Jerrold Mangliwan initially finished fifth, but was deemed disqualified on a lane infringement infraction at the men’s 400 meters T52 of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics athletics competition at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, Friday evening.
The 41-year-old fought through the final 125 meters of the race to finish with a time of 1:00.80, a supposed new personal best.
Mangliwan was slow off the blocks, but was able to fend off Austria’s Thomas Geierspichler, before he sped off to challenge for a medal halfway through the race.
The 2015 Southeast Asian double sprint champion’s wheelchair got off the track in the process, leading to his disqualification from the race and nullification of the result.
Hometown bet and fastest qualifier Sato Tomoki won the gold medal with a new Paralympic record of 55.39, 0.20 seconds ahead of deposed champion Raymond Martin of the USA. The other Japanese bet in Ueyonabaru Hirozaku took the bronze off a distant 59.95.
Mangliwan will try to bounce back from the mishap and will attempt for another chance at a medal when he competes in the men’s 1,500 meters final on Sunday at 6:42 p.m., Manila time.
