Cheering Crowd Helps Tomita Grab Bronze; ‘I was Able to Pull Myself Together Because of Those Cheers’

By Satoshi Morii / Yomiuri Shimbun Sportswriter

17:28 JST, September 1, 2024

PARIS — Para swimmer Uchu Tomita raised his right arm, drawing roaring cheers from spectators, at the podium where he received bronze in the men’s 400-meter freestyle in the S11 vision impairment category at the Paris Paralympics on Friday.

“I was able to pull myself together because of those cheers. I wanted to respond to the cheers,” Tomita said. Tomita, whose first Paralympic appearance was the Tokyo Para Games in 2021, enjoyed his first Games with spectators and made his presence felt.

Tomita was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disorder that led him to vision loss, at the age of 16, and he now swims in the classes for total vision impairment.

Now at age 35, Tomita had considered not competing in the 400-meter para swimming events, which require endurance. However, after hearing younger para swimmers energetically pushing themselves at the World Championships last year, Tomita was inspired and decided to enter such races to see how he could catch up with younger swimmers.

Tomita resumed full-fledged training a year ago and developed his endurance with training programs that college students would do.

“I didn’t know I could swim at this level,” Tomita said. “I realized my potential and I feel like I can move forward.”

“Was I able to show a hard-working older guy?” Tomita said, smiling with his bronze medal.