A cheating row has erupted at the Paralympics after an Italian rower was caught breaking a rule in his boat and stripped of his bronze medal.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED?
Giacomo Perini, 28, has been excluded from the final results after an investigation revealed that he had been using an illegal device during the race.
Race officials deemed that Perini had been using an unknown communication device, like a phone or a walky-talky, during the PR1 Men’s Single Sculls event.
Team GB’s Benjamin Pritchard took the gold medal for the event at the Vaires-sur-Marne Stadium.
Using communications equipment during a race is a violation of the rules, Paris 2024 officials confirmed. Perini has been excluded from the event and ranked last.
Italian officials later confirmed that Perini had forgotten to remove his phone from the boat before the race.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?
His mistake elevated Australian rower Erik Horrie, who crossed the finish line in fourth in the men’s PR1 single sculls final, to bronze.
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INVESTIGATION AND STATEMENTS
Paralympics officials launched an investigation into Perini’s alleged cheating after a device was discovered in his boat.
‘In the final of the PR1 M1x, the ITA PR1 MRX was found to be using communications equipment during the race, in breach of Rule 28 and Appendix R2, Bye-Law to Rule 28,’ World Rowing concluded, as stated in a statement to The Sun.
‘As a result, the crew has been excluded from the event and will be ranked last.’
Italy’s rowing authority released a statement after the jury’s decision, explaining that Perini had forgotten that his phone was still in the boat.
