Malone’s 100-Meter Silver Upgraded to Gold After Disqualification

PARIS, FRANCE – Team USA’s Noah Malone (Fishers, Indiana) had his Paris 2024 Paralympic Games men’s 100-meter T12 silver medal upgraded to gold today after Turkish athlete Serkan Yildrim’s results were disqualified.

Malone’s gold is the first individual Paralympic title of his career in his second career Paralympic Games. He won two silver medals in Tokyo and a gold as a member of the mixed 4x100-meter universal relay.

“We are so proud of not only Noah’s performance in his 100-meter event, but also the way he has composed himself throughout this entire Games,” Sherrice Fox, director, U.S. Paralympics Track & Field, said. “He has displayed the utmost sportsmanship, and while our team was excited to celebrate him after his silver medal, we are so thrilled that he is getting the gold that he deserves, and can’t wait to honor him as a Paralympic champion.”

U.S. Paralympics Track & Field received the following statement from World Para Athletics regarding the decision to disqualify Yildrim:

“On the morning of 30 August, World Para Athletics (WPA) was notified of a without notice interim injunction issued by a single judge in the Bonn regional court, requiring the NPC Turkey athlete, Mr Serkan Yildirim, to be entered into the Para athletics men’s 100m T12 and 400m T12 medal events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. WPA was not provided with notice of the proceedings, or any opportunity to participate in them.

Under both the WPA classification rules and the WPA qualification regulations for Paris 2024 an athlete with a Sport Class Status ‘Review’, such as Mr Yildirim, is not eligible to compete. 

Solely in order to comply with the court order, WPA permitted Mr Yildirim to compete in the men’s 100m T12 event, pending the outcome of WPA’s appeal against the injunction.

WPA has now successfully appealed the injunction and the injunction has been lifted by the court with immediate effect.  

The results of Mr Yildirim in the men’s 100m T12 medal event have been disqualified, with all resulting consequences. The medals from the men’s 100m T12 medal event will be reallocated. 

WPA appreciates the patience and professionalism shown by the other teams and athletes affected by these proceedings. 

WPA is unable to provide further substantive comment at this point in time.”

Malone will receive his new medal in a ceremony at the famed Stáde de France, where Paris 2024 track and field competition is being held. Date and time for that ceremony will be announced as soon as it becomes available.

Malone’s gold medal gives Team USA seven track and field Paralympic titles through five days of competition at Paris 2024. 

For media requests and photo inquiries, please contact Kristen Gowdy at Kristen.Gowdy@usopc.org.