Expresso Platform: Big Games | Games for people with special needs. Telmo Pinão awards Portugal its first diploma, with the right to a national record

Cyclist Telmo Benau on Thursday received Portugal’s first diploma at the Paralympic Games, moving from ninth to eighth in the C2 3000m individual race, after a Belgian athlete was disqualified.

Ewoud Vromant, who clocked the fastest bottom card time of 3,30,290 minutes, a new world record, was disqualified after a protest over bicycle infractions.

With the disqualification of Belgian Telmo Pinão, who finished the race in 4.03.192, the mark that allowed him to take more than four seconds off his national record (4.07.911) rose from ninth to eighth in the rankings, thus guaranteeing a diploma.

The top four ranked in the qualifying round secured their presence in the race for medals, with the first two vying for the gold medal and the third and fourth seed vying for bronze.

During the tie, the world record, belonging to Ewoud Vromant, was beaten three times, the last time by the Belgian, whose disqualification invalidated the mark.

The new world record holder is France’s Alexandre Lot, who scored 3,31.817, shortly after Japan’s Shota Kawamoto reached 3.36,117 points.