Why was Sadegh Sayah disqualified at the Paris Paralympics? Everything you need to know about Code of Conduct that led him to lose gold medal

The 2024 Paris Paralympics featured a surprising twist when Iran’s Sadegh Sayah faced a disqualification due to a breach of the event's code of conduct. The Paralympian athlete was stripped of his gold medal following the disqualification on September 7, 2024.

Sayah topped the men's javelin throw F41 event, a category for athletes with short stature. He was disqualified due to a breach of rules "pertaining to unsporting or improper conduct" after being shown two yellow cards.

The Iranian para-athlete was seen reaching out for a black flag in his bag with Arabic text in red color soon after the throws. He was later issued two yellow cards. Rule 8.1 of the World Para Athletics Rules and Regulations (Code of Conduct and Ethics) states:

“World Para Athletics (WPA) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and conduct in the sport of Para athletics. All participants in the sport, including athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators, have a responsibility to uphold these standards and ensure that the sport is conducted in a fair, honest, and transparent manner.”

Sayah registered a stunning 47.64m, a new Olympic record, albeit temporary, to dominate the event in his fifth attempt, surpassing India's Navdeep Singh's 47.32m and China's Pengxiang Sun's 44.72m before his medal was rescinded at the Stade de France on Saturday.

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Sadegh Sayah misses out on a Paralympic gold medal in Paris after collecting a silver medal at the Tokyo Games

Sadegh Sayah secured a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics after posting a throw of 43.35m. He was beaten by Pengxiang Sun, who recorded a distance of 47.13m. Iraq's Wildan Nukhailawi secured third place with a throw of 41.39m.

Following the Iranian's disqualification in Paris Paralympics, India's Navdeep Singh, who originally finished in second place was shifted to the top place on the podium at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Sun (initially third place) and Nukhailawi (initially fourth place) collected silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Sadegh Sayah secured a silver medal at the 2023 Para Athletics World Championships held in Paris, France. He achieved the feat after registering a remarkable throw of 45.46m. He was dominated by Sun's world record-breaking throw of 47.55m. Nukhailawi was placed in third place after marking the 42.09m mark.

The Iranian javelin thrower is also an Asian Para Games medalist. At the 2014 Asian Para Games, held in Incheon, he secured a silver medal in the shot put F57 event.