This archive report was first published on 25 August 2019.
August 25, 2019 - Tokyo is gearing up for the 2020 Paralympic Games, with one year to go until the event. The Games, which will take place from August 25 to September 6, aim to change outdated attitudes towards disabled people in Japan.
The Tokyo Paralympics will be the first time a city has hosted the Games twice, after the previous edition in 1964. However, the 2020 version will be a far cry from the event 55 years ago, which saw a mere 378 part-time athletes from 21 countries competing in nine sports over less than five days.
Next year's event is expected to be 10 times bigger, with around 4,400 professional athletes showcasing their skills in 21 disciplines and competing for more than 500 medals. The Games will also receive the largest coverage ever in the history of the Paralympics, with most of the sport televised live in Japan.
However, concerns remain about holding a top-class sports event during the blisteringly hot summer in the Japanese capital. Test events have highlighted difficulties with heat and water quality, with the swimming leg of the paratriathlon scrapped after double the permitted levels of bacteria were discovered in the Tokyo Bay area venue.
International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons has expressed concerns about the availability of accessible hotel rooms for disabled coaches, media, and support staff. "This is my biggest concern," Parsons said. "The hotel problem may affect the Games and it may affect the Games experience of some of our clients."
Tokyo mayor Yuriko Koike has repeatedly stressed that she will not consider Tokyo 2020 a success unless the Paralympics passes off smoothly. The city hopes to use the Paralympics to improve infrastructure for disabled people and foster a change in attitude towards disabled people in Japan, which Parsons described as "over-protective."
"You don't see persons with disabilities moving around because there is a cultural barrier. There is an expectation that they should stay at home," said Parsons. "Blade jumper" Markus Rehm, a German long jumper who regularly out-jumps able-bodied competitors and has won three Paralympic golds, is relishing the chance to alter the Japanese mindset.
At an unofficial exhibition event in Tokyo, Rehm broke his own world record of 8m48 - a distance that would have won Olympic gold at the last three Olympics - jumping 8m50. "The opportunity to win Gold here is highly exciting but what is more exciting is the chance to change Japanese society forever," said Rehm.
