'Shock': Victim of "Gold Medal Stripped" Incident Overnight Receives "Plot Twist Update"... Even Met the President: "I Feel Like I'm Going Crazy"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The victim of an unprecedented gold medal stripping incident received national consolation. Yasmina Toksanbayeva (21, Kazakhstan), who was absurdly denied official recognition of her gold medal due to the fatal administrative incompetence of officials, was awarded a state order by Kazakhstan.

Citing a presidential press release, Kazakh media outlet "Kazinform" reported on the 10th (Korean time) that "President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree awarding state orders to medalists at the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the 5th Asian Para Games."

According to the media, President Tokayev awarded state orders to 19 gold medalists who enhanced the nation's prestige at this tournament. Notably, Toksanbayeva was listed as a recipient of the order in the women's marathon race walk event, despite being disqualified and missing out on the gold medal according to the official records of the Games. This means that the Kazakh government officially recognized Toksanbayeva's actual first-place record and efforts as equivalent to those of an official gold medalist, regardless of the administrative disqualification decision by international bodies.

Toksanbayeva, who received official recognition from her homeland, also could not hide her emotional feelings. Immediately after receiving the order, Toksanbayeva stated on her personal social media (SNS), "I lack the words and emotions to express how I feel right now. I am incredibly happy to be recognized by my motherland and the Kazakhstan Athletics Federation." She added, "I am grateful to everyone who made this moment possible today. This will be a strong driving force for me to move forward and grow in the future."

Previously, Toksanbayeva crossed the finish line first with an overwhelming time of 3 hours, 22 minutes, and 20 seconds in the women's marathon race walk at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held last September. However, a violation of the shoe sole thickness regulations was confirmed the day after the competition, resulting in her disqualification and gold medal stripping overnight. This led to an unprecedented situation where Sachiko Umeno (Japan), who had finished fourth, inherited the bronze medal.

Moreover, it was revealed that the reason for disqualification stemmed not from the athlete's fault, but from an absurd administrative disaster caused by the dereliction of duty of coaching staff who failed to grasp basic regulations and did not check shoe thickness, sparking public outrage. According to Kazakh media outlet "Sports24," Ayjan Tolegen, a spokesperson for the Sports Development Bureau under the Kazakhstan Ministry of Tourism and Sports, pointed out the clear negligence of officials on local broadcast and hinted at severe disciplinary action.

Due to the shocking disaster, Toksanbayeva recently revealed deep trauma through her personal SNS, stating, "Recovering my mental strength is the top priority. I still cannot look comfortably at my teammates who have medals around their necks," evoking sympathy from fans.

In response, following the Kazakhstan Athletics Federation's extraordinary compensation measures, including full payment of the gold medal bonus and provision of a free apartment, President Tokayev, the head of state, personally awarded the state order to console the athlete's grievance.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original