Serkan Yıldırım (born Persian: سجاد هاشمی آهنگری; Latin: Sajjad Hashemi Ahangari on 22 August 1991) is an Iranian-born Turkish athlete. He has competed at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games competing in the 100 m and 400 msprint events, as well as being a World Champion and World Record holder in the T12 classification.
He was chosen for the 400 m and relay team at the 2010 Asian Games, but did not get past the first round in either event. He established himself in the senior ranks in 2011 by taking the 200 m and 400 m Iranian titles. He came fourth in the 400 m at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships, just behind Yuzo Kanemaru, and anchored the Iranian 4×400 m relay team to the bronze medal.[3] The 2011 Military World Games in July saw Hashemi break the national record in the 400 m with a run of 45.81 seconds, as he defeated Kenya's Mark Mutai to take the gold medal.[4]
In 2016, Hashemi was part of the Iranian team that won the silver medal in the men's 4 x 400 m at the Asian Indoor Athletics Champions.[5] In 2018, the team, also including Hashemi, won bronze. He continued to compete for Iran until September 2022.[5]
In Turkey
Yıldırım had to give up his able-bodied athletics career as he was not able to see the track lines due to an increasing reduction of visual acuity. He then began to compete as a para-athlete for Turkey after he was classified into the B2 classification.[6]
After Yıldırım won the gold medal by breaking the championship record in the 100 m and the world record in the 400 m at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan in May 2024, the World Para Athletics Federation (WPA), which is affiliated with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), initiated in June a process for his disability classification, after concerns were raised about his level of visual impairment.[9] His approved classification status was changed to 'Under Review', it was announced that he would not be able to compete at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. The Turkish National Paralympic Committee (TMPK) made objections to the IPC and WPA, but the efforts were unsuccessful. [10]
The TMPK filed for an injunction in a Bonn regional court against the WPA, which is subject to German law. On 29 August 2024 at 19:24 local time, one day after the opening ceremony of the Games, the judge approved an injunction allowing Yıldırım to compete. The WPA who had been unaware of the injunction, complied pending their own appeal against the decision. Notifying the Turkish delegation at 02:00 hours local time on 30 August, eight hours before the start of Yıldırım's 100 m competition.[10]
Competition and post-disqualification
Yıldırım eventually competed in the 100 m T12 event on 30 August 2024. He initially claimed Gold, but on 3 September 2024, he was disqualified from the 100m T12, his gold medal was revoked and his name was removed from the entry list of the 400 m T12, after the WPA's appeal against the injunction was upheld.[11][12][13] The TMPK announced that it will resolutely fight for Yıldırım's reinstatement.[14]
