Paris Paralympics Closes with Japan Earning More Gold than at Tokyo Games; Final Days Bring in Medal Rush

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:28 JST, September 9, 2024

SAINT-DENIS, France — The Paris Paralympic Games officially ended Sunday after 12 days of competitions, bringing Japan 14 gold medals — surpassing the 13 medals earned during the Tokyo Games in 2021.

The closing ceremony was held on Sunday at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just outside of Paris. The games will next be held in Los Angeles in 2028.

At the Paris Paralympic Games, Japan earned a total of 41 medals: 14 Gold, 10 silver and 17 Bronze. It was short of the country’s record total of 52 in the 2004 Athens Games.

In terms of medal numbers, China came in first in both gold and overall, wining 220 overall, including 94 gold medals.

Japan ranked 10th in the number of gold medals, while landing in 11th overall.

Athletes from 168 countries and regions participated in the Paris games. However, because of Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine, athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus only took part in the games as Neutral Paralympic Athletes without representing their countries.

At the closing ceremony, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons hailed the success of the games, saying, “Paris 2024 has set a benchmark for all future Paralympic Games.”

Subhead: Gold and bronze medal rush

Japan won gold and bronze medals in a flurry during the final days of competition. Misato Michishita in the women’s marathon T12 visual impairment class and Tomoki Suzuki in the men’s wheelchair marathon T54 physical impairment class both earned bronze. Tokito Oda won a gold medal in wheelchair tennis men’s singles on Saturday.