Kazakhstan stripped of Asian Games gold due to sneakers: who will be held responsible?
The Kazakh athlete won the race walk marathon, but her result was disqualified after the finish. It was discovered that Yasmina's sneakers were not on the list of approved footwear.
Tengri Sport sent an inquiry to the NOC of the Republic of Kazakhstan requesting clarification on how such a situation could occur and which organization bears responsibility.
Which organization is responsible? NOC statement
Which organization and which official from the Kazakh sideare responsible for communicating these rules and requirements to athletes, coaches, and national federations?
- National sports federations are accredited members of their respective international sports federations and represent Kazakhstan in their specific sports on the international stage.
Through their interaction with international federations, they receive information regarding current rules, technical requirements, as well as any amendments or additions, and are tasked with ensuring this information is relayed to athletes, coaches, and national team personnel in a timely manner.
The designation of a specific official responsible for this areafalls within the internal jurisdiction of the respective national federation.
The response emphasizes that the NOC does not oversee the inspection of athletes' equipment, as this falls outside its competence.
"Requirements for individual competition kit are established by the respective international sports federations. The national federation, as a member of the international body, ensures the application of these rules and technical requirements at the national level, including briefing the coaching staff and athletes. During the competition period, compliance with technical rules and requirements is monitored by authorized technical officials appointed by the relevant international sports federation and/or the competition organizers. They conduct the technical inspections stipulated by the regulations and make decisions if non-compliance is detected," the response stated.
When were the equipment requirements published and how was the information shared with athletes?
According to the NOC, the updated World Athletics requirements for competition footwear were approved by the international federation in March 2026 and came into force in April. Furthermore, immediately before the start of the athletics competitionat the Asian Games on September 22, a technical meeting was held,which was attended bythe head coaches of all participating countries.
Screenshot: asianathletics
The footwear requirements were announced there, and the presentation was also sent to a coaches' chat group that included all participating countries' athletics coaches.
View this post on Instagram
Post by TOXANBAYEVA YASMINA (@01yasm1na)
If the requirements were published in advance, which organizationwas supposed to ensure they were timely communicated to coaches and athletes?
- In accordance with the Constitution and Rules of World Athletics, every nationalfederation that is a member of World Athletics is obliged to comply with the rules and technical requirements set by the international federation.
Since the national federation represents the sport within the international federation's structure, it is through them that information regarding World Athletics rulesand updates must be relayed to the coachingstaff and athletes in a timely fashion.
The NOC also noted that they did everything in their power to help the Kazakh athlete keep her hard-earned medal.
"From the moment the issue regarding Yasmina Toksanbayeva's result arose,the NOC has been in constant contact with World Athletics, the Asian Athletics Association, the Olympic Council of Asia, and the Athletics Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The NOC was informed of the situation after the coaching staff had already received word from technical delegates regarding the recorded violation. Within its competence, the NOC provided the maximum possible assistance to the athlete. Contacts were established with international sports organizations to obtain clarifications regarding the norms and interpretation of athletics competition regulations. Nevertheless, the NOC must state that the rules came into force in April 2026, and the decision was made based on the regulations currently in effect," the response noted.
Were the competition organizers required to check the athletes' equipment before the start?
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports noted that the Kazakhstan Athletics Federation filed a protest against the annulment of the Kazakh athlete's result, arguing that the lack of notification during the pre-race check in the call room deprived the athlete of the opportunity to change her shoes in time.
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Kazakhstan explained that, according to regulations, organizers were not required to check footwear before the start.
"According to Clause 12.3 of the World Athletics Shoe Regulations, footwear checks are conducted after the race, not while the athlete is in the call room. Thus, in this case, the check was carried out in accordance with the established procedure, and an earlier check was not provided for by the rules," the statement read.
Preventing future scandals
The NOC believes that this situation should lead to the development of more effective communication mechanisms for athletes and coaches in the future to minimize the risks of such incidents recurring.
View this post on Instagram
Post by TOXANBAYEVA YASMINA (@01yasm1na)
Compensation for Yasmina Toksanbayeva's stripped medal
Under Kazakhstani law, athletes receive $10,000 for winning gold at the Asian Games. In Yasmina's case, this amount will not be paid by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Nevertheless, the Athletics Federation has already announced that it will pay Yasmina the same amount from its own funds, as she was the first to finish the race.
Kazakhstan lost Asian Games gold over sneakers: What happened