It turned into Glasgow’s version of Wacky Races. After four crashes, three overturned wheelchairs, three appeals and a disqualification, the women’s T54 1500m final is to be rerun 39 hours after it first took place.
The controversial decision was taken on Thursday after the extraordinary scenes at the Scotstoun track on Wednesday – and despite the medallists doing a lap of honour, posing for photographs together and going to bed thinking they were part of Commonwealth history.
The drama started on the first bend when Canada’s Nandini Sharma cut across Noemi Alphonse of Mauritius, who then flipped spectacularly in the air.
Moments later Australia’s Eliza Ault-Connell, who had also been impeded, was knocked to the floor. The chain reaction then led to Scotland’s Joanna Robertson skidding on one wheel across the Mondo track, while England’s Ellis Kottas crashed into a wall.
While all this was happening, Scotland’s Melanie Woods took gold in a Commonwealth record of 3min 33.39sec. But it turned out the drama was just getting started.
Shortly afterwards, Sharma was disqualified for causing the crash, leaving Kottas to take silver, having finished 50 seconds back, and Australia’s Mikaela Dingley to claim bronze.
However, after appeals from Australia and Mauritius, and a counter-claim from Canada, Para-athletics chiefs have now decided to run the race again at 10.24am on Friday - more than 39 hours after the official race began.
Six of the seven athletes will be allowed to compete again. However, Sharma’s disqualification will stand. The ceremony was not due to be held until Thursday, so none of the athletes were actually presented with medals.
In an Instagram post on Thursday Kottas said she accepted the decision. “While I really don’t want to rerun the race (lowkey traumatised) if I’m going to medal I want to do so on my own merit, so I will go out and give it all I’ve got,” she said. “If I don’t medal, so be it. I’ll still have the incredible memories of lifting that England flag.”
However the decision was criticised by Jonny Riall, chef de mission for Team England, who said: “We are incredibly disappointed by the late decision to rerun the T54 1500m tomorrow morning.
“While there is no formal protest process available to us, we have strongly challenged the decision,” he added. “The race officials did not halt the race at the time of the incident, nor was any immediate decision made to declare the race void or order a rerun.”
Team Scotland also released a statement, which was rather more prosaic. “We note the decision of the Jury of Appeal regarding the Women’s T54 1500m final,” it said. “Melanie Woods and Joanna Robertson will now prepare to compete again on Friday in the rerun.”
