competition are void,” it added.

The 41-year-old BSF man produced a best throw of 19.91m to finish third behind Piotr Kosewicz (20.02m) of Poland and Velimir Sandor (19.98m) of Croatia on Sunday.

F52 is for athletes with impaired muscle power, restricted range of movement, limb deficiency or leg length difference, with athletes competing in seated position with cervical cord injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, and functional disorder.

Para-athletes are classified depending on the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows athletes to compete those with a similar level of ability.

Vinod’s classification was done on August 22.

(With PTI Inputs)