With three days of athletics competition left at the 2024 Paris Paralympics Japan is well onto the medal table with four silvers and two bronze medals, but it has yet to score gold. Kenya Karasawa took silver in the T11 men's 5000 m on the first day of competition, running an Asian record 14:51.48 to finish between Brazilians Julio Cesar Agripino dos Santos, whose 14:48.85 world record earned him gold, and Yeltsin Jacques, bronze in 14:52.61. Japan's Shinya Wada was 4thin 15:16.41.
Tomoki Sato and Tomoya Ito followed Karasawa in the evening session with silver and bronze in the T52 men's 400 m. Belgian Maxime Carabin won gold in 55.10, Sato close behind in 56.26 for silver and Ito an easy bronze in 1:01.08.
It took another two days for Japan's next medal to come, this one from Shuta Kawakami in the T13 men's 100 m. Gold and silver medalists Skander Djamal Athmani of Algeria and Salum Ageze Kashafali of Norway were far ahead in 10.42 (-0.1) and 10.47, but Kawakami was in a photo finish with Australia's Chad Perris for 3rd. Kawakami was given the bronze in 10.794, with Perris scoring an Oceania area record at 10.799 but just missing out on a medal.
On the fourth day Keiko Onidani was the first Japanese woman to make the podium at the Paris Paralympics, throwing an Asian record 15.78 m in the F53 discus throw to take silver. Elizabeth Rodrigues Gomes took another gold for Brazil with a PB 17.37 m throw, with Ukrainian Zoia Ovsii bronze at 14.17 m.
The next Japanese medal didn't come until day seven, when Ryota Fukunaga won silver in the T13 men's 400 m. Algeria's Athmani was back for a second gold in 47.43, Fukunaga just off in 48.07. Colombian Buinder Bermudez Villar ran a South American area record 48.83 for bronze.
Paris Paralympics athletics run through this Sunday, when the men's and women's marathons offer some of Japan's best remaining chances at scoring gold. Complete schedule and results here.
© 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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