As the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games draw to a close, we look at Team GB’s medals and the Games’ lasting legacy.
Over 12 days, Team GB made a lasting impact at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games, winning medals in 18 of the 19 sports they competed in, only missing out in shooting.
Roundup
Throughout the last 18 months, disability sport was mostly put on pause, with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic limiting access to training and clubs for both amateur and professional athletes. At Tokyo 2020, parasport made a triumphant return, marking a new era in disability sport and awareness of it’s importance.
The Games saw Team GB finish in second place on the medal table, with 41 golds, 38 silvers and 45 bronzes, making 124 medals in total: four more medals than won on home soil at London 2012.
The team set multiple records with Kadeena Cox setting the world-record time in the C4-5 500m time trial and David Smith retaining his BC1 title, becoming Team GBs greatest boccia player.
Impossible To Ignore
As we saw goodbye to another incredible Paralympic Games, we look forward to the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing and seeing Team GB compete at Paris 2024 Summer Games. During this three year wait, organisations and athletes aren’t putting their efforts to raise awareness of parasport on pause – the need to highlight the importance of disability sport is greater than ever.
During the Games, international organisations united to launch global movement WeThe15, a ten year campaign aiming to end discrimination towards the disabled community, publicly campaigning for disability visibility, accessibility and inclusion.
As the International Paralympic Committee and International Disability Alliance spearhead the campaign, it will be highlighted at major sporting events worldwide over the next decade.
During this year’s Games, Paralympics GB popularised #ImpossibleToIgnore, but this is more than just a hashtag: it’s a call to action.
Despite the notoriety that events like the Paralympics bring, 49 per cent of disabled people say they feel excluded from society. Through sport, organisations like this hope to break down barriers for the disabled community. Parasport UK can provide opportunities to get active regardless of your skill level or ability.
Share your favourite moment of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with the #EnableCommunity on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.