Nuria Marques Soto of Spain prepares to race in her Women's 400m Freestyle - S9 heat on day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at on August 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Nuria Marques Soto of Spain prepares to race in her Women's 400m Freestyle - S9 heat on day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at on August 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
(Getty Images)
The first day of competition at the Tokyo Paralympics begins today after the spectacular opening ceremony kicked things off in Japan.
The Paralympics will see athletes handed their opportunity to shine just like the Tokyo Olympics after the delay due to the pandemic.
The hope and expectation is that not only will there be elite-level competition, but the organisers want the Paralympics to enhance and prove Japanese society to be more inclusive.
It is the first city to host two Paralympic Games, 57 years on from their first Games in 1964, with 4,400 athletes in Tokyo representing 162 national Paralympic committees.
There will be 539 medal events on offer across 22 sports too. We can look forward to new events in the form of Para-badminton and Para-taekwondo, though Para-sailing and football seven-a-side have been cut since Rio 2016.
“I cannot believe we are finally here. Many doubted this day would happen,” said President of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons in his Opening Ceremony speech.
“Many thought it impossible. But thanks to the efforts of many, the most transformative sport event on Earth is about to begin.“We want to change the entire world.”
The president posted his message to the American athletes on Instagram as the first day of competition got underway.
“Good luck to all the US Paralympic athletes competing in Tokyo. Your resilience, talent, and determination serve as an inspiration to us all,” he said.
Paralympics 2021: Who is the Team USA star born in Ukraine after Chernobyl disaster?
She is the Team USA star who was given up for adoption after her birth in the Ukraine three years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and now is aiming for a medal in Tokyo.
Oksana Masters was born with defects linked to the radiation poisoning caused by the 1986 accident, with her legs missing weight-bearing bones.
Natalie Sims of Team United States looks on following her Women's 400m Freestyle - S9 heat on day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at on August 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Wheelchair rugby kicks off on day one of competition
The sport was popularised by the 2005 documentary Murderball, and sees four preliminary matches.
Team USA, captained by Chuck Aoki, is looking to win its first Paralympic gold since 2008, and takes on New Zealand in its opening match.
Australia, the two-time defending champions start their campaign against Denmark, while Great Britain plays Canada, and reigning world champions Japan take on France.
Paralympics 2021: Who is the Purple Heart veteran who carried the US flag?
She is a former US Army lieutenant who became the first female soldier to lose a limb in the Iraq War and was a flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
Melissa Stockwell, 41, received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for her military service, and now has her sights set on giving her all in Tokyo.
Paralympics 2021: Who is Team USA wheelchair rugby star who carried flag?
His Japanese great-grandparents and grandparents were imprisoned in an American World War II internment camp and now he has carried the flag for Team USA at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony in Tokyo.
Chuck Aoki, who captains the wheelchair rugby team, was born in Minneapolis with hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy, a rare genetic disorder that means he has no feeling in his hands or feet.
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