Milan-Cortina Paralympics Wraps Up; Japan Secures 4 Medals

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, March 15 (Jiji Press)–The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games ended on Sunday, with Japan’s medal haul standing at four. International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons declared closed the first Winter Paralympics held at dispersed venues at a ceremony in Cortina d’Ampezzo in northern Italy. The next Winter Games will be held in the French Alps. The second Winter Paralympics ever held in Italy was attended by 611 athletes from 55 countries and regions. The Japanese delegation comprised 44 athletes, which was a record high for a Winter Paralympics held outside Japan. During the 10-day period of the latest quadrennial sporting event for athletes with disabilities, Japan garnered three silver medals and one bronze. Takeshi Suzuki clinched the bronze in the men’s alpine skiing slalom sitting event on the final day. “Our athletes fought to the very end and kept challenging themselves,” Kuniko Obinata, who headed the Japanese delegation at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, said at a press conference in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Sunday. “We hope to take this opportunity to further develop Japan’s parasports,” she said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]