Kazakh race walker Yasmina Toxanbayeva has been stripped of her gold medal in the women’s marathon event at the Asian Games after being disqualified for wearing unauthorized footwear. The decision followed a protest over the shoes she used during the race held on Sunday.

Toxanbayeva originally finished first with a time of 3 hours, 22 minutes, and 20 seconds, nearly four minutes ahead of China’s Danzeng Quzong, who placed second. However, officials noted that athletes are required to wear shoes approved and listed on the World Athletics platform. A technical official confirmed that Toxanbayeva’s shoes did not meet these requirements, prompting a complaint to World Athletics.

The governing body subsequently annulled her gold medal, a decision that was communicated to the athlete. Toxanbayeva exercised her right to appeal to the jury, a process that was underway at the time of the announcement. The Kazakh athlete acknowledged the disqualification on social media, expressing gratitude to her supporters and indicating that she had contested the ruling.

As a result of the disqualification, the gold medal was reassigned to Danzeng Quzong of China. Her compatriot Ma Li was elevated to silver, while Japan’s Yukiko Umeno received the bronze medal. The medal reallocation reflects adherence to equipment regulations set forth by World Athletics, which aim to maintain fairness and consistency in competition.