Russian canoeist finally gets his gold from 2024 World Championships on second appeal

MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. The ICF (the International Canoe Federation) Board of Directors has upheld an appeal from the Russian Canoe Federation (RCF) and awarded the gold medal from the 2024 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in the men’s 500-meter solo canoe event to Russia’s Zakhar Petrov, RCF chief Yelena Iskhakova told TASS on Friday.
“The ICF Board of Directors considered the appeal and decided to award Petrov the gold medal in the men’s 500-meter solo canoe event,” Iskhakova said.
At the 2024 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Uzbekistan, Petrov finished first in the men’s 500-meter solo canoe event but his gold medal was revoked following a review of the race results because his canoe flipped over right before crossing the finish line. Petrov received a DNF (Did Not Finish) in the final results. The Russian canoeist appealed the results and the organizers overturned the decision, giving him back his gold medal.
However, four national canoe federations later protested that decision, so Petrov was again stripped of the gold, after which the RCF filed this latest appeal with the ICF.
In addition to the gold in the men’s 500-meter solo canoe competition, the 22-year-old Petrov also won two more gold medals at the 2024 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, which was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan at the Rowing and Canoeing Race Course between August 23 and 25, 2024.
He won the gold in the men’s 1,000-meter double canoe and in the 500-meter K4 (four-person canoe) races. He participated in these world championship events under a neutral status and without flying the colors of his country’s national flag.
Earlier this year, Petrov was allowed to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, also under a neutral status. The 2024 Summer Olympic Games were hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed a team of 15 Russian athletes to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics as neutrals.
Petrov finished 4th at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games competing in the men’s 1,000-meter canoe singles event on August 9. He and teammate Alexey Korovashkov also took fourth place in the men’s double canoe 500-meter sprint event on August 8.