Sep 06, 2021 (NHK) - Japan has racked up golds in marathon and badminton in an action-packed final day of the Tokyo Paralympics.
The marathon events traced a route through central Tokyo, passing several city landmarks. The Olympic marathons had been relocated to the northern city of Sapporo to avoid the mid-summer heat.
Japan's Michishita Misato won gold in the race for female athletes with visual impairments. She took the lead at the 25-kilometer point and broke away soon after. She finished in just over 3 hours, more than 3 minutes ahead of her closest competitor.
Meanwhile, Switzerland's Marcel Hug won the men's wheelchair marathon. He also took gold in the event at the Rio Games in 2016. It was a fourth gold in Tokyo for Hug, who also won 800, 1500, and 5000 meter races.
Paralympic organizers asked fans to respect the coronavirus state of emergency and watch from home. But there were crowds at some locations, despite the request.
"I came because this was my last chance to watch the Games," one woman said. "I wore a mask and tried not to talk."
Japan's medal rush continued in badminton. Wheelchair athlete Kajiwara Daiki won gold in men's singles, beating the world number-one, South Korea's Kim Jung-jun.
Satomi Sarina and Yamazaki Yuma beat opponents from China to pick up gold in women's doubles. Satomi also won a singles gold earlier in the Games.
The 13-day Paralympics will wrap up later in the day with the closing ceremony at the National Stadium. The event's theme is "Harmonious Cacophony." Organizers say the concept was inspired by a desire to acknowledge diversity and transform differences into unity.
