28-year-old Italian Paralympian Giacomo Perini finished third in the PR1 men's single sculls final on Day Four of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games but subsequently lost it after he was deemed to have breached the rules. 

“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 said in a statement. “As a result, the crew has been excluded from the event and will be ranked last.”

Perini, however, maintains that it was an oversight and he had no intention of breaching the rules. The Italian argued that he had left his phone in a small bag on the boat along with a water bottle and never used it to communicate with anybody.

"They didn't 'find' me simply because I never used the mobile phone on the boat. I gave the phone to the jury so that they could see that the last call was from the night before, with the psychologist" Perini told Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA). "The rules do not say that you cannot bring the phone, but that you cannot communicate."

Rule 28, mentioned by World Rowing, states "no communication with the crew is permitted from outside the boat using electric or electronic equipment." Consequently, the Italian Rowing Federation then filed an appeal citing that Perini did not, in fact, break the rules but it was swiftly rejected.

The Italian Rowing Federation will now reportedly appeal the decision to the World Rowing Executive Board.

In light of Perini's disqualification, the Italian was instead placed last and Erik Horrie of Australia was promoted to the bronze medal position behind Ukraine's Roman Polianskyi who took silver having won the men's PR1 single sculls gold medal at both Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016. Great Britain's Benjamin Pritchard won the gold.

Horrie has now won medals at every Paralympics in which he has competed having won silver medals at Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016, and London 2012.

“There was a situation that happened. World Rowing and Paralympics officials saw it and then made the decision and I was lucky enough to come away with the bronze," Horrie said in an interview with Australian TV channel, Nine. 

“That’s all I can say, really. It’s the joys of sport. There are rules, and as athletes, we stick to them. I’m just excited about getting the bronze. I’m at my fourth Games and I can say that I’ve medalled at every single Paralympics that I’ve been to.”