National para athlete Serkan Yıldırım has been vindicated in his legal battle over the gold medal he won at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which was later revoked following an appeal by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Details of the process were shared at a press conference attended by Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Hamza Yerlikaya, President of the Turkish Blind Sports Federation Ayhan Yıldırım, and national athlete Serkan Yıldırım.
Serkan Yıldırım had finished first in the T12 100 meters at Paris 2024, but his gold medal was annulled by a higher court ruling after the IPC's appeal. The athlete was also unable to compete in the 400 meters, an event in which he holds the world record.
Following this, legal proceedings were launched at both national and international levels. Eye examinations and international classification assessments were conducted.
After undergoing a new eye examination in Mexico, Serkan Yıldırım won the gold medal in the T12 100 meters final at the Tlaxcala 2026 World Para Athletics Grand Prix with a time of 10.94 seconds.
Yerlikaya: "Our case has been proven right"
Hamza Yerlikaya noted that Serkan Yıldırım had also faced obstacles during the qualification process for Paris 2024, saying, "When we wanted to take our brother Serkan to the Olympics, there was resistance from the international federation. There was resistance to not letting him into the organization. Serkan went out and won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and became the pride of our nation. They had his medal revoked through a fraudulent application by the Americans. Our case has now been proven right."
Emphasizing that comprehensive support is provided to disabled athletes in line with the directives of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Yerlikaya said, "I believe Serkan will win many more gold medals for our country in the upcoming European, world, and Olympic championships."
Yerlikaya stated that they expect the Paris 2024 gold medal to be officially returned shortly and that a compensation lawsuit will also be on the agenda as part of the legal process.
"We will definitely get this medal"
President of the Turkish Blind Sports Federation Ayhan Yıldırım stated that the process experienced in Paris will not be forgotten in Turkish sports history, saying, "The IPC's rules were clear and explicit. With the support of our Minister, we fought intensely for nearly two years, and finally, our case has been vindicated."
Yıldırım added that the national athlete will compete in the 100 and 400 meters at next year's World Championship and has also gained a significant advantage for Los Angeles 2028. He said official applications will continue to be made to the IPC for the physical delivery of the gold medal, adding, "We will definitely get this medal."
Serkan Yıldırım commented, "We fought for our rights for two years. Throughout this process, I always felt the support of our state and our federation by my side."
