Paralympic athlete collapses in parents’ arms after cruel disqualification leaves him without medal, De Rozario claims bronze
- Had won a bronze medal in the 5000m run
- Medal taken away for violation of rules
- Has no grounds for appeal against the decision
A ‘numb’ Jaryd Clifford is still reeling from the pain after being told his Paralympic bronze medal had been stripped from him after the 5000m runner was disqualified for a rule breach.
Clifford finished third in the men’s T13 final at the Stade de France on Saturday.
But his ecstasy quickly turned to terror when the visually impaired runner was told by officials that he had been disqualified for dropping the line he was using to guide Matt Clarke across the finish line.
Clifford, the only runner in the race with a guide, was visibly upset as he spoke to reporters after learning his bronze medal had been stripped from him.
The 25-year-old had hoped to appeal, but the International Paralympic Committee has told him he has no grounds to challenge the ruling.
Jaryd Clifford was automatically disqualified after losing his tether just before the finish, missing out on a bronze medal
“I went to my mom, dad and my girlfriend and I burst into tears,” Clifford said.
‘I had a little cry on the side of the track.
‘If you consider responding to results as grieving, then I’ve had my moment of grieving.
“When I got on the track, I was a little numb, and I’m still a little numb… I’m pretty knackered, to be honest. If I’m honest, we went out there with the goal of winning gold.”
Clifford’s devastation was plain to see and the dramatic and confusing circumstances surrounding his disqualification capped a rollercoaster of a first hour on the track.
While Clifford was searching for answers, Madison de Rozario finished with bronze in the women’s 5000 meters final (T54).
Australia’s Madison de Rozario won the bronze medal in the women’s 5000m final T54
De Rozario said she was thrown off balance by a restart of the race and eventually finished behind American Susannah Scaroni and Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner.
“(My start) was actually perfect, but when I heard the guns again, I was a bit shocked and I knew they were going to give up,” said de Rozario.
“It was a little bit daunting. I wasn’t sure what that (my second start) would look like, but I’m happy.”
The bronze was the seventh Paralympic medal for the 30-year-old athlete, who now focuses on the 1500 meters and the marathon.
Shortly after De Rozario crossed the finish line, Michael Roeger took silver in the men’s 1500 meters (T46).
Roeger led his race until the final 200 meters, when neutral Paralympic athlete Aleksandr Iaremchuk beat the Australian to take gold.
“Luckily, I did enough in my early youth to be on the highest podium… I’m incredibly proud of how I’ve done the last three years,” Roeger said.
‘I gave it my all early and just came up short, but it’s not the end of the world if I finish second.’
