Games-Kazakh race walker's gold medal stripped at Asian Games for footwear breach

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept 28 — Kazakh race walker Yasmina Toxanbayeva's ​Asian Games gold medal has been annulled following disqualification from the women's marathon ‌event for wearing unsanctioned shoes.

Toxanbayeva crossed first in the ⁠event on Sunday in ​three hours, 22 ⁠minutes and 20 seconds, nearly four minutes ‌ahead of ‌China's runner-up Danzengquzong, but the results remained ⁠provisional pending a protest.

"Athletes ⁠must wear only those shoes approved and listed on a World Athletics platform. She was not wearing one, which is why we wrote to World Athletics," a ‌technical official said on ​Monday.

"Cancelling the gold was their decision, which we conveyed to the athlete. The athlete has a right to appeal to the jury, and she has done that."

Toxanbayeva confirmed the annulment on social media.

"We fought until ​the end," she said in an Instagram ‌post. "Thank you ‌to ⁠all my super-heroes who fought with me to the very end."

Danzengquzong was upgraded to the gold, with compatriot Ma Li earning silver ‌ahead of Japan's ​bronze-winner Yukiko Umeno.

(Reporting by ‌Ian Ransom; Additional ⁠reporting ​by Amlan Chakraborty; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Thomas ​Derpinghaus)

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