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Russia’s Andrey Vdovin wins gold of 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics in 400m running

Russian Paralympians are participating in the 2024 Games under a neutral status

PARIS, September 4. /TASS/. Russia’s track and field athlete Andrey Vdovin won gold on Wednesday at the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympic Games in the men’s 400-meter running.

The Russian athlete covered the distance in 50.27 seconds to become the 2024 Paralympics champion. Brazil’s Bartolomeu da Silva Chaves won the silver medal with the result of 50.39 seconds and Tunisia’s Amen Tissaoui bagged the bronze (50.50 seconds). Another Russian runner, Anton Feoktistov, finished in the 8th place clocking the distance at 52.54 seconds.

Vdovin, 30, already won the bronze medal in the 100-meter sprint event at this year’s Paralympics. At the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo he won one gold and two silver medals.

The 400-meter running competition on Wednesday was held in line with T37 sports class, which "is for athletes with movement and coordination moderately affected down one side. They have to compensate for asymmetry in the start, stride and overall power distribution."

The 2024 Summer Paralympic Games run in the French capital of Paris between August 28 and September 8. Russian Paralympians are participating in the 2024 Games under a neutral status

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) cleared 88 Paralympians from Russia to take part in the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympic Games. They were barred from taking part in the Parade of Athletes during the opening and closing ceremonies and also excluded from the 2024 Paralympics overall medal standings.

Russia's route to 2024 Paris Paralympics

On March 6, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) published strict eligibility criteria that Russian and Belarusian athletes and support personnel must meet and adhere to in order to participate as neutrals at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris.

According to the IPC’s requirements "Neutral athletes will compete under a white flag featuring black lettering spelling out NPA [Neutral Paralympic Athletes]." The IPC also ruled that "NPA will compete as individuals in neutral uniforms under an NPA flag, and will not be able to take part in medals ceremonies or march in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies."

On September 29, 2023, the IPC General Assembly ruled at its session in Bahrain to suspend some of the rights the RPC has within the global organization.

However, the IPC General Assembly cleared Russian athletes to participate under a neutral status in international competition, including at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

In mid-March this year, RPC President Pavel Rozhkov told TASS that Russian Paralympians and accompanying staff would don turquoise and beige at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.