Latif Romly Loses Gold To Matvei Iakushev In F20 Men’s Long Jump In Dramatic Finish

The final event for athletes with an intellectual impairment at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the F20 Men’s Long Jump, wrapped up with a dramatic finish at Stade de France.

Early on, Saudi Arabia’s DAWSHI Hassan led the scoreboard, posing a strong challenge to two-time Paralympic champion and four-time world champion, Abdul Latif ROMLY. However, Latif showed his experience by bouncing back in his second jump, securing a season-best of 7.45m in his third attempt, taking the top spot.

But in a stunning twist, newcomer Matvei IAKUSHEV, competing under a neutral flag, stole the show with a sensational 7.51m jump on his last attempt, claiming gold and shocking the competition.

Apparently, Latif Romly suffered from an injury under his ribs last week during his training, which was affecting his training tonight.

“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much tonight. The injury affected me a lot, but when I jumped 7.45m, I thought I had a chance. Matvei’s final jump caught me by surprise.”

Matvei, who had been in fourth place with 7.28m before his final leap, shared his excitement:

“I am absolutely happy because I never expected to jump that far. I don’t know how I did it. It was an absolute surprise to me.”

Colombia’s OBANDO ASPRILLA Jhon Sebastian rounded out the podium, securing bronze with a jump of 7.38m. This marks Jhon’s second medal at Paris 2024, following his gold in the T20 400m earlier in the week.

The F20 Men’s Long Jump ended on a high note, with Matvei Iakushev’s last-minute victory adding to the excitement of an unforgettable Paralympic Games.

Across all the events for athletes with an intellectual impairment, Great Britain topped the podium with a total of 14 medals ( seven gold, four silver and three bronze), Ukraine with four medals (two gold, one silver and one bronze) and Canada with three medals (two gold and one silver)