Why Priyanka Goswami was disqualified from Asian Games marathon racewalking

Indian racewalker Priyanka Goswami was disqualified in the women's marathon racewalk event at the Asian Games 2026. This unfortunate turn of events dealt a significant blow to India's medal prospects in the competition. The disqualification occurred when Priyanka was just 9 km into the race under the technical rule TR54.7.5. The rule is designed to maintain strict adherence to the technical demands of racewalking, which includes maintaining visible contact with the ground and keeping the knee of the advancing leg straight during the forward motion.

Priyanka had previously explained the nuances of this event, emphasizing the importance of not lifting her legs off the ground and ensuring her knees remain unbent while advancing. Racewalking judges are constantly on the lookout for any infractions, issuing red cards whenever they observe a violation. These violations range from losing contact with the ground to bending the knee while advancing.

Upon receiving three red cards, athletes are placed in the penalty zone, where they must serve a time penalty. However, accumulating a fourth red card results in disqualification. During the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Priyanka experienced a similar scenario, receiving three red cards but ultimately only serving a 3-minute 30-second time penalty in the penalty box.

Another Indian participant, Manju Rani, also faced a similar challenge, finishing the race in sixth place with a time of 3:40:17. She too accumulated three red cards for loss of contact during the race.