Para Athletics Wheelchair Gold Medal Expected Sato Kotoshi good time in the first race July 24 15:51
Tomoyuki Sato (30), who is expected to win a gold medal in the track and wheelchair class of the Tokyo Paralympic Games that was postponed to next year, participated in the first race this year.
Sato participated in a track and field competition for elementary and junior high school students in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, and ran 400 meters.
Although he said he was “tensed” in the race after a long time, he chased the speed with the players in the class with lighter obstacles who ran with him, and finished in a good time, approaching his own world record for just over a second.
Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, Para Athletics has not held the Japanese championship scheduled in May or the international competition that was supposed to be held at the national stadium, and for Sato, since the world championship in November last year It was the first race in 8 months.
Sato said, “It's not easy to re-adjust the peak a year later, but I want to believe that I can compete with more strength.”
On the 24th, a women's 400-meter, wheelchair class race was also held, and Momoka Muraoka (23), who was aiming for the "two-handed" of land and alpine skiing, showed a strong run.
Mr. Muraoka, who has been racing since January, said, "I was thrilled after a long time. I was worried about how to balance skiing with the postponement of the Tokyo tournament, but now I have a large presence on land, so I am in Tokyo. The goal of participating in the tournament remains the same, and I want to do my best."