Kazakh race walker Yasmina Toxanbayeva stripped of Asian Games gold for footwear breach

Kazakh race walker Yasmina Toxanbayeva was stripped of the gold medal she won in the women's marathon race walk at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Sunday after being disqualified for wearing unsanctioned shoes. She had crossed the line first in three hours, 22 minutes and 20 seconds, nearly four minutes ahead of China's runner-up Danzengquzong.

The results remained provisional after a protest, a technical official said. "Athletes must wear only those shoes approved and listed on a World Athletics platform. She was not wearing one, which is why we wrote to World Athletics," the technical official said on Monday. The official added that World Athletics had decided to cancel the gold and that decision had been conveyed to the athlete.

Toxanbayeva confirmed the annulment on social media. "We fought until the end," she said in an Instagram post. "Thank you to all my super-heroes who fought with me to the very end."

Danzengquzong was upgraded to the gold, with compatriot Ma Li earning silver ahead of Japan's bronze-winner Yukiko Umeno.

"The athlete has a right to appeal to the jury, and she has done that," a technical official said. The technical official made the comments on Monday.