The joy of victory, however, quickly turned into despair. According to the Polish Paralympics Commission, Kozakowska was disqualified due to a violation of rule R6.16.1, which concerns the use of improper equipment. As a result, her gold medal and the world record were revoked.

The Polish Paralympic organization immediately appealed the decision, but to no avail, as Brazil's “protest questioning the size of Róża Kozakowska's head pillow” was upheld in Saturday’s appeals commission.

“After the Games, when understandable emotions have subsided, a transparent, thorough investigation will be launched to clarify the situation,” the Polish Paralympic Committee said after the decision.

Poland’s medal tally on the rise

Lech Stoltman added to Poland’s success with a bronze medal in the F55 shot put. His performance provided a much-needed boost for the Polish team amidst the controversy surrounding Kozakowska’s disqualification.

Saturday started well for the Polish athletes in table tennis, as Karolina Pęk and Piotr Grudzień, grabbed bronze in the mixed doubles. The former repeated the feat an hour later, this time, in the mixed women’s competition, along with Natalia Partyka.

Poland has one more medal guaranteed in table tennis, as Grudzień, teamed up with Patryk Chojnowski, will try to make it to the final against the Taiwanese pair.

The semifinals for these pairs are scheduled for Saturday, with the finals following later that day and on Sunday. They will compete to elevate their bronze medals to silver or gold.

The Paralympic Games will continue until September 8, with 4,400 athletes from 168 nations competing in 22 disciplines. Poland, represented by 84 athletes, is determined to build on its previous success in Tokyo, where the team won 24 medals. Despite the setbacks, the Polish athletes remain resilient and focused on their goals in Paris.