Tomoya Ito (58), Japan's representative of the track and field wheelchair class at the Tokyo Para-Athletics, held a press conference on the 25th. He talked about his determination to do his best in the race in the new class.
Ito, an intractable disease with immunity abnormalities, has not been able to be classified as having a disability due to the influence of the new coronavirus, and was judged to be a less disability class by the classification received on the 20th of this month just before the competition. rice field.
The judgment did not change even after the re-examination, and on the 23rd, he was unable to participate in the third event, which was considered to be a promising medal winner, and he will participate in the 400-meter race to be held on the 29th in a new class that competes with athletes with light disabilities. It was decided.
Ito hasn't broken the standard record for participation in this class, but he has been decided to participate as part of the re-classification.
If the decision changes again in this race, the 1500m and 100m after that will aim to participate in the original class.
Ito said, "I was honestly shocked to change the class, but I am happy to be on the new starting line. I believe that I may return to the original class because I am a bad person, and I will never give up until the end. It's a pity that I can't run the main 400 meters in the original class, but I'm also going to run in the new class for 400 meters, so I'd like to run in anticipation of my own time. "